While exiled to the island of Patmos, John, writing to the seven churches in Asia, opens his letter with praise to their common savior. He writes in praise, “To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood” (Rev. 1:5 NASB 2020). In this passage, there are two participles that further describe who Jesus is. The first is an aorist participle which describes a one-time past action. John says that Jesus “released us from our sins,” a one-time past action. The other is a present participle, which describes an ongoing activity. This is the case where John says that Jesus “loves us.” This phrase could also have been translated, “the one who is loving us.” Jesus’ love for us was not a one-time event. Jesus did not only love us when he came to give his life for us. Neither did he love us only when he forgave and released us from our sins. Jesus continues to love us today, and he will love us tomorrow and the next day. Jesus' love for us is both continual and active. We can trust in his love day-by-day, knowing that we can never exhaust his love for us. What comfort and hope this revelation ought to give us, and what motivation to share that same never-ending love with the people around us.
David Robison
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