Postcards from Patmos: Dear Smyrna

Transcript

JRS 5
07/24/2022
Postcards From Patmos (Dear Smyrna)
Revelation 2:8-11
Jesse Randolph

Well, December 3, 2016, is not a morning I will soon forget. On that morning, it was one of those bone-chilling, 65-degree, California mornings. I encountered a scene on our front lawn that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. See, a mere few days after setting out our family’s Christmas decorations, I walked outside, only to see that our festive lawn ornaments had been totally knocked over. And not only that, but our entire front lawn had been toilet-papered. And to make matters worse, some one had the audacity to take our “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” sign that we had planted in our yard and take that thing and totally turn it upside down. I was livid. I was incensed. Now over our Christmas lawn ornaments? Fine. It’s easy enough, I have enough boys to help me pick up the mess. Toilet paper our front lawn”? Ok. It’s bound to happen to everyone, even if its an annoyance to clean up and especially when they use two-ply. But to turn the name of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace, Immanuel (God with us) upside down on my front lawn? That was next level. In fact, the first thought that rushed through my mind as this scene unfolded in front of my bleary eyes was, we’re being persecuted. We’re being persecuted for our faith! Were eyes on us? Was it time to start thinking about relocating? Was it time to start thinking as a pastor’s family that we need to prepare ourselves for beatings? And torture and possibly even martyrdom? These were admittedly the things that started rolling around my admittedly bewildered mine that morning.

Now, I’ve heard a couple laughs and giggles. But if we’re getting real honest with ourselves, I think we have to admit that we’ve all had thoughts like these at some point or another. These far-fetched notions of being “persecuted” for our faith. We’ll say things like, “My unsaved neighbors, ever since they found out that I was a Christian, stopped inviting me to watch the big game on Saturdays in the fall. I must be being persecuted.” Or “my co-workers look at me funny in the lunchroom when I pray and give thanks to God for the meal that’s before me. I must be suffering for Christ.” Or I’ll say things like, “Target no longer uses the words ‘Merry Christmas,’ instead they use the word ‘Happy Holidays.’ I guess that’s just the cross I’ll have to bear.” But, have any of us actually experienced persecution for our allegiance to Christ? Have any of us actually suffered for Christ? I do recognize, friends, that there are some in the room, who have suffered for Christ. And I do recognize that there are various forms of suffering and trial that we experience as believers, who are in Christ. But the question is, have any of us actually suffered for Christ? For the vast majority of us, the answer to that, if we’re being honest, is “no.”

Today we’re continuing on in our “Postcards from Patmos” series, which is this exposition of Revelation 2 and 3. And specifically, the seven letters, or postcards, that the Lord Jesus sent to those early churches in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey, around the year 95 A.D. And last time we looked at the first postcard that the Lord sent by the pen of the apostle John to the early church at Ephesus. And as we saw, Ephesus was a church that was very much like many bible-based churches in America today. A church that was diligent in its service. A church that was discerning in its beliefs. But a church that has drifted from its first love for the Lord. See, Ephesus appeared to have everything going on for it on the outside, but on the inside, they were weak, and they were compromised.

This morning, we’re going to work our way through the second of Christ’s postcards, which He addressed to the church at Smyrna. And as we’re going to see, the situation at Smyrna was essentially the inverse, or the opposite of what was happening at Ephesus. At Smyrna, externally, the church had nothing going on for it. But inside, they were spiritually strong. At Smyrna, the church knew what it meant to be persecuted for Christ. This church knew what it meant to suffer for the Savior.
If you’re not there already, turn with me in your bibles to Revelation 2:8-11, the letter from Christ, through the pen of John, to the church at Smyrna. Revelation 2:8, God’s word reads: “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.”


If you’ve ever been to one of those antique shops, you’ve seen that sometimes in those shops, they’ll have a milk crate or a shoe box full of old postcards. And I think it’s actually… it can be fun to kind of sift through them and look at them and reminisce. You know, you can look at the old dates on the postcards and the old, antiquated ways that people addressed each other, dearest Bessy, and those sorts of things. And then the old, antiquated forms of language that they used. But without any context for any single postcard that you might pick up, you’ve got to admit that you’re at a real disadvantage. Because, while you may be able to understand the language and the words of what you see on the postcard, you can only glean so much of the meaning and the intent behind the words that you’re given there.
So it is with the postcards that Christ addressed to, not just this church in Smyrna, but each of the seven letters of those churches in Asia Minor. Each was addressed to a different church. Each was addressed to a different city with a unique political, geographical, and spiritual context. A key to understanding these postcards then, is to dive into their background, so that we can unpack the meaning of Christ’s words, to each of these churches. We need to get a sense of what was going on in each of these cities, including this city, late in the first century.

So, Smyrna was a coastal city. It sat about 35 miles to the north of Ephesus. So, last week, as we saw, if Ephesus was like Crete, Nebraska, Smyrna would have been like Seward. Is that about 35 miles north, give or take? I hope that’s about right. I’m going to roll with that. Smyrna was a large city, like Ephesus, although a little bit smaller. It had about 200,000 people at this time, where as Ephesus had about a quarter of a million people. Smyrna sat at the mouth of an enclosed, safe harbor. And because of its harbor, Smyrna, like Ephesus, played a significant role in commerce in Asia Minor during this time.
Smyrna was not only economically significant though, it was culturally important and culturally rich. By the time this letter was addressed to this city, Smyrna was already 1,000 years old. It had been founded around the year 1,000 B.C. This was an established city, not some village that had just popped up overnight. Smyrna also was the home of the great, Greek poet, Homer, who wrote “The Odyssey” and “The Iliad.” And it was a major hub of learning in this part of the world, being especially prominent in the fields of medicine and science.

On top of that, Smyrna was significant politically. Politically, it was in a uniquely, strong position. See, right at the time of Christ’s birth, there was this competition between 11 ancient cities of the Roman Empire, to see which of these cities would win the privilege of erecting a statue in the honor of the Roman civilization. Smyrna won. It beat out the 10 other cities for this privilege of building this statue or this temple erected in honor of Rome. So, there was this massive edifice in Smyrna, honoring Rome.
Smyrna was also a beautiful city. It was full of impressive public buildings all over its landscape. It had a famous stadium, a decorated library, a public theater that was the largest in all of Asia Minor. And wide tree-lined streets. Naturally speaking, Smyrna may have been the most beautiful of each of the seven cities that Christ addresses in these letters.

Last, we also know that there was a Christian church in Smyrna, hence, the postcard that Christ here sends to it. Now, we don’t have an exact date that this church in Smyrna would have been founded, but its reasonable to estimate, that the church was founded likely in the 50’s or 60’s A.D. while Paul was living and ministering nearby in Ephesus. But here’s the thing. While the city of Smyrna had so much going on for it, the reality is there may not have been a more dangerous place to be a Christian, in this part of the world, at this time. There are two main reasons for that. First is this, and I’ve already alluded to this, but Smyrna was fiercely loyal to Rome. And Rome, in turn, demanded that its citizens worship the emperor. To publicly proclaim and profess that Caesar is lord. That would have been a problem for the Christians in Smyrna, knowing that they could only confess that Jesus is Lord. The second reason it was dangerous to be a Christian in Smyrna, had to do with this very large and aggressive Jewish population. A Jewish population that was actively hostile to Christians. A Jewish population which was willing to do whatever it needed, included cooperating with the Roman authorities, to stop this new sect called Christianity or The Way, from spreading any further in Smyrna.

See, it was an exceptionally difficult place to be a Christian, to be a follower of Christ in Smyrna, in these days. The Christians in Smyrna knew what it was like to be hated. They knew what it was like to be sneered at. They knew that it was like to have their neighbors jeer at them or laugh at them or poke fun at them. They knew what it was like to have their own friends and family turn their backs on them. They knew what it was like to be exposed to the authorities and for no other reason, than they had put their faith and their trust in Jesus Christ.

With all that as background, let’s now see what the ascended Lord of the church had to say to the suffering saints at Smyrna. As we’re going to see this morning, Christ gives this church words of recognition. He gives this church words of reassurance. And he gives this church words of reminder.
Those are the three points on which this sermon will rest.

Let’s take it from the top, at verse 8, where Jesus says, “to the angel of the church at Smyrna write.” Now, we’re in the fifth part, or the fifth message in this ten-part preaching series. And if you haven’t been with us the last couple of weeks, I need to catch you up briefly, by letting you know that the word “angel” here in verse 8, “angelo,” is better translated “messenger”. Which in the context of the local church would refer to the primary, earthly messenger there. The primary herald of God’s truth there. The primary herald of God’s truth in this time, as it is in our day, would have been the pastor, the shepherd, the overseer in this church. Now, note that this “angel”, to use the word here in English in our NASB translation, or the word “messenger”, he’s of the church. It says to the angel of the church, the messenger or the pastor of the church. That’s really significant, because what that’s telling us is that this messenger, or this pastor, here in Smyrna, was himself going through whatever his people were going through. Though he was their overseer, in every sense of the word, he wasn’t above the fray. He wasn’t distant or removed from the situation that they found themselves in. And why not? Because he himself was going through the same situations they were going through, and if they were suffering, he would have been suffering right along with them.

Friends, you want pastors like that. You want pastors who will not only preach in front of you, and teach you, and instruct you, but you want pastors who will personally minister to you. Who will pray with you. Who will rejoice with you. Who will suffer with you. Who will grieve with you. And yes, who will even weep with you. Please pray, not just for me, but for each of our pastors here at Indian Hills, for each of our elders, that we will always be such men. Shepherds, to use a phrase I used a few weeks ago, who smell like the sheep. Remembering that we ourselves were sheep long before we became shepherds, and still are sheep.

Let’s look next at how Christ addresses Himself to the church at Smyrna. He says at the end of verse 8, “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this.” Now those words, “the first and the last” are significant. That language is borrowed from the book of Isaiah, where three different times God Himself, Yahweh, is described in similar terms. One of those places is Isaiah 44:6, which says: “Thus says the Lord, the king of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me’.” By importing this language, what Jesus is doing in His postcard here to Smyrna, is once again equating Himself with God. Jesus here, is saying, by use of this reference, “I am the self-existent One.” “I am the Creator.” “I am the One who has existed eternally as the Second person of the Trinity.” “I am perfect and infinite Deity.” “I am the One who has already declared the beginning from the end.” And “I am the One who knows and ordains all things. Including the things that this church is about to suffer.” By highlighting His deity, Jesus here is assuring His church at Smyrna, that no matter what His Bride was going through at this time, every search and seizure, every stare, every scornful word, every beating, every act of torture, every execution, every grisly death, it was all happening according to the plans and purposes of the victorious Lamb who sits securely and eternally upon His throne. That’s what Jesus means when He says He is the “first and the last.”

And then look at the next few words, it says: “who was dead, and has come to life.” See, just as Jesus is referring to Himself as “the first and the last” highlights His deity, now for Him to say, “who was dead (that literally in Greek says, “became dead”), and has come to life”, that refers to His humanity. See, because Jesus, not only is perfectly divine, but perfectly human, He’s able to identify here perfectly with His people in Smyrna. Jesus was perfectly positioned to empathize with them in the poverty, and the suffering, and the tribulation, and the slander they faced. And He was able to, because He Himself experienced poverty and slander and tribulation and suffering.

Think about it. Did Jesus experience poverty during His earthly life and ministry? Matthew 8:20, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Did Jesus experience suffering and tribulation and slander during His life and earthly ministry leading up to His death? Of course. 1 Peter 2:21-24, “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” See, Jesus was several steps ahead in the school of suffering. And to know these truths about their Savior, to know that their Savior had previously walked the road they now found themselves on, and suffered the way they were suffering, and that He could and did truly sympathize with them, that must have been tremendously encouraging to this early group of believers there in Smyrna.

This ought to be a major source of encouragement to all of us in Lincoln, Nebraska in the year 2022. Knowing that, as Hebrews 4:15 says, “we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.” There’s an old hymn called “Jesus, Blessed Jesus” which summarizes this truth so well, that the Savior’s ability to sympathize with us. It goes like this: There’s One who can comfort when all else fails, Jesus, blessed Jesus; a Savior who saves tho’ the foe assails, Jesus, blessed Jesus; once He traveled the way we go, felt the pangs of deceit and woe; who more perfectly then can know, than Jesus, blessed Jesus?

We move on to verse 9. The Lord Jesus continues and says, “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” As He addresses this postcard to the church at Smyrna, Christ here, is saying not only can He sympathize with these dear people, He says He “knows” them. The Greek verb (we went over this last week) here in the second letter, as it was in the first letter, is “oida.” Meaning Christ, the omnicompetent One, knows this church perfectly. He knows perfectly the tribulation they are enduring. He knows perfectly their poverty. He knows perfectly the slander they are facing. Let’s take these one by one.

First, He says: “I know your tribulation” That word “tribulation”, “thlipsis,” talked about it last week, fun to say, hard to spell. It conveys this idea of severe pressure. The pressure you feel when you’re going through some sort of distressing event. Such as war, or famine, or childbirth. Events like those, by definition, are distracting and dominating. They take all of your attention. You don’t ignore them or approach them casually. Now, when Christ here, speaks of the tribulation that the church at Smyrna was facing, He’s speaking specifically to the pressure they were feeling and facing from the Roman rulers in this time.

I’ve already mentioned that Smyrna, the city, had this very deep allegiance to Rome. And I’ve already mentioned that the worship of Roman emperors was happening in this day. But there’s actually a little bit more to the story. See, at the time that Christ wrote this postcard to Smyrna, the Roman Emperor was a man named Domitian. And under Domitian’s reign, emperor worship was no longer merely recommended, it was mandated. So, under Domitian, if you didn’t worship the Roman emperor as a god, it was a capital offense. Meaning you would be issued or receive the death penalty. Now, to enforce this law, and to make sure that these Roman subjects in this city were not bucking the law, and thus were not subject to the death penalty, each and every year, the citizens of this city would be required to publicly burn incense as an act of worship. And then after they met that annual requirement, they would receive a certificate. I think of it like an ancient DMV registration renewal, saying they had done their due duty. Now, if you didn’t have your certificate, unlike not complying with DMV renewal, you’d receive the death penalty. You at least faced the prospect of the death penalty. You could be arrested, and at the very end of it, executed.

So, think of the situation the Christians in this city, with these laws, found themselves at. Think of the great pressure, tribulation, they felt in making their choice. Worship Caesar and live. But in doing so, betray Christ. Or worship Christ and prepare to say goodbye to your loved ones. Prepare to be marched to the executioner’s blade. The Christians at Smyrna made their choice. They could not, and they would not, comply with Domitian’s imperial edict. They could not, as people who had declared Jesus is Lord, now speak out of the other sides of their mouth and say Caesar is lord. So, they refused to worship Caesar. And they remained firm in their resolve to worship Christ and Christ alone. And in doing so, they paid the price, in many cases, to the very point of giving their lives. It wasn’t just tribulation though, that the church at Smyrna faced. Look at the next part of the verse.

Christ says, “I know… your poverty.” “I know your tribulation and your poverty.” The tribulation and the pressure that this church in Smyrna was facing, was only compounded by the fact that they were poor. And when Jesus here says, they were poor, He means poor! See, there are only, really two words in Koine Greek for poverty. One means poor in “first world” terms. Struggling to meet basic needs. Having nothing superfluous in your life. That would be the first word. The second Greek word would define poverty as “third world” poverty. What we think of as “third world” poverty. That would describe a beggar. Somebody who lives entirely by the good graces of others. Somebody who has nothing at all. It’s that word, the second word that Jesus uses here. Meaning these Smyrnan Christians were completely impoverished. To use a phrase that we hear in our day, they were living from hand to mouth.

Smyrna, as a city, was prosperous. So why were these Christians living in these otherwise squalid conditions? The answer is for no other reason but that they were Christians. That they had professed faith in Jesus Christ. That they were open in their devotion to Jesus Christ. And as a result, they had been blacklisted. From business deals, from employment opportunities, from all legitimate means of making a living. They were no longer able to put food on the table. Think about that. As I was studying for this message, it hit me, these folks were starving to death based on their allegiance to the Bread of Life.

But then, note what He says, He noted their poverty, but then look at these words in parenthesis, He says, “but you are rich.” Though they were dirt-poor economically, the Lord here is saying, they were abundantly rich in other ways. Though they must have been wearing tattered clothing on the outside, they had rich storehouses in heaven to look forward to. They might never own anything in this life. They might not have a roof over their head, or food in their stomachs. There might have been nights, and surely there were nights, where they were shivering in the cold. But what’s being said here, is that they already owned everything they needed. And the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:20, they were laying up for themselves, not treasures here on earth, but “treasures in heaven.”

There is a lesson, certainly for all of us to learn from these early believers. If you’re a Christian here this morning, it is absolute foolishness to ground your sense of richness, or wealth, or success on what you own here. On what you possess. On what you’ve put aside. On what you’ve mortgaged. On what you’ve rented. It is senseless to measure yourself against those whose cars may have more bells and whistles. Those whose house may have a more nicely finished basement. Those whose property might have a pond or a dock. Or somebody whose back account has more zeros at the end of it. Because if you put your trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, the truth is, even if you are not independently wealthy, even if you don’t have that nest egg to fall back on to. Even if you’re just getting by every month. You are already eminently rich, rich in what matters. 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”

So, Christ here is saying, He knows the church at Smyrna is facing tribulation. He says He knows they are facing poverty, crippling poverty at that. And now look at what He says in the next part of verse 9. “I know your… blasphemy.” He knows that they are facing “blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” The Christians in Smyrna, like Christians all over the ancient world, faced blasphemy, slander is another way to put it, of various forms. You know, there was the slanderous allegation during these times, that Christians were atheists because they didn’t worship the pantheon of so called Roman gods. There was the slanderous accusation that Christians were “cannibals” because each time they gathered, they ate the Lord’s body and drank His blood. There was a slanderous accusation that Christians were incestuous because Christian husbands and wives were calling themselves, in fellowship, brother and sister. In Smyrna though, there was one charge in particular that was sure to get a Christian locked up and eventually killed. And that was the charge of political disloyalty. The charge of not being loyal and obedient to Rome. And while the Christians in Smyrna were submissive in posture to the Roman government, the truth is, they were not and could not always be obedient. There were some rules of the Roman government that these Christians simply could not obey. And one law that they could not obey, was Domitian’s law, the one I mentioned earlier, that mandated worship of the Roman emperor. The Christians in Smyrna could not obey this law, because it would mean they were engaging in idol worship. Spiritual adultery. Worship of a mere man. And in doing so, betraying true worship of the living God.

Well, lurking in the shadows in this city, is a group I mentioned earlier. This large Jewish community, who were well aware of Domitian’s law. And were well aware of the Christian’s disobedience to that law. So, with their built-in hostility toward Christianity, what was happening was the Jews in Smyrna were joining forces with the Roman authorities by becoming informants against the Christians. Just as they had done in the events leading up to the crucifixion of our Lord. This early Jewish community in Smyrna, in other words, was aiding and abetting the persecution of these early believers.

These were shameful acts. And, as we’re about to see, Christ has some incredibly strong words for them. Look at what He says in verse 9 about this group, this group of Jews in Smyrna. He says they “say they are Jews and are not.” These persecutors of Christians in Smyrna, were Jews, racially speaking. They were physical descendants of Abraham. They would have been somehow affiliated with one of the twelve tribes of Israel. But they were not true Jews.

In fact, real quickly, flip back with me to Romans 2, where we can see a bit of how this phenomenon would have played out. Go over to Romans 2 and look at verses 28-29, there is so much context here. I’m just going to give you the passage for now. It says, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.” You can also jot down as a cross reference, Romans 9:6-7, which says, “For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they children because they are Abraham’s descendants.”

Going back to Revelation 2 though, Jesus goes even further in verse 9. In His assessment of these Jewish people who are taking part in the persecution of these early Christians in Smyrna, look what He calls them at the end of verse 9. He says, they were a “synagogue of Satan.” See, in terms of shock value, these words are off the chart! They are incendiary. They are inflammatory. But seeing as they came across the same lips that spoke the universe into existence, they are absolutely true.

See, there are only two types of religious assemblies in this world. That’s it. There are those that are assemblies of Christ. Those who follow Christ as revealed in scripture, by worshiping Him in spirit and in truth. And there are those who are assemblies of Satan. And note, to be considered an assembly of Satan, an assembly of worshipers, does not need to have “Assemblies of Satan” etched on the door of wherever they worship. To be an assembly of Satan, they don’t have to have a pentagram etched on the door. They don’t have to have some sort of obsession with blood or the occult. Rather, such an assembly is just as much an assembly of Satan when it identifies itself as a Jewish synagogue. A Muslim mosque. A Buddhist temple. A Kingdom Hall. Or, when there’s been an abandonment of biblical truth, and a wholesale buy-in to the cultural ideology of the day. A place can call itself a church and be a synagogue of Satan.

In fact, there are many such synagogues of Satan within a few square miles of where we sit here this morning. There are synagogues of Satan up and down 84th Street. A place is a synagogue of Satan when it has abandoned biblical truth and worship of the one, true, living God, through His Son, Jesus Christ. It’s a synagogue of Satan if it has a rainbow flag framing its marquee. It’s a synagogue of Satan when the pulpit is used to promote politics, by preaching cultural Marxism or woke-ism or whatever the political ideology is of the day. It’s a synagogue of Satan when women are allowed to fill the pulpit in an attempt to preach God’s word and shepherd God’s people in direct rebellion to the scriptures.

And each of these false religions, each of these false churches, each of these synagogues of Satan, are tools of the devil, designed to keep people, and sadly, billions of people, away from the worship of the only true Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And to send those same billions of people, bowing, meditating, proselytizing, clapping, and ultimately disobeying, straight into the billowing flames of a real and eternal hell.

So, Jesus here is encouraging this church by telling them that He knows. He knows their tribulation. He knows their poverty. He knows the blasphemy or the slander they are facing. And for this church in Smyrna, these words must have provided some measure of comfort. But at the same time, we can’t miss this -- while Jesus remained in heaven, at this point, they remained on earth.

So, being that as the case, what could they anticipate happening now? He tells us in verse 10. Look at what it says, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” If you’re taking notes this morning, that’s our second heading, “The Reassurance.”

“The Reassurance.” This church at Smyrna had already been through so much. Tribulation and poverty and slander, but as we see here in verse 10, ever greater difficulties were about to come their way. The forecast was not calling for sunny skies. Instead, what was coming were even more menacing storm clouds. And with these storm clouds now gathering, Jesus tells this church in verse 10, “Do not fear,” “Do not fear what you are about to suffer.” There are some echoes here of what the Lord told His disciples while He was still on earth. In Matthew 10:28, where he tells them, don’t fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

He then gives the church in Smyrna some details about what it is they were going to suffer. First He tells them where their suffering is going to come from. He says: “Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison.” On an earthly plane, it was the Roman authorities who were going to be casting these believers into prison. But pulling the curtain back, on a spiritual plane, the devil was behind it all. That old enemy of the Lord’s true followers, Satan, the father of lies, the prince of the power of the air, as we know, has been at it for a long time.

Think of the first two chapters of Job. Where Satan takes away Job’s family, his possessions, and his physical health. Or think of Paul in the New Testament. What does he call his “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians 12:7? A “messenger of Satan.” Or think of Ephesians 6:12, which tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. But instead, we wrestle against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

In Smyrna, Satan and his forces of evil were attempting to do all that they could do to stamp out the power of the gospel to bring light to this dark corner of the world. He was testing the faith of the suffering Christians there, to see if they would break under pressure. And as we see in the next part of this verse, the devil had a specific plan about where that pressure would be applied. Look at the next part of verse 10, it says, “the devil is about to cast some of you into prison.”

Now, when we see that word “prison” here, don’t think minimum security facility with a country club atmosphere. Don’t even think about the State Penitentiary on Highway 2. Instead, what’s being pictured here is a small, dank, dark room. With no restroom, no windows, no ventilation. Baking in the hot Mediterranean sun. Think of rats and flies. Think of filth and disease. Think of stench and decay. And think of the oscillating feelings you would have between wanting to vomit, wanting to pass out, and simply wanting to die. That was the scene here. And why prison? Well, Jesus tells them. “So that you will be tested.”

See, friends, suffering as a Christian is never meaningless. Suffering as a Christian is never purposeless. Instead, God always has a purpose in the testing He allows us to go through this side of heaven. There is a purpose to the suffering that the Christians in Smyrna were about to experience. Namely, the purifying of His people. The deepening of their faith. The sharpening of their resolve to live devotedly for Him. As He tested them and prepared them for spending an eternity with Him. That was the scripture reading this morning out of 1 Peter 1:3-9.

The Lord then says, “you will have tribulation for ten days.” In this imprisonment context what do the 10 days mean? Is it symbolic of some short period of time? Do we allegorize it? No. I don’t take it that way. Just as I take Genesis 1 to be referring to a literal creation in 6 days. And just as I take Revelation 20 to refer to a millennial reign of Christ for a literal 1,000 years on the earth. I take this reference to be as 10 days of imprisonment, to be 10 literal days that certain Christians in Smyrna would be imprisoned, likely so that they could be tortured in an attempt to get names and locations of other Christians. Which would have been a common method of interrogation back in these days.

But don’t miss the bigger point that’s being made here by our Lord: Which is: that though the Christians there in Smyrna would soon face this intense 10-day period of tribulation and persecution, it would be brief. It wouldn’t last forever.

Which feeds into Christ’s charge to remain faithful, which we see at the end of verse 10. And that’s actually our third heading for this morning if you’re a note taker, “The Reminder.” We just had the reassurance, now we have the reminder. Look at the end of verse 10: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” “Be faithful until death” A more literal reading, which some translations actually have, would say: “Be faithful even to the point of death.” Christ here, is not so much giving a general charge to be faithful to the end of your lives, that we will experience at the end of our lives, where the road just comes to end here. Rather, this charge is more specific. It’s to be faithful even to the extreme point of death in the face of persecution and suffering. To be willing to give up one’s life as proof of loyalty to the King.

For such a person, for such a Christian, he is promised something here from the Lord of the church. The end of verse 10 it says, he will receive “the crown of life.” The victor’s crown. Also called the imperishable wreath, 1 Corinthians 9:25. Also called “the crown of righteousness”, 2 Timothy 4:8. Also called “the unfading crown of glory”, 1 Peter 5:4. Heaven awaits, the crown awaits, those who faithfully run the race for Christ, to the end.

Smyrna was such a church. And their faithful witness teaches us an important lesson, many important lessons. It teaches us that as followers of Christ, we always ought to be thinking more about the life to come than this one. We ought to be thinking that “to live is Christ”, Philippians 1:21, “and to die is gain.” We should be living not for the crowns and the decorations and accolades of this world. But instead, be living wholly, and single-mindedly, for the crown that comes later. As the old English theologian, John Trapp once put it, “he that rides to be crowned, will not think much of a rainy day.”

Let’s wrap up our time in our text this morning in verse 11, with these closing words of this letter. First, the Lord, in this verse says: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” You know, that sentence is familiar. We saw it last week in the letter to Ephesus. And we will see it in each successive postcard. And as I’ve mentioned, what the plural form “churches” does here, is it signifies that these postcards were intended, not only to be read in the churches to which they were originally addressed, but instead were intended to be read to a wider audience. And to those churches Christ is saying, listen up. Listen up, Smyrna. Listen up, Ephesus. Listen up, Indian Hills. Listen up.

And then there’s the second part of verse 11, which is unique to this letter. Look what it says. It says, “He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.” Christ is saying here, yes, you may suffer on this earth. Yes, you may suffer to the point of death. Even if you are an overcomer. Even if you are a conqueror. Even if you have believed, 1 John 5:5, “that Jesus is the Son of God.” But you can lay your head on the pillow tonight and sleep soundly, knowing that your salvation is secure. Knowing that “everyone… who believes in (Him, Jesus),” John 11:26, “will never die.”

But we can’t ignore these final words here. We can’t just hope they weren’t there, or wish they weren’t there. Because it’s written about people who apparently will be “hurt by the second death.” And what is that referring to, the second death? Well, everybody in this room will experience a first death. That’s referring to our physical death. When we breath our last breath and our heart stops beating. The date of our first death has already been etched in heaven by the finger of God. And it will one day be etched on a piece of limestone in a cemetery, or on an urn that sits above somebody’s fireplace. Maybe that death will be next month, when this new monkey pox virus that wipes out the world, happens. Or when the new BA.5 Covid variant takes us out. Maybe it will be 30 years from now, when cancer takes over and eradicates our organs. Maybe it will be tomorrow. Only the Lord knows how. And only the Lord knows when, related to that first death.

The second death though, is referring to something far more fearful than our physical bodies perishing, expiring. The second death refers to unending punishment. The second death refers to eternal, conscious torment in a lake of fire. Turn with me to Revelation 20. Let’s go a few chapters back toward the end of your bibles to Revelation 20:14, which answers directly the question. What is the second death? This is not just me theorizing up here. Revelation 20:14, at the very end of that verse it says, “This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” You look a few verses down at Revelation 21:8, you see something very similar. “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Make no mistake about it. A person either knows Christ and will not experience the horrific realities of this second death. Or they don’t know Christ and they will. So, if you’re sitting here this morning, and you’re just here at church going through the motions… Maybe you didn’t want to be here this morning. Maybe you’re not a believer. Maybe you’re deceived. Maybe you’re open in your rebellion. I want to make sure that, if you have any concerns… If reading these passages pricks your conscience in any way, related to the status of your soul, and your status before God, and whether you risk facing this second death. Please, make very sure before you leave those doors today, that you are right with the living God. Please make sure before you leave those doors today, that you have believed that Jesus is the Son of God. Make sure that you understand His saving gospel. Make sure that you have believed in its power. Make sure you don’t leave any of these doors today, without acknowledging and recognizing that you are a sinner. And your sin merits punishment, as does mine, as did mine. By an infinitely holy and righteous God. Don’t leave here today, without affirming your knowledge that you cannot save yourself. You cannot avoid the second death and gain heaven, by just seeking to live a better life. Or being a better person. Or cleaning things on the outside. Or becoming a better version of yourself. Instead, what you need to do, is completely throw yourself on the mercy of God in heaven above. Cry out to Him in forgiveness for the sin that you know you committed against Him. Turn away, meaning repent, of your old way of living and trust completely and fully in the sufficient work of Christ on the cross to save your soul. In doing so, you will be spared the terrors of the second death.

Well, as we close our time today (and I think that’s now the third time I said we’re closing our time today) I want to share with you a story about one of Smyrna’s most famous residents, a man named Polycarp. Polycarp lived in the second half of the first century and into the first half of the second century. He was a direct disciple of the apostle John, the human author of this book of Revelation. And by the time of the second century A.D., meaning somewhere around the mid-150s A.D., the fires of persecution were raging in this part of the world. And at some point, in the midst of the persecution, Polycarp, who was this old man in his mid-eighties, was tagged and identified as a Christian. And so, a warrant went out for his arrest. He was eventually apprehended. Eventually arrested. And then a Roman official threw him in a chariot. He was out in the country somewhere, a little bit away from Smyrna. And they brought him back to Smyrna to face the authorities. To face up to the charge that he was a Christian. The Roman official, the story goes, who was sitting beside Polycarp in this chariot, as it was charging back into Smyrna, urged Polycarp, over and over, “Recant!” Actually the word he would have used was repent, meaning repent of your Christianity, and trust in Caesar. Or at least acknowledge Caesar as lord.

Polycarp refused. And so, the frustrated Roman official threw this 86-year-old man out of the chariot, dislocating his leg. Eventually he throws him back in the chariot. The chariot gets to Smyrna, and Polycarp now hobbled, is brought into this auditorium, this stadium. He’s brought before the Roman proconsul, the proconsul questions him, and argues with him, and says, “The only logical thing for you to do, Polycarp, is repent of your belief in Christ, and worship Caesar now, as lord.” Polycarp, stubborn Smyrnan that he was, refused to do so. He refused to say the two words, “Kaiser Kyrios” (Caesar is lord), that would have spared his life.

Instead, what he said, and it’s recorded in the annals of history, was this, “Eighty and six years have I served (Christ), and He did me no harm; how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” Irritated, the Roman proconsul threatened and said, “I have wild beasts at hand; I will cast you to these, unless you repent.” Again, Polycarp refused. The Roman official threatened him again saying, “I will cause you to be consumed by fire, seeing you despise the wild beasts, if you will not repent.” But Polycarp replied again, “You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour, and after a little is extinguished, but are ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why do you tarry? Bring forth what you will.”

At that point, a great pile of wood was gathered, and Polycarp was led to the stake to be burned. But as the captors prepared to nail him to the wood -- and you know, they nail him to the wood so that he doesn’t wriggle off as the flames go around him -- he said this, “Leave me as I am; for He that gives me strength to endure the fire, will also enable me, without your securing me by nails, to remain without moving in the fire.” Then Polycarp cried out to God in prayer, with these, his last-known and very old English words. He said, “I give thee thanks that Thou hast counted me worthy of this day and this hour, that I should have a part in the number of Thy martyrs, in the cup of Thy Christ, to the resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and body, through the incorruption imparted by the Holy Ghost.”

Soon the fire was lit, and though it burnt fiercely all around him, somehow it didn’t come close enough to harm him. And seeing this, an executioner approached Polycarp and pierced him and killed him.
Polycarp’s only crime was that he confessed himself to be a Christian. And the martyrdom of Polycarp really personifies the Christian community from which he came, the church at Smyrna. A suffering church. A church full of people who were faithful unto death. Who are committed to the fact, that one day they would receive the crown of life.

May we here this morning, learn much from the example, not only from Polycarp, but from this set of dear believers here at Smyrna. May Indian Hills always be a church that is able to anticipate the troubles of the world. While anticipating equally, that our triumph comes in the future. May Indian Hills always be a church that is faithful in the midst of tribulation. But never fearful of what mere men can do to any one of us. May Indian Hills always be a church that Christ will one day have words of commendation for. Saying, well done, good and faithful church.

Join me in praying that Christ would make our church more and more like this church in Smyrna. A church that’s faithful and pleasing to our Lord. Let’s pray. God, we thank You for the church at Smyrna. We thank You, that You saw fit to record their faithfulness in these pages, so that we a church, living across the world, many centuries later, could glean from what You revealed to them. Glean from what they went through. Glean what they were taught. And glean the lesson of faithfulness, that they embodied for the culture in which they found themselves, but also for the entire church age. God, may we be found, like the church at Smyrna, a faithful church. A church that’s not measured or marked by what we have on the outside. What we own, what we possess, what we know, what we do. But instead, a spirit of resolve and faithfulness and fidelity to Christ our King. And to live for Him, and if needed, to suffer for Him, if that be our lot. Lord, continue, please, to sanctify Your people. Sanctify us in spirit and truth, as we wait to be reunited with You one day in glory. In Jesus Name. Amen.