Divine grace and peace are extended to the entire Church (the seven churches of Asia symbolize the universal Church). The God who greets and blesses is not an impersonal force, but the Christian God par excellence—namely, the Holy Trinity. Jesus Christ is honored with three main titles. He is the “faithful witness” because, through his life, death, and resurrection, he fully expresses everything God intended to reveal to us. He is the ‘firstborn of the dead’ because of his resurrection. He is the “Lord of the kings of the earth” because, as the risen Lord, empowered by his Spirit and with our cooperation, he guides history toward its complete human and Christian fulfillment. Who is Jesus Christ for the Church? The community recalls three great blessings that the Lord has abundantly given: love, redemption, and sharing in the royal priesthood. The Church exists because of this love of Jesus Christ, which it gratefully experiences throughout its history.