The Message to Smyrna

Revelation 2:8-11

 8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life:

9 “I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.

Smyrna (today Izmir, Turkey) was/is a busy port. It was also a place where Christians faced severe persecution, including the threat of physical death (vs. 8, 10, 11). While martyrdom for faith in Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice, there was the ongoing, wearing reality of the slander spoken against the followers of Jesus Christ.

There are three promises in this passage offered to the followers of Jesus who stay committed to Jesus. In vs. 9, Jesus says, “I know”. Jesus knows the challenges the Christians in Smyrna were facing; he speaks as one who himself faced persecution. Jesus knows that they are faithful to him, even as the persecution mounts.

The second promise is that the severe persecution that is coming is for a limited time (vs. 10, says ten days). The tough stuff is easier to go through if we know it is for a limited duration. It is when there seems no light at the end of the tunnel, when there seems to be no end in sight, that things start to spiral out of control and despair sets in. Jesus promises the hard stuff is for limited duration, it is not forever.

The third promise is that those who are faithful to the very end will receive “the crown of life.” Smyrna was built on a narrow coastal plain, with hills behind it. The upper part of Smyrna, built at the top of those hills, was a series of temples with gold covering the facades and roofs. In the sunlight it was like the city had a crown of light shining off the gold above it. Here Jesus promises another crown, the crown of life. The crown of eternal life.

Notice Jesus does not promise to save them from the hard times, instead he promises that he will be faithful to them in the hard times.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, we thank you that you know about the challenge it is to be faithful to God. We rejoice that you see and know our struggle, help us to stay faithful. We rejoice that you will be faithful to us until the end. In Jesus’ name. Amen.