To him who . . . has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

— Revelation 1:5-6

At Mount Sinai the Lord instructed Moses to tell the people of Israel that they were to obey God and keep his covenant and that they would be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Unfortunately, no one was able to keep God’s law perfectly. So eventually God sent his own Son, Jesus Christ, to be their substitute, saving them from sin and death. In fact, Jesus came to lay down his life to pay for all human sin. So he is the Savior and Lord of all who trust him in faith (John 3:16-21). In Revelation 1, John explains that in this way Jesus “made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father.” This means that, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are kingdom representatives to the world. We are called to be mediators (priests) with people by bringing the good news of Jesus and of God’s kingdom to the world, introducing people everywhere to God and his love. Through Jesus, we have unlimited access to God to know him and to be like him. Access to God is no longer limited to a formal earthly priesthood. That access is now open to all who come to faith in Jesus. “To him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”

In Jesus’ name we serve you, Almighty God. We worship you alone as Lord and serve your world as your representatives, your priests. Equip us with your Spirit for the task you have given us, we pray. Amen.