November 30, 2025
Assigned Scripture
Revelation 1:7-10, 12-18
7 Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven.
And everyone will see him—
even those who pierced him.
And all the nations of the world
will mourn for him.
Yes! Amen!
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,”[a] says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. 10 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit.[b] Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast
12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man.[a] He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
Group Response
“I was on the island called Patmos … I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” Those two sentences form the crucible in which the Revelation is given. God is with us, even when we’re alone on Patmos. He comes, not merely a child, but “one like the Son of Man approaching at an infinite speed, setting up his kingdom amidst the powers that rule the world. His kingdom “is eternal and will never be destroyed,” (Dan. 7:14). God is with us … the Voice is behind us … always closer than we think.
Discussion Questions
1. What is your favorite Christmas passage in the Bible? And why?
2. Compare the image in John’s revelation (v. 9-20) to that of Luke’s nativity scene (2:1-12). What does John’s image of Jesus in Revelation do to your version of the Christmas story?
3. In John’s description of Jesus, there are seven features: head, eyes, feet, voice, hand, mouth, and face. Which of these stands out to you?
4. John’s time on Patmos gave him opportunity to experience God’s power and love in new ways. How have you experienced God’s power and love in the most painful or distressing situations?
5. Look again at Jesus’s words to John (v. 17-18). How might these words comfort people that you know? How do they comfort you?