Revelation 2.8-11
If we were labeling the seven churches of Asia Minor I think that we’d label last week’s church ‘the loveless orthodox church’. The church at Smyrna, on the other hand, would have to be labeled ‘the suffering church’. As I have said before, one of the advantages of being the pastor is that I get the sermon first. I was deeply moved as I studied for this morning’s sermon and thought about what must have been going on in the lives of the people of this church. Jesus’ words to them were striking and very challenging to me. It is my hope that as we take a look at this church and at what Jesus said to them that you would also be moved and challenged.
Jesus gets right to the point. ‘I know your tribulation.’ Tribulation is not a word that we commonly use, so let’s translate it. ‘I know that you are having a really hard go of it.’ And what is behind this hardship? This church has to deal with being persecuted by their neighbors. Jesus singles out the Jews of Smyrna who were so very antagonistic. Now, persecution can show itself in many different ways. Here, we see that our brothers and sisters had to deal with poverty and imprisonment and the threat of death. The first thing that we are going to do is to take a closer look at these hardships that they suffered. Then we’ll see what Jesus has to say about all of this.
There are two Greek words that can be translated ‘poor’. The first refers to the person who has nothing superfluous. He’s making it but just barely. The second refers to the person who has nothing at all. He’s not even making it. Jesus uses the second word to describe these Christians. They were dirt poor. Now, understand what that means. These were people who had families with children just like we do. These are people who had bills to pay, food to buy, clothes that needed to be replaced. But they were poor, with nothing at all. Now, is this simply a matter of the ups and downs of the local economy and things like that? No. If that’s what was going on it wouldn’t be a matter of being persecuted. No, something else is the cause of their poverty. Back then in Asia Minor many of the trades were organized into what were called guilds. So, if you were going to be a carpenter, for example, you’d have to belong to the carpenter’s guild. Now, there’s no problem with this until you understand that being a part of one of the guilds was a religious and civic matter. To join the guild you’d have to offer a sacrifice to the emperor. Part of the sacrifice included a statement of loyalty, ‘Caesar is Lord’. For reasons that are obvious, no faithful Christian could do such a thing. But that meant that no faithful Christian could be a part of the guild. So much for making your living as a carpenter. Many of these dear saints could not work. But how do you provide for a family if you do not work? All it would take would be to offer the sacrifice and mumble the words, ‘Caesar is Lord.’ Certainly, that would be justified if it meant being able to provide for your family! But these believers understood that to do so would be a great sin. These Christians understood that there is only one Lord. ‘Jesus is Lord!’ To say otherwise attacks the heart of being a Christian. And so, they didn’t work and were impoverished for it. Now, remember that I said that joining the guild was a religious and civic matter. Refusal to offer the sacrifice was not something to be excused as a matter of conscience. In the minds of their neighbors, by refusing to offer the sacrifice to the Caesar these Christians were being unpatriotic. And that was a charge that was often made against them. That is why they were thrown into prison. They were atheists – who else wouldn’t offer sacrifices – and they were unpatriotic – refusing to swear allegiance to the leader of the empire. That’s what everyone thought and so it is no wonder that they were hated and thrown into prison.
Now, being in prison then was not the same as it is now. Being in prison wasn’t the penalty for your crime. No one got five to ten for assault. People in prison were either awaiting trial or waiting to be put to death. Jesus tells these saints that this is exactly what awaits them. Some of them were going to be thrown into prison. Some of them were going to die. And what were the charges? They were atheists and unpatriotic. Dangerous people, no doubt, in the mind of the citizens of Smyrna. But what was really going on? Here were people who were condemned because they were Christians and wouldn’t cut any corners when it came to being faithful to their Lord.
Now, it is very important to stop here and understand something. Here are a group of believers suffering great poverty. They may well have heard their children crying because of their hunger. They are hated by their neighbors. The prospect of prison and death awaits. There were going to be more widows and orphans as a result. And yet, they don’t give up. They don’t cash in and offer that sacrifice and say a couple of silly words. Why? There is an awful lot going on that keeps them faithful but one critical ingredient is this: They loved Jesus. Just telling yourself that it’s the right thing to do won’t work, not when your kids are starving. It is only a deep love of Jesus that makes someone willing to endure what these Christians did. And those who kept at it, who continued faithful, loved Jesus more than they loved their kids, more than they loved life itself. These simple Christians are an example to us.
Jesus responds to this situation. That’s why He had John write this letter. Let’s consider what He says. The first thing that you absolutely have to see is what Jesus doesn’t say. Jesus doesn’t say, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll make sure that all the difficulties that you are facing go away.’ No, the poverty will remain. The prison still awaits. Death by execution is coming. Why doesn’t Jesus promise to make it all good again? He doesn’t because facing persecution is of the essence of being a Christian. Taking away Christian suffering and its fruits is changing the very nature of what it means to be a disciple. You remember what Jesus said.
And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34
And what does this mean? Jesus is being up front. ‘If you you’re going to be one of mine understand that there is a cross to bear. Be ready to suffer. Be ready to die.’ Then there’s this that Jesus said to the Twelve.
If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. John 15:18
This all makes sense when you remember that following Christ is pursuing a completely different agenda from the one that the world follows. We are seeking the kingdom of God. Unbelievers have no interest in that and are, in fact, diametrically opposed to it. And when they watch us, most of them are going to react. And it may get to the point where they charge us with crimes, crimes like atheism, since we do not bow down to the idols that they do, and being unpatriotic, since our loyalty to Christ trumps every other loyalty. But this is what it means to be a Christian. And so, the Apostle Paul wrote,
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted… 2 Timothy 3:12
Here are some things that the American church needs to re-discover. We are not Christians because it makes life easier. It doesn’t. Our prayers are not to be a list of suggested ways that Jesus can make life go more smoothly for us. The Christians in Smyrna understood the cost of discipleship and were paying it. We need to do some work here.
Now, Jesus didn’t just leave them to deal with their plight all on their own. He did say some things that were intended to help them. Let’s look at this now.
Key here is Jesus claim, ‘I know…’ [verse 9]. Jesus knows what’s going on. He is intimately aware of their plight. But we need to pursue this further. Who is the ‘I’? Now, we need to notice how Jesus identifies Himself. Look at the opening of this letter. What does He say? ‘The words of the first and last.’ What is this? Here is another case of finding the answer in the Old Testament. Listen to something from Isaiah.
But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams. This one will say, 'I am the Lord's,' another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, 'The Lord's,' and name himself by the name of Israel. Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any. " Isaiah 44:1-8
Jesus encourages His people by pointing them to Himself. Who is He? He is the first and last, the eternal God, the King and Redeemer of the true Israel. And this God does not neglect His people. He chose them, formed them and He will help them. He will send His Spirit to bless. He is a Rock on which they can stand securely. Jesus encourages His people by reminding them who He is – for them! They can have hope in this situation. He is their hope.
But then notice how He adds that He is the one ‘who died and came to life’. What is this? Jesus points to what happened at His own death. He really does understand what they are dealing with. He’s been there Himself. He also was persecuted by Jews who blasphemed. He also was falsely charged. He also endured suffering and that to the bitter end. By pointing to His own suffering and death Jesus reminds the people that He knows what they are going through. ‘I know…’ And then He reminds them of His own resurrection, His own overcoming. That points to hope of the life to come that we’ll get to in a minute. But do you see that Jesus has great compassion for His people. He understands from His own experience what they are facing. He wants them to see that. He really does understand! But even the greatest compassion is worthless unless it can do something. So, Jesus is not just compassion. He is also power. He is the first and last, the Almighty Lord of hosts who acts decisively for His people. In Jesus we have compassion allied to the power to act on that compassion. Jesus reminds His people in Smyrna that they are not forgotten. Their situation has not slipped by their Lord while He wasn’t looking. He knows exactly what is going on. And out of compassion He is acting.
Having reminded them of His character He tells them three things. First, He tells them that they are rich [verse 9]. If it were not the Lord Himself saying this I think that we would all laugh at this comment. These are people who have nothing and even what meager little they may is threatened. How can He say that they are rich?!? But listen.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9
Peter also writes to suffering Christians who are poor, many of whom are slaves. But they are rich. They have a living hope, an inheritance that is sure, the protection of God Himself, eternal salvation and to top it all off they have Jesus. They are rich beyond measure and their radical joy in the face of real suffering shows that they understood that they were rich. That presents us with a challenge. If all of our stuff, all of our wealth, all of our jobs were suddenly taken away because of persecution, if we were suddenly dirt poor with hungry kids would we consider ourselves rich? Would we ‘rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory’? Or are we also bowing to the idols of money and prosperity that our neighbors worship?
The second thing that Jesus tells His saints is that what is about to happen to them is a test. It’s not just the results of someone’s schemes against them. It’s ultimately from Jesus. And Jesus’ tests are for our good because they purify us. They purify us corporately as the Church. The real disciples pass the test. The fakes are exposed. They also purify us individually. When the pressure is on, we are forced to make decisions and it is then that, if we are faithful, we see what is truly important. Our sin is exposed. We see it for what it is and are able to repent of it. The glories of the Gospel are made more real. The tests of Christ are hard but they are for good. In that we can rejoice. And, hopefully, these Christians rejoiced in that.
The third thing that Jesus points to is His promise. ‘Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.’ And to make sure that they get it, He repeats it. ‘The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’ Let’s look at these. There are two Greek words in the book of Revelation for ‘crown’. One is a royal crown. Jesus wears many such crowns in Revelation 19. But the crown in this passage is different. It’s the crown given to the winner of the Olympic-style games that Smyrna had. The point is not the royalty of the wearer. Rather, it signifies that this one has endured the difficulties of the contest and has overcome them. He has run with endurance the race set before him. At the end, he is crowned as the victor. And what is the substance of this crown? It is a crown that is life itself. But this life is not anything like the life we live here and now. It is so very different. It is the life of eternity. That doesn’t point to length or place. It points to the kind of life it is. The one who conquers gains this life that is like nothing we have ever experienced. And that explains what Jesus means by the ‘second death’. The first death deals with the body. The second death deals with the soul. Those who conquer, who overcome, who are faithful to the end, are kept safe from the second death. They will not be cast into the torments of hell. They will enjoy true life. But please note that these promises, like all promises, are conditional. They require the person to be faithful, to persevere to the point of conquering, of overcoming. If one does that he gains the promised blessing. But if one fails in that, if one is not faithful, then he will receive no crown but rather be engulfed in the second death. There is a warning here along with a promise.
Jesus is being very clear here to His suffering saints. Faithfulness has already included poverty and slander. For some of these saints it will also include death. Jesus doesn’t pull back from that. But He does encourage them as they face that prospect. ‘Hold on. Keep at it. I will make it worth it.’
As we work our way through these letters to the churches we need always come back to this question: what does Jesus expect of us? And the answer will always be a variation on this theme: Jesus expects us to repent of our sins and believe the Gospel. Here, the aspect of the Gospel stressed is the call to follow Jesus regardless of the cost. Wholehearted discipleship is non-negotiable. Love for Jesus trumps love for husband or wife or children or job or anything else in this fallen world. And so, discipleship, being a Christian, includes the willingness to suffer for Jesus. That is what Jesus expects of His churches and of us.
Now, there will be those who reject this calling of discipleship. They like the idea of going to heaven some day, of having someone ‘up there’ to talk to and all of that. But suffering is out of the question. Any who think like this have answered Jesus’ call to believe the Gospel with a loud ‘No!’ These Jesus bids go. They are not interested in being one of His, not really. ‘If anyone come after Me let him … pick up his cross.’ For Jesus, it is all or it is nothing.
Then there are those who hear the call and respond, ‘Oh sure, I have no problem with suffering. I can handle that.’ These are fools and have no idea what it is the Jesus calls us to. Paying the price of discipleship is costly. If it were easy it wouldn’t be a test. When the tests come these will fail. They had no idea what was involved.
That leaves on last group. These are the ones who hear Jesus’ call to discipleship, a suffering discipleship. They want to follow Christ and yet there is a bit of hesitation. These understand that suffering is costly and they wonder if they will be able to pay the price when put to the test. These know enough to understand that suffering can be very hard. And so, they wonder if they will be able to endure it. They want to believe the Gospel but doubt their ability. But these misunderstand. The Gospel is exactly for them. The Gospel is exactly for those who know their inability. Jesus never calls anyone to endure suffering on his own, based on his own strength. To attempt that is to deny the Gospel. Jesus knows we are weak, fickle sinners. That’s why it’s the Gospel of grace. The command to suffer for Christ is undergirded by promises of grace. Do you want to believe the Gospel? Do you want to follow Jesus though it will cost? Do you fear that you are incapable of enduring to the end? Good. You understand the Gospel better than you know. Come, follow Him, looking solely to Him to give you whatever it is that you will need to remain faithful unto death. And as you do that you will overcome all obstacles and inherit the crown of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment