Small But Mighty - Seven Letters To Seven Churches

"Letter To Smyrna"
7.19.15

The Iliad and The Odyssey, two tales of men, their struggles,and the gods they worshiped. Tales of heroes and the gods who supported them. These two classic tales were written by Homer, famed son of Smyrna. You can imagine the devotees of these man made gods and their fervor to preserve them. So much, that when the Romans conquered Greece, they merged their mythologies. But not the Christians. There is only one God and one God-man who walked this earth. The friction between these groups and their beliefs set the stage for the letter Jesus sends to the Church of Smyrna.

In addition to these ancient gods, the people of Smyrna worshiped a new one: Caesar. Not enough to be king, he was exalted to the heights of god-ship. Worship. Revered. Here too, the people of Smyrna and the Church of Smyrna differed. Here the point of conflict and persecution was set ablaze by the friction of two competing ideologies. In this boiling pot of strife, Jesus has these words for the church in Smyrna and to us today.

Identity of Jesus:
(v.8) I am the First and The Last, the one who died and lives again.

Jesus is staking his claim as the one true God. In a city where there were many gods, he confirms for the people of the church that he is THE GOD. He was here before time and will be here beyond the end of time. Jesus declares his godhood with an echo of YHWH Jehovah in Isaiah 44:6 where the LORD God Almighty declares himself to be the first and last, and apart from his there is no other God. Jesus confirmed this in John 8:58 during his discussion with the religious leaders of his time on earth when he declared that before Abraham was, he existed!

Jesus is the one who died and lives again. There are many men who have led groups to believe new things about gods and the universe. Cults and followings that result in the same conclusion: a leader who dies. Name a world religion centered on a man or woman who walked this earth, and we can visit their grave and witness their body still there. Not so for Jesus! Strip away the myriad of arguments and logic games people will play to dismiss Christianity, and stand on this one truth: Our God loved us so much that he sent his Son to come to earth, pay our penalty for sin, and then had the power to resurrect himself on the third day! This Son was witnessed by numerous people over a 40 day period before he returned to heaven.

I believe that Jesus is telling us he is the eternal God who was, is, and will be who lived a life like ours, died a physical death, but now lives again! We should have no fear of the past, the present or the future! And we should have no fear of death!

Commendation: 
(vs.9) Jesus knows their affliction and poverty. He knows that they are slandered by false teachers who belong to the Synagogue of Satan.

Smyrna sits fifty miles north of Ephesus, and is a port city relying on the trade business for wealth. But for a list of reasons, they were not as wealthy or successful as their sister city Ephesus. Within the economy of the city, being a Christian did not help. Prejudice and hatred held Christians out of sharing the financial resources that their pagan peers enjoyed. But they were rich: they had Jesus! Christ is telling them and us, as he did numerous times while he walked the earth, that the true riches are not found in things, but in him. Even as Christians we sometimes talk about being in heaven and discuss our mansions and streets of gold and other "items" that we will have. The greatest treasure in heaven is not an item, but the person of Jesus Christ!

Complaint & Correction:

There are none. One of only two churches to have nothing bad said of them. What a wonderful things to be said about us if possible! To be so faithful to Jesus and true to him that there is no need for correction. Sadly, I cannot make that statement about myself or the church collective of today.

Promise:
(vs. 10b, 11) If we are faithful even to the point of death, we will receive the crown of life. and if we are victorious then we will not be harmed by the second death.

 The Bible is a wonderful book that gives testimony to itself. In James 1:12 we read "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised those who love him." Trials. Tests. Persecution. When we remain faithful through them, we will receive that crown of life. This crown is not given easily. When it is bestowed, it is for eternity. With it, we are free from fear from the second death. The death described in Revelation 20:14 & 21:8 - eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire. The lake which will hold Satan, death, and hell itself. All will be equal in their punishment there. BUT! We who are in Christ and faithful to him, will never see that second death!

There are a number of examples where faithful Christians have been true to Christ up to and including death. I point to one such example: Ignatius of Smyrna in A.D. 108. He traveled to Smyrna for the experience of persecution which was going on there under the rule of Trajan. Once there, he wrote to his fellow believers in Rome these thoughts:

"Now I begin to be a disciple. I care for nothing, of visible or invisible things, so that I may but win Christ. Let fire and the cross, let the companies of wild beasts, let breaking of bones and tearing of limbs, let the grinding of the whole body, and all the malice of the devil, come upon me; be it so, only may I win Christ!"  

He was captured, and sentenced to death for the amusement of the citizens. When facing his death, he uttered this proclamation:


"I am the wheat of Christ: I am going to be ground with the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found pure bread."

I pray that I never have to face such persecution, but if I should, may I have such faith to face it!

Three things to take away for this letter:

1. Hang in there! Jesus is bigger than the events of men! He was at the beginning, will be at the end, and he is here with us today!
2. Things will get tough, but there is a great reward! We too often think of only today. Keep pressing on towards the goal, and we will be rewarded with the greatest riches we can imagine: the very presence of Christ!
3. In the economy of God, suffering can be a blessing, not a curse. Too often in biblical times (and even today) it is perceived of people who suffer that they are receiving their "just reward" for some evil they have committed. While ti can be true, that people suffer as a result of their sin and its consequences, it is also true that God uses difficult times to refine us and perfect us.