Revelation 2:8-10 (NKJV)
“A Message to the Church in Smyrna”
11-20-2022
When Jesus comes to this church, He comes as “the first and the last”. He comes as He “which was dead and is alive”. We serve a LIVING Savior! He Lives! Amidst the Problems, He lives! Amidst the Poverty, He lives! Amidst the Prison, He lives! In Revelation 1, Jesus says, “I am the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega.” He is the One Who is in control of all things. The people in the church in Smyrna might have thought things were out of control, but they were in the hand of the Lord. He is telling these saints that He knows what they are facing because He has already faced it. The people hated Him. They persecuted Him. They crucified Him. They poured out all their wrath and anger upon Him; and yet He prevailed! - Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” The city of Smyrna was located some 35 miles north of Ephesus. It was a prosperous city with a population of over 100,000. It was a seaport city where ships from all over the world came to buy and sell goods. It was called “The Flower of Asia.” When the city chose a motto to be imprinted on their coinage, they chose “First in Asia in Size and Beauty.” In this beautiful, wealthy pagan city, there existed a struggling Christian community. The Lord sends Smyrna a word of comfort for their dark days. He tells them that even though they appear to be poor, they are, in fact, rich beyond measure.
I Know Your Problem - This church was going through intense problems because of their witness for the Lord Jesus. They were letting their light shine in a dark world, and they were being persecuted for it. The word “tribulation” means “pressure.” It refers to the stone wheels that were used to crush wheat to separate the kernel from the shell. This church was paying the price for their allegiance to Jesus. This persecution did not come from the pagans in Smyrna alone. Verse 9 tells us that they were also suffering at the hands of the Jews. The Jews in Smyrna joined hands with the idolaters in that city to defeat and destroy the Christians by whatever means necessary. Jesus calls them “the synagogue of Satan” and accuses them of blasphemy against these believers. Christians were accused of being atheists because they did not worship the many gods of the pagans and because they used no statues in their own worship. Christians were accused of being political enemies of Rome because they refused to say, “Caesar is Lord!”
One example of their suffering comes to us from history, just a few years after they received this letter. In 155 AD, the Bishop of the church of Smyrna, a man named Polycarp, who was a disciple of John the Beloved, was martyred for Jesus. This man was arrested at the request of an angry mob. The old preacher was given the opportunity to renounce Jesus. The magistrate asked, “What harm is there in saying, Lord Caesar?” But Polycarp refused! When they entered the stadium, where the executions took place, they tried again saying, “Swear, and I will set thee at liberty, reproach Christ.” To that, the old man cried, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” So they led him away to the stake to burn him alive. They were about to nail him to the post and Polycarp said, “Leave me as I am; for He that giveth me strength to endure the fire, will also enable me, without your securing me by nails, to remain without moving in the pile.” So, they left him loosely bound and they lit the fire. He then prayed aloud, "I bless you, Father, for judging me worthy of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ." As the flames rose around him, he was heard to pray and rejoice in Jesus. He died for his faith and in doing so he left an indelible imprint on the fabric of time.
I Know Your Poverty – This word speaks of being “absolutely destitute.” These poor people had nothing of this world’s goods because of their relationship with the Lord Jesus. They were denied jobs and promotions because of their testimony. These people had nothing in a city that possessed everything. Imagine how Satan must have mocked these people. As they passed the ornate temples and walked down streets of commerce, surely he said, “Serving Jesus has cost you everything!” Can you hear him whisper to them, “Look at you! You are nothing and you have nothing. Give up on Jesus. Deny Him and prosper!”
Jesus says, “I know…thy poverty” - BUT then He adds, “but thou art rich.” They may have lacked this world’s goods, but their faith and the faithful display of their testimony had purchased them treasures in Heaven. The world may have taken everything they had down here, but they had treasures on the other side that were safe from the hands of any enemy. These people had nothing, yet they possessed everything. 2 Corinthians 8:9, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. We need to step out of our comfort zone and reenter the world with the message of salvation and hope. That was Paul’s desire, Philippians 3:8, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” We need to publicly proclaim, without fear, the saving Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
I Know Your Prison – In verse 10, Jesus tells them I know the systems that infringe upon your freedoms and you will face more prison. No credible historian or Bible scholar knows what the “ten days” mentioned here might refer to. All we know is that it has a beginning, and it has an end. They are informed that more suffering is coming their way, but it won’t last forever. 2 Timothy 3:12 teaches that everyone who will live holy, separated and dedicated for Jesus, in any generation, is going to face persecution. This should not shock us, nor should it surprise us. The reason the world hates the believer today is the same reason the world hated the believers then. The people of Smyrna hated the believers for just one reason: they loved Jesus! Family that is why the world will always hate us! They hate us because we tell them there is one way to God and that His name is Jesus. They hate us because we tell them that they are headed to Hell unless they repent. They hate us because we will not join them and confirm them in their abominations. They hate us because we are different and we are not afraid to say so. They hate us today, and tomorrow no matter what we say or do they will still hate us! BUT JESUS SAYS, Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Jesus is not only the Alpha, He is also the Omega! He is not only the Beginning, He is the End! Jesus is not only the First, but He is also the Last! And He will never leave us alone or without an expected end!
Jesus sent seven letters to seven different churches. Only this church and the church at Philadelphia received no corrective words. The Lord had been observing their walk and He was pleased. They were hard workers! Jesus says to them “I know thy works” Their testimony was powerful because they stayed the course and stuck to the task for the glory of God! Jesus says “I know thy works” – He is telling them that what they are going through is bigger than they are. He is telling them that Satan is using the evil people of Smyrna to attack Jesus through His church. He just wants them to know that they are not alone in their struggle. In Isaiah 43 God says, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” We are “more than conquerors through Him that loved us”, Romans 8:37. We can face anything if we know He will be with us! “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31. To the Church He says, “Be faithful and You will receive the Crown of Life!” (This is not a crown that royalty wear, but the wreath awarded to winning athletes). I know the song says that I shall wear a crown, when that trumpet sounds but in Revelations 4 John tells us that all the elders cast their crowns before the throne of Jesus and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
