The church in Smyrna was a people under pressure. (9)They’re afflicted, they’re suffering. They’re in poverty – often Christians in the first century were from the poorer parts of society, but becoming a Christian could lead to loss of business, loss of jobs, even confiscation of property. Certainly it changed working practices and friendships and connections. You were treated like a social leper and lived on societies margins. Unrecognised, unloved, and voice less. There was no safety net of the welfare estate, no unemployment, incapacity or housing benefit. Within the church those with money shared what they had with those struggling.
Added to that affliction and poverty was the slander they were facing. We don’t know exactly what that looked like, perhaps there were malicious rumours being spread about their faith – we know that at times in history Christians have been accused of incest, of cannibalism and the like. Perhaps it was simply accusing them of subverting the city and Roman rule by refusing to worship the emperor, perhaps it was trying to get their protected religion status revoked. Whatever it was the church felt it keenly, it was having an impact.
Can you imagine how the church felt? Harassed and afflicted, in poverty struggling to make ends meet, slandered and whispered about on every side. But Jesus wants to encourage this church which might be tempted to adopt a siege mentality. To turn in on itself because everyone is against them. He wants them to see the true nature of the world they live in and to know the truth of their situation – Jesus rules, and their future is secure.
See the World ClearlyHow do you think of the world we live in? We tend to think of it as neutral. A bit like a spiritual Switzerland. Places like North Korea and Nigeria are hostile but Britain is not too bad. But the Bible thinks of the world very differently, Smyrna is one of the churches in Asia Peter wrote to. In 1 Peter 1he reminded them that they were scattered exiles living in a hostile world. A world where “your enemy the devil prowls round like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” A world where God’s people are to expect hostility and persecution.
Jesus reminds them of where they live and of the cosmic battle they are part of and that Smyrna is not neutral. The devil is active in oppressing and opposing God’s people, putting them to the test(10). The church is a kingdom outpost in enemy territory, and that brings pressure. There’s a battle to fight, an enemy to be overcome and a victory to persevere for.
But notice specifically in this letter where the slander is coming from. It comes from where? From the Jews. And notice how Jesus describes them they aren’t really Jews, but a synagogue of Satan. That’s a striking phrase isn’t it? God’s people are now those who follow Jesus, the Jews are no longer God’s people, but the Jews in the synagogue in Smyrna are opposing the church. Marking them out as God’s enemies, as those who now do Satan’s bidding, because they align with his goal of destroying God’s kingdom.
How do we see the world? It isn’t neutral. People around us aren’t neutral. Jesus gives us a glimpse into the reality of the spiritual battle that rages all around us. We live in hostile territory, Britain is increasingly open in its hostility. We need to expect hostility and opposition not just from other religions but even from those who claim they serve the same God we serve but do not. Mormons are not Christians, we need to recognise them for what they are. JW’s are not Christians and we must recognise them for what they are. Even churches which though they are churches are liberal and or dead in formalism but which attack us for being fundamentalist, for believing in the Bible, for believing Jesus died as our substitute. We must recognise them for what they are. They are not for Jesus but opposed to him.
What marks out the people of God is faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord and you are either for him or opposed to him.
We need to see the world as Jesus shows it to us. We’re to expect opposition, poverty, and slander. We’re to expect attacks even from those who will claim to worship the same God but don’t. We need to expect hostility, to recognise the opposition, so that we live life expecting it and reliant on Jesus.
Know Jesus Rules NowThe danger in seeing the world as it is, is that the church in Smyrna and we are afraid. That we retreat into a holy huddle, hiding from the big bad world as it huffs and puffs and tries to blow the church down. But Jesus doesn’t want his church to retreat or to be afraid(10) but to be faithful. How can we do that in the face of such opposition? Because it doesn’t only know the world but knows that Jesus is sovereign now, he’s at the Father’s right hand now.
(9)“I know” appears twice. The encouragement for Smyrna is that Jesus sees what’s happening, he knows what his people are facing, and he writes encouraging them that he knows. But he writes to encourage them that more than just knowing he’s working through what they’re suffering to make them rich. In contrast to their material poverty this is a church that is spiritually rich. Again in 1 Peter 1 Peter inspired by the Spirit writes of trials “These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Christ is revealed.”
Through persecution and affliction God is at work, even as the Devil tempts them, to test and refine their faith. What Satan intends to trip them up and tear down God will use to build up and purify their faith. As he weans them from a love of comfort and the world, as he causes them to long for his kingdom come, as they entrust themselves to his care, know his love and live in the light of their confidence in his rule over history and in the resurrection.
This church may be poor materially but they’re storing up for themselves treasures in heaven. As they face the present they are secure because God is at work bringing good and glory out of the opposition they face. That doesn’t lessen the struggle but it does make the struggle purposeful.
We have that same confidence. When we face opposition we ought not to ask why but what is God teaching me? What is he weaning me from? How is he changing my loves and refining my treasures? How is he weaning me from the world to trust in him? God’s concern is not for our comfort but for our Christlikeness. Is that how we see opposition? Do we rest in Christ’s rule and purpose?
Faith in your ultimate Future should impact your short term living Jesus is sovereign not just over the present but the future. (10)He warns them that they face a period of intense persecution, which will bring imprisonment, and for some even death. But it’ll be for a limited period, 10 days, not literally but a time of testing which will be temporary and have an end. Jesus calls them to not fear but to be faithful. How can they do that? By having their faith fixed on their ultimate future and secondly because of who promises it.
I guess some of you will have heard the phrase “too heavenly minded to be any earthly use.” It’s a travesty that that phrase has been coined. Because the bible would tell us that being heavenly minded makes us of earthly use. It’s being heavenly minded that leads us to live by faith here and now, to persevere, to endure by faith, to boldly take the gospel to those who persecute and oppose us.
Living aware of their future is what Jesus calls them to here. What is it that awaits those who are faithful even to the point of death? “I will give you a victor’s crown”. The image is drawn from the games that were popular in Smyrna, a victors crown was a sign of recognition and honour for those who won the race. The equivalent of winning an Olympic gold medal. (11) “Those who are victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” Smyrna may take your physical life but there is a far greater and more dreadful, more permanent judgement which Christ has saved you from. Live with your salvation in mind, live longing to receive from his hand your overcomer’s crown.
Do you see the encouragement here? You will overcome, victory is certain if you hold on. See what is yours already in Christ and be faithful, don’t give up, don’t give in. There’s a reward kept in heaven for you if you run the race faithfully.
Secondly this is certain, you can stake your life on it because of who promises it. (8)“These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.” How do you know there is eternal life to be enjoyed, to long for, and live in the light of? Because of Jesus, he suffered, died, rose again and ascended to the Father’s side. He goes before you, he has set the pattern. He’s the guarantee, currently you share in his suffering but you will share in his resurrection and receive from his hand your crown of glory. Jesus stands waiting to give his faithful persevering saints a welcome and their reward for following him through suffering to glory.
What an encouragement, Jesus isn’t asking his church, us, to do anything he didn’t do. And he doesn’t promise us something he hasn’t proved is ours in him. So listen, hear, take this to heart(11), let it fill your heart with joy, let it fuel your faith, let it capture your vision and let it propel you to live boldly by faith striving to hear his well done. Confident that he has done it all and in him it is all ours.
So what difference did this make? What would it look like to listen and take Jesus words to heart?
Polycarp, was in the church when Revelation was written, he was probably a disciple of John. He went on become bishop of Smyrna and was arrested for not calling Caesar Lord and offering incense to him. Pressure was put on him to worship both Jesus and Caesar; if he recognised both as Lord he would be released. But he wouldn’t so he was sent into the stadium. Even in the stadium the Roman proconsul gave him one more chance: “Swear, and I will release thee; curse the Christ.”
This was Polycarp’s reply: “Eighty six years have I served him, and he hath done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my king who saved me?” Polycarp was burnt to death in that stadium.
Why? Because he didn’t fear, because he was faithful to the world as Jesus had shown it to him, to the present as Jesus had revealed it, and his future as Jesus had guaranteed it.
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