Smyrna: The Church of the Persevering Persecuted I
Dearly loved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,
This is the second message from Jesus to the cluster of churches in Asia. Smyrna is an ancient city already in those days – closely connected with Rome – and really tied to the Roman Empire with loyalty that takes the form of religion.
It’s a tough place for a Christian to live – particularly because Smyrna is also home to a large population of Jewish people. Most of the Jews resisted the gospel and made life miserable for Christians. There they were, stuck between the Jews and the Roman patriots. When they’re not getting hit from one side, they’re being kicked from the other.
Yet in the midst of those circumstances, the Christians in Smyrna hung on to their faith. This message from Jesus is one of encouragement and support. Jesus reminds them of his suffering and victory – they share in his suffering, but also in his victory.
Like the message to Ephesus that we studied last week, we are going to listen to God’s Word to the Church by recognizing 7 elements mentioned in all the messages from Jesus to the 7 churches. We begin with the:
· Christ-title
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again (8).
Jesus gives his credentials here, using a phrase that describes God in the OT. It comes up in Isaiah 44:6 and again in Isaiah 48:12, “I am the first and the last.” There is continuity here with the OT, but also it reveals who Jesus is.
In a community where Jews still hold to the OT, this message points to the continuity between the gospel of Jesus Christ and the prophecies of God in the OT. And in a community where people worship the empire and emperor as goddess and god, Jesus refers to his divinity. You hear echoes again of the divine name: I AM who I AM . . . Alpha & Omega.
Although he is God, Jesus stooped to share human experience. He “died and came to life again.” This is a reference to the gospel, the cornerstone of Christian belief. It is offensive to the Jews and a stumbling block to Gentiles, but for those who believe, it is central to their faith – our faith.
All Christian hope is built on Jesus’ death and resurrection. The events of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday demonstrate Jesus’ power over life and death. There is great comfort in the reminder of Jesus’ suffering and victory – particularly because the Christians of Smyrna are sharing in his suffering in the confidence that they also share in his life.
· Commendation – praise for what’s going well.
I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Jesus recognizes the challenges facing the church in Smyrna. Jesus knows what’s going on: he says it twice: I know . . . I know. Indirectly, it is praise for their perseverance under persecution.
And that’s what it is. The same word translated here as affliction is translated as “suffer persecution” in verse 10. The comfort comes here on two levels: Jesus knows what they are facing because he is among them; he sees what’s going on. But Jesus also knows what it is to face persecution – he was hunted, tried, and executed for his obedience to his Father. He doesn’t just see from afar – Jesus knows their afflictions.
He knows where the persecution is coming from as well. He refers to the slander of those who say they are Jews but are not. Sadly, God’s chosen people are referred to as a synagogue of Satan. By persecuting Christians they have allied themselves against the Kingdom of God.
This is a sad reality in a broken world. Those closest to us can turn into our fiercest enemies – such is the case in the NT situation between Jews and Christians. Paul experienced the slander and anger of the Jewish people who resisted the gospel, they plotted to kill him and forced him to spend years in jail because of their accusations.
The Jews in Smyrna have the same resistance to the gospel and ferocity towards Christians. We know from church history that John’s friend and student Polycarp died for his faith in Jesus – “the one who died and rose again.” Fiercely opposed to the claims of Christianity, the Jewish community persecuted Christians, making them look bad to the rest of the community, testing, challenging the Christian faith and Christ-like attitude of believers.
· Complaint – description of what not going well.
No complaint section. There is nothing in the Smyrna church that Jesus mentions needs fixing. It stands out among these seven letters. There’s a pattern we find: the second and the second last of these churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia, have no complaint section. The other five do.
· Correction – direction for fixing the problem.
Yet there is a correction for the them. Really briefly, Jesus tells them, “Do not be afraid.”
With all the opposition they face, this must have been a challenge. Their lives were at stake. They faced suffering, persecution, poverty. Yet Jesus corrects them by saying,
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I Tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days.”
Now you need to remember that in John’s day, the Roman empire didn’t use prison the way that we do in Canada or the United States. There was no such thing as 2, 5, or 10 year jail sentences. If a person went to prison, generally they went to trial or were executed.
Yet we see here, as earlier in the message, that the conflict is not just against flesh and blood. Truly the conflict is between the body of Christ and the devil. Christians can be unafraid, because Christ has conquered the devil – remember his title? Jesus died and came to life again! We share in his sufferings, but also in his victory.
· Consequence – Jesus’ response to their action or inaction as a result of the complaint.
This is a continuation of the correction. Jesus describes what will happen if they remain faithful. He says:
Be faithful even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life.
It continues the encouragement. Remain strong in your faith! The reward, as mentioned this morning is out of this world.
Jesus promised a crown of life. It is a unique crown – a wreath, really – the kind of victory wreath given in place of gold medals in the ancient arenas. A successful wrestler or runner would be crowned with a wreath of olive leaves. In Smyrna, it was a common sight, since the city was well known for their athletic games.
But it’s an interesting comparison, isn’t it? A paradox: If you are faithful to death, you will receive a wreath of life.
· Conquering Formula – this is where we get Nike Christians, Christians who overcome all the obstacles and enjoy the rewards of success.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: he who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
No fear of second death – even if they lose their lives for Jesus’ sake – they will not face the wrath of God for their sin. Jesus has taken the wrath in our place. With Christ, we have already died and been raised to life.
· Contact Point – where does this message connect to our experience?
Our world is not as fiercely religious as the city of Smyrna. There isn’t the fanatic patriotism in Canada, that is found in the Roman empire, or even in the USA. Yet we often hear that there is no room for Christian faith in public debates.
There is not intense persecution, but there is an element of suffering for following Jesus Christ. I think we face some slander for our faith. People who speak up about their faith are accused of being weak – needing a crutch, or foolish to belief ancient superstitions.
Such persistent scoffing at people of faith wears us down. Yet you find it constantly in the media. Have you ever watched The Simpsons? Homer Simpson has a Christian neighbour named Ned Flanders. Ned is the butt of many jokes, because the faith he portrays is milked for its foolishness and inconsistencies. Characters like Ned Flanders build up a mental picture of Christians as foolish, self-righteous buffoons.
Even if we admit to being foolishness at times and even if we confess our self-righteousness as a sin before Jesus, do you really want all Christians to be compared to Ned Flanders? Is it not slanderous to paint all Christians with the same brush?
But those who air such slander against Christians, eroding respect for Christians and making faith seem foolish and implausible to many who have not been exposed to the Holy Spirit of God, they will not succeed. The church of Jesus Christ will continue on. We will not be afraid to profess our faith. We will continue to hold on, even if persecution and suffering for our faith becomes much more difficult.
We will hold on, because of the faithfulness and promises of Jesus Christ, the Lord of the church. We have his assurance that we can overcome all threats the evil one makes against Christians. For we have Jesus’ word that:
The one who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death!
For we have died with Christ and been raised to live eternally.