031906 To the Church in Pergamum
To the Church in Pergamum
Revelation 2:12-17 (ESV)
“Hold Fast”
Jesus Possesses the Sharp Two-edged Sword
March 19, 2006
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has ethe sharp two-edged sword.
13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, fwhere Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not gdeny my faith2 even in the days of Antipas hmy faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of iBalaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might jeat food sacrificed to idols and kpractice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of lthe Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, mI will come to you soon and nwar against them with ethe sword of my mouth. 17 cHe who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of othe hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with pa new name written on the stone qthat no one knows except the one who receives it.’
“Hold Fast”
Jesus Possesses the Sharp Two-edged Sword
1. What is “The Sharp Two-Edged Sword”?
2. Why does Jesus Possess it?
3. What does that mean for us?
“Hold Fast”
Jesus Possesses the Sharp Two-edged Sword
“Hold Fast!” People who have ever slipped and fallen know exactly what “Hold Fast” means. The older I get the more I find it useful to have something to “Hold Fast” too. Jesus commends the Pastor at Pergamum for holding on tight to the name Jesus in Pergamum’s confession of faith. That name made life quite difficult for the Christians there. In the world, Jesus Christ is not a welcome name, neither are the people who bear it. Outwardly, it might seem that God had lost control of life and history when His people are put to death for the name of Jesus. That is not the reality, however, and the Christians at Pergamum know that very well. They have faithfully withstood the clamor of calamity around them. They have held fast the name Jesus in spite of the terrible death of one of their own. I submit to you that there is nothing in all the world that is worth holding fast if it means loosing our grip on Christ Jesus. You see, Jesus possesses the sharp two-edged sword, and by that sword the victory for all believers is won.
1. What is “The Sharp Two-Edged Sword”? The direct and literal answer is that it is a weapon used by soldiers in battle. It is sharpened on each side of the blade so it will cut no matter which direction it is swung. It is an awesome weapon used to inflict deadly harm to opposing forces.
Why then, we might ask, does such a harmful weapon come out of the mouth of Jesus? Isn’t He love? Well, my point is that it is not quite accurate to take the only the literal sense here. We need to understand it as the term is used elsewhere in Scripture. We also need to take into account that John is receiving a vision here. Terms used from a vision take on a more symbolic use. So, what is it here?
Hebrews 4:12 can teach us: "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." The word of God is extremely sharp. It is also two-edged in its law and gospel components. It cuts sinners to the heart, and it also heals those wounded by sin.
2. Why does Jesus Possess it? It is really quite simple. Jesus is the Word of God in human flesh. He does not speak on his own behalf, but always with respect to the will of His Father. Understanding this, helps us grasp the meaning of Scripture when it says that the word of God is living and active. Jesus is living and active.
Working through the written word, He seeks and saves the lost. Through the written word, He identifies with sinners like you and me. Through the written word, He comforts those who remain true to His name. Through the written word, He reveals His loving heart for all people, especially those of the household of faith.
Yes, Jesus possesses the power and authority to cast the soul into hell. But Jesus also possesses the power and authority to give life to whomever He will. And the written Word of Scriptures reveals this Jesus to us. The point is this: Holding Fast to Jesus’ name is not just some pious phraseology of religious people. It means life to those who possess it. And those who possess it are continually being refreshed by the word of God in written form.
3. What does this mean for us? Simply stated, it means life for us. What might God be saying to us about the sad condition of our congregation? I’m not sure, but I do know that He isn’t concerned about how much money we have or don’t have. The teaching of Balaam is concerned about money. In his greed, he led the Isrealites to sin against the written word and their God. For his own wealth, he tried to serve both God and mammon by agreeing to curse the people of Israel to the paying party, and then praying for blessing to the non-paying party.
As we contemplate why Trinity has come to the point that it is, it would be easy to cast blame on many; on congregations for deserting us; on pastors for not properly leading us; on each other for not doing enough. To all of this, I say “please stop!” God knows right where we all live; right where Satan has his throne; right where our weaknesses are, both individually and congregationally.
Is God angry with us? Has He deserted us? Absolutely, not! If we had been deserted, the written Word would be meaningless to us, the sacraments would be powerless for us. But, as sure as His name is connected with these things, we “HOLD FAST”. As sure as the name of Jesus is written into our lives, we “HOLD FAST”. As sure as the name of Jesus still comes to us in written form, we “HOLD FAST”. As sure as we are condemned by the Law of God, we “HOLD FAST” and make our confessions in his name. As sure as we are healed by the Gospel of God, we “HOLD FAST” and rejoice in our sufferings, that he might be manifested in our behavior. Yes, we still “HOLD FAST” the good confession of His name, all praise be to God.
By His grace and mercy, we can still confess our own personal wrong headedness and receive forgiveness. By His good favor toward all who love Him and are called according to His purpose, we can still trust that He will really do whatever His word says He will do! So, “HOLD FAST”. Hear what the Spirit of the Living God says to the churches! Keep receiving the hidden manna of God in Word and Sacrament. Rejoice that your name is written into God’s book of life, and the imperishable stone with your name written on it, is before the throne of God’s absolute love.
We don’t need buildings, or money, or childcare, or pastor, or location, or the name Trinity, to be held safe and secure in the Name Jesus. What we need is faith to believe His Word. “HOLD FAST!” Amen.
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e ver. 16; ch. 1:16
f ver. 9
g See 1 Tim. 5:8
2 Or your faith in me
h Acts 22:20
i See 2 Pet. 2:15
j ver. 20; Acts 15:29; 1 Cor. 8:10; 10:19
k Num. 25:1; 31:16; 1 Cor. 10:8
l ver. 6
m [ch. 22:7]
n See 2 Thess. 2:8
e [See ver. 12 above]
c [See ver. 11 above]
o [John 6:48-50]
p ch. 3:12; Isai. 62:2; 65:15
q ch. 19:12; [ch. 14:3]