Robed in White

SERMON TITLE:   “Robed in White”
SERMON TEXT:    Revelation 7:9-17
PREACHER:           Rev. Kim James
OCCASION:           May 22, 2022, at First UMC
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
                Due to current events in the news about the abortion debate, it’s quite likely that you’ve had a recent thought or two about the U.S. Supreme Court.  If you’re like me, you picture them in your mind as nine justices dressed in black robes.  If you’re up to speed on those folks, you know that the U.S. Supreme Court currently consists of six men and three women.  Of the nine, one is African American and one is Hispanic.  Geographically, only two of the nine come from states west of the Mississippi.  In regard to religious affiliation, two are Jewish, six are Catholic, and one is Episcopalian.  After Justice Stephen Breyer retires in June, and Justice Ketanji Jackson fills his spot, there will be four women, two African Americans, and two Protestants.  It isn’t only the Senate Judiciary Committee that is interested in the background of these nine important people.  Because their experiences influence their view of the law, and because their rulings determine so much about our American lives, it helps us to know something about who these persons are.
                Now I want you to make a mental shift.  Go from nine people wearing black robes to a great heavenly multitude dressed in white robes.  According to Revelation 7:13, it isn’t a lawyer or politician who poses the heavenly question, but an elder who asks, “Who are they, and where did they come from?”  Let’s take a closer look at Revelation 7 and see if we can find an answer.  Who are these people robed in white?

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