The Death Of Polycarp At Smyrna: How To Give Up Everything For Christ Series

Smyrna as you can see on the map was located on the Aegean sea and was considered the gateway into Europe from the middle east. Smyrna was known for it’s production of fine materials, in fact, Smyrna was known for production of frankincense and myrrh. Primarily for myrrh. And myrrh was a substance known to be used in burial rituals to cover the smell of the dead. Indeed, death would be associated with the church in Smyrna, because they would face severe persecution, and martyrdom.

Many Christians would be killed for their faith in the first few hundred years of Christianity, many of whom lived in Smyrna. Most famous of all these martyrs was a man named Polycarp.

Polycarp’s crime essentially was refusing to worship the government. In ancient Rome it was expected that citizens would regard Caesar, the leader of the government as a god. Now, Jewish communities in the roman empire had gained an exception from worshipping Caesar. But the early Christian communities did not share this exception.

And the Jewish synagogues in Smyrna were all too eager to blame controversies on the Christians in the area. And so the Jews were protected from death, and the Christians were burned at the stake and fed to the lions.

So Polycarp found himself staked to a tree. Normally they would be nailed to the post so they wouldn’t run. But Polycarp said no need, I won’t run, I’ll stay in the flames, for Christ.

Tradition tells us that they lit the pile of wood but the wind blew so hard it wouldn’t burn Polycarp properly. So finally they ordered a guard to go over and stab him with his sword, and Polycarp did at last die for Christ. That was 155 AD.

And today in the United States, 2023, we Christians today may also face persecution. Not necessarily being fed to the lions or burned at the stake, but, a salvation army soldier when to witness to a drug dealer, and he got a gun put to his head, and the trigger got pulled and he died. At a shooting in California about 10 years ago, people were asked are you a Christian and if they said yes they got a bullet. So yes, even death, and in China or North Korea or parts of the middle east, yes, death is a danger everyday. But in the USA, and Europe, today it’s like a few weeks ago, a woman was arrested and put in jail in the UK, because she was standing outside a planned parenthood facility, silently praying. She wasn’t even praying out loud, just standing there, praying in her head. And the police were called and she confessed to committing this crime of praying at this facility and she was taken to jail. Her name is Isabel Vaughan-Spruce.

But it’s not often in the United States something where the police will come get you. It’s more just a quiet pressure, all around us, to stay quiet, and just be nice and polite. Just a quiet pressure to not say anything. Because you might get criticized. People might think you’re a weird religious type. And it’s interesting how this keeps us quiet. And we’re afraid to speak up. That is the oppressiveness in our nation today I think for Christians is simply the quiet pressure to shut up. And I’ll tell you this, you have to train yourself to be brave and courageous. And you do so by speaking up. And as you speak up, your courage grows.

But I’ll also tell you this, as you refuse to speak up and stay quiet, the fear grows and pretty soon it’s harder to speak up. So do speak up. And yeah, it may cause controversy. But be ok with that. That’s your calling. Just speak up anyway. And be brave. Because then you’re training yourself to be brave. And that develops a pattern of behavior. And pretty soon it’s normal and easy. But at first it might be a little tough. That’s 2023.

But back in 155 AD Polycarp died for the truth. His words were striking, before the Roman proconsul Quadratus, when the proconsul asked him to deny Jesus.

Polycarp's last words: "Eighty and six years I have served Christ, and He has never done me any harm. How then, could I blaspheme my King who saved Me? ... I bless You for considering me worthy of this day and this hour that I may be among your martyrs and drink the cup of my Lord Jesus Christ."

And about 60 years earlier, John knew the body of believers would face persecution. And he received a message from Jesus Christ our savior, for the persecuted church. He wrote the words down that Jesus gave him, word for word, to the church in Smyrna. So let’s look at them. They say this…