Smyrna
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Introduction
Introduction
Prayer: Almighty God, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the One who knows us,
All of us have come for some reason. It could be honorable or not; yet, here we are. So, I ask with urgency that you form us into the image of your son, Jesus Christ, by your word that we will study, read, and meditate on this morning. Your words gave life to those that heard it in the first-century and I pray it gives us hope as we re-focus our gaze upon you and your glory.
Loving Father, we know that at some point this week we sinned. We hurt or betrayed you or our neighbor. We want to take a moment to confess our sin to you, the only God who offers forgiveness and newness of life through Jesus Christ. Remind us of our limitations and need for your life giving Spirit.
Inspire us, God, to be people of your word, your character, your will. Lead us into the fullness of life here and now. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
The images you are about to see are disturbing. The images show great detail of suffering and pain. Viewer discretion is advised.
[Michigan Sports Images]
Suffering is difficult. It is difficult to hear about, to think about, and to experience. Suffering has different intensities and comes in different seasons. We wonder where God is in the midst of suffering and why he would allow such a thing to happen to us.
And when suffering happens, there is rarely an acceptable answer that pleases us. You in your suffering have no idea what me in my suffering have experienced. Few words give us peace.
And we suffer in different ways. The elderly widow experiences loneliness as a more intense suffering than the teenage boy who doesn’t want to go to camp alone. Some of us are suffering financially — your dollar does not go as far as it used to. Some of you are making a choice between gasoline in your car or electricity at home.
Some of us are suffering emotionally or mentally. You’ve been hurt deeply by your loved ones. You’re struggling with depression and anger. You cannot get a hold of yourself.
Our text today deals with a church smothered in suffering. It is a short three verses but we see clearly that those in Smyrna are suffering financially and are suffering ostracism. They are being slandered.
The church in Smyrna is unique. If you were to look for it on a modern map, it would now be titled Izmir located in Turkey. Last week, we spoke about how Ephesus was the main port and economic provider, but Smyrna was not far behind. The large difference was their loyalty to Rome. It was also likely that Smyrna had a large Jewish contingency that was working with the local government.
These early Christians suffered material hardships due to their Christian allegiance.
Today, God wants us to see that we can be faithful in our present and future suffering because of Christ’s promise to bring life out of death.
We tightly grip to the promises of God in our affliction because Christ brings life to those who prevail.
We are going to be in Revelation 2:8-11. You are welcome to open your Bibles there or follow along with me on the screen. Again, Revelation 2:8-11
8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
10 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. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
In this short letter to the church in Smyrna, there is several things we need to unpack. We’ll begin with verse eight.
Each letter comes with an introduction that describes Christ — last week it was the lampstands and the stars. This week it is the description of him…
8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
Jesus is using titles found in Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12
6 “This is what the Lord says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
12 “Listen to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last.
He is reminding the church in Smyrna that He is one with the Father and that they are the origin and goal of all things. It is an instant reminder that Christ’s sovereign control over their life, as the first and the last, must be their strong anchor.
The further description of his death and resurrection is exactly what the believers in Smyrna need as they follow Christ unto death. It is Christ’s guarantee that all who are his will also be raised.
So, Jesus introduces himself as the sovereign King who was in the beginning and is the end — and the one who has the authority to overcome death to bring life.
And as the figure in control of it all, he knows their struggles. He is the one who walks among them. He knows them intimately. He knows their tribulation and poverty. He knows the slander they endure.
Where Christ focused on the Ephesian’s works, in Smyrna he focuses on their spiritual well-being despite the hardships and opposition. He is aware of what they suffer at the hands of others. Their material hardships, both economic and social, against their Christian allegiance.
Christ reminds them that God’s people are live in a paradoxical status in this world: often they are poor in accordance with this world’s wealth, but rich inwardly, spiritually, and eternally.
As Christians in the western world, we do not suffer many hardships at the hands of others. Few, if any, of us have been denied service due to our faith. There are few towns in America that we “must” avoid due to our faith.
For Christians in other parts of the world, they do suffer extreme hardships because of their faith. They learn where to be open and where to be cautious. They know speaking recklessly about their assembly could cause irreparable damage to their faith community.
While the Christians in Smyrna dealt with physical hardships, they also endured slander from people that Jesus says claim to be Jews but are not. What is likely happening here is the Jewish contingency in the city has partnered with the pagan city officials and attempted to destroy the Christians there.
For the Jewish group, opposing and exposing a marginal group that outsiders could connect to them may have seemed like a necessary strategy. Regardless of their reasoning, Christ calls them the synagogue of Satan.
It is a play on words from “house of the Lord.” He calls them the synagogue of Satan because they have shown themselves to be opposed to God’s saving work through Christ and are only Jewish by physical descent. The Jews in Smyrna worked with pagan authorities to oppose the church. In reality, they were doing Satan’s bidding, not God’s. Though Christ’s words against them are harsh, he speaks truthfully about the true results of their action.
As the church in Smyrna goes through known suffering, they are commanded by Christ to not fear.
10 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. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
They have been called to courage and faithfulness with the present and future suffering. Christ knows them and wants to fortify them for the spiritual and emotional battle that is headed their way.
Satan will put them to the test. Satan is the Hebrew word adversary. In their new life of Christ, they are encouraged and forewarned about the adversity they will face for being in Christ. The adversary will test their character, their faith, and their endurance.
The detail of being thrown into prison comes with hostile proceedings by authorities in Smyrna. In the Greco-Roman world, imprisonment brought lasting shame regardless of guilt or innocence.
Christ mentions, “they will suffer persecution for 10 days.” This has to mean something mysterious and complex. This is simply Christ’s assurance that suffering will be limited in time. It is likely not literal but an allusion to Daniel 1:12
12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.
14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.
Where the church in Smyrna will encounter fierce affliction for a time, it is temporary compared to God’s reward for those who endure. This is the reminder that allegiance is to Christ above all. They must be faithful even if the scenario leads to death.
Suffering may look like enduring slander from family and friends for your faith. Now, there is a difference between living out the character and word of God in every day life, and pushing, enforcing, and expecting others to live like you. We live peaceably amongst all people.
But it happens. I remember working as a dispatcher at Biola University, working my way through seminary, when I recieved a call. The call was very brief because after the person on the other end screamed a few cuss words at me, they hung up. They were upset at this Christian university for whatever reason. We encounter slander.
It happens at the work place from time to time. It happens at home. It happens between you and your unbelieving spouse. As Christ reminded the church in Smyrna that their suffering would be temporary — friends, the same is true for you too. Whatever you are going through, Christ is with you and he encourages you to endure.
The result of enduring suffering is the crown of life. This is not a crown of royalty, but a crown of joyful victory, celebration of accomplishment, a crown of self-sacrificing service. It honors commendable service or conduct.
And this crown consists of life, that true and everlasting life with God is the reward for all his people who endure.
Christ finishes his letter to Smyrna with this
11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
He finishes with a command to hear and a promise to those who overcome. This promise to the overcomer reflects the theme of death and life he introduced this letter with — the one who died and came back to life. The person who genuinely believes in Christ and endures in faith will be encounter harm in the second death.
It is a reinforcement from the negative side. Where verse ten provides the crown of life to those who endure, verse eleven prevents the harm of second death to those who endure.
The second death is odd wording, isn’t it? Like, what does it mean? Second death appears as a phrase three times in the Bible, all found in Revelation. Once here and twice near the end.
John writes in Revelation 20:6
6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
The second death is described in Revelation 20:14 as this
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
The second death then is the destiny of unbelieving humans. It is the fate of those who will not experience the first resurrection or the blessings of the new Jerusalem and whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Christ offers freedom in this life. He offers freedom now. The suffering you are experience is not an end. William Barclay writes, in this life it may be that your loyalty to Christ will bring a crown of thorns; but in the life to come it will surely bring you the crown of glory.
Friend, if you are sitting here this morning and the Spirit of God is encouraging you to place your faith in Jesus, to be made new, to be forgiven, and to receive the crown of life, then please find me after the service. I’d love to talk with you about joining the Kingdom of God.
Family in Christ, I think we all know that life is not all sunshine and rainbows. It is not always prosperous, happy, and great. The early Christians encountered economic oppression, slander, ostracism. Many Christians today all over the globe continue to pay a terrible price for their loyalty to Christ. You and I can mourn over their suffering and be encouraged and inspired by their example, while doing all we can to alleviate their plight — through prayer, advocacy, and financial help.
But as we prepare our hearts for what is coming up this week, I want to look at Christ. His message to the Smyrna believers resonated with them and with us. It is a rich reminder that Jesus’ own suffering and death, his powerful resurrection to an undying life. He is the first and the last, the one who died and came to life again.
Because of his own death and resurrection, he urges you to be faithful unto death in order to receive his promises. The promises that he will personally give you the crown of life and that you will not be hurt by the second death.
Whether we face physical suffering and death through persecution, disease, accident, old age, divorce, stress, anxiety; knowing death is still an enemy, we can live confidently that it’s power and sting have been taken away.
Jesus offers comfort to all face death as the one who knows it first hand.
17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Our ultimate deliverance is build on the bodily resurrection where we will enjoy God’s presence forever.
What needs to happen this week for you to re-frame your suffering and endurance? Take time in prayer to see where it is difficult to endure hardship with God.
May the Lord empower us to be faithful unto death, enduring what may come, trusting in him alone. Join me in prayer.