Revelation 2:8-11

⁸ And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; ⁹ I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. ¹¹ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Throughout the history of Christianity one of the greatest catalysts for the growth of the church has been persecution. Through intense opposition and pressure from cultures and governments, God causes His church to thrive and break barriers with the gospel into the hearts and lives of people in those cultures. The book of Acts tells us that the early church was persecuted in Jerusalem and that the gospel spread throughout the ancient world as a result (Acts 8:4). The second century Christian Tertullian once famously said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Jesus repeatedly promised His disciples that they would face persecution (John 15:18-20; 16:33) and the Apostle Paul promised, “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Ninety percent of the people killed today in the world for their faith are Christians. Some estimate that there are between 100 and 150 thousand new Christian martyrs each year. While we don’t hear much about it on our news, countries like Nigeria kill Christians by the thousands. The twentieth century was the bloodiest century for Christian martyrdom and the twenty-first is well on the way to surpass it. While uncomfortable and unpleasant, persecution presents God’s people with the opportunity to truly shine as His lights in the world. It serves to distinguish the true church from false converts because those who do not truly know Christ will not stand in the hour of testing. The second church of Asia Minor that Jesus had John write to was the church at Smyrna. It was one of two churches that He would have nothing negative to say to. The name Smyrna comes from the same root word that we get myrrh from. Myrrh was valuable and used for some medicinal purposes, but also was often a part of the spices and aromas used in burying someone. Like the name of the city, the church there was a valuable, sweet aroma to the Lord Jesus as their lives were laid down in sacrificial service to Him. What does it look like to faithfully serve Christ in a hostile world? The church at Smyrna teaches us three principles we must always serve Him by.

First, we must serve Him through His power. Located just 35 miles north of Ephesus, Smyrna was known in the first century for its medical and science advances as well as being a center of emperor worship. It was chosen to be the site of the new temple to Emperor Tiberius in 26 AD. During the time of John writing Revelation in the 90s AD, it was a crime punishable by death not to worship and offer sacrifices to Emperor Domitian. Today, it is the modern-day city of Izmir, Turkey. We don’t have in Scripture the specific record of the church’s founding, but it was likely founded in connection with Paul’s ministry in Ephesus when the gospel spread to all of Asia (Acts 19:10). In the midst of a hostile city that was committed to worship the emperor, stood a faithful group of Christians committed to worship the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). As with the other churches, Jesus introduced Himself in the letter by divine and Messianic titles and descriptions, most of which are found in Revelation 1. He used two references. First, He identified Himself as “the first and the last.” This comes from Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12 in the Old Testament as a title for God. He is the only eternal One who existed before all else was. He is sovereign over His creation and Jesus is reminding the church at Smyrna that He is intimately aware of their situation and sovereign over it. Second, He identified Himself as the One “which was dead, and is alive.” He was reminding this church of those suffering and facing the threat of death for their faithfulness to Him that He has already gone where some of them may go. He has already suffered and died for us to remove the “sting” of death by dealing with sin on the cross and overcoming sin and death by rising again (1 Corinthians 15:54-56). It would serve as a reminder to that church that death would not be the end for them, but only the beginning of life in the fullness of Christ’s presence. It is only through His resurrection power being evident in our lives that you and I can serve Him faithfully in this world (Romans 8:9-11). The life that He calls us to live and the opposition He calls us to face can only be done in His strength. He was more than sufficient for Smyrna and He is more than sufficient for us.

Next, we must remain faithful to Him despite opposition. “I know they works” is His statement to each church. Here, He only commends the church at Smyrna and encourages them to remain faithful. “Tribulation” speaks to the persecution and trouble that they faced in their hostile culture. “Poverty” speaks to the reality that they were probably cut off from all of society and not able to earn a living. They not only refused to worship the emperor and would face opposition for that, but they also faced opposition from “Jews” that Jesus refered to as “a synagogue of Satan.” The book of Acts tells us that early Christian persecution was predominantly Jewish. Smyrna had a Jewish population that was given limited freedom from the Roman government and city of Smyrna. That the Jewish population of the city played a part in the hostility towards Christians. Jesus told the church to not “fear” what they were about to face. They would be thrown into “prison,” but He gave them a word of hope that their “tribulation” would only last “ten days.” The number of days was probably literal, but could simply refer to a short, completed time. We don’t know the specific persecution they were about to face, but Christ assured them that it would come to an end. The fear of man is a powerful motivator. It can drive people to do a great many things and act from wrong motives. At the end of the day, we either live our lives for the approval of people or for God (Galatians 1:10). Jesus said, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Many people give up in their service for Christ at the first sign of opposition. We have the choice of whether we will allow others to dictate to us how we live out our faith in this world. We are simply called to remain faithful. The opposition will inevitably come. There will be a constant temptation to compromise and live in the fear of man, but our goal must always be to remain faithful to the One who died for us. Let us consider our motives in serving and remember whom we serve; not man, but Christ.

Lastly, we must live according to His promises. In verse 10, Jesus promised “the crown of life” to those who are “faithful unto death.” There are five descriptions of crowns promised to believers for faithfulness to Christ in Scripture. These crowns are better understood as one crown of reward that represents the blessings of the believer one day in the presence of Christ. The “crown of life” is perhaps better understood as “the crown which is life.” The meaning is that Jesus promises eternal life to those who are faithful to Him through persecution and trial (James 1:12). It is not that eternal life is earned through martyrdom, but that faithfulness is the real test of whether one truly possesses eternal life. This first promise is reinforced by a second in verse 11 that says “He that overcometh will not be hurt of the second death.” This refers to the Lake of Fire in Revelation 20:14-15. Believers are those who have eternal life and need not ever fear the worst possible thing that could happen to a person: to die and go to an eternal hell. Jesus reminded the church and promised them that whatever they endure in this life, what awaits them is eternity in His presence. As we serve Christ, we must remember what a blessing it is to be saved and secured in His family and His eternal kingdom. We must remember that faithful service will one day be rewarded.

As we serve in this world, it is often easy to forget God’s sovereignty over our circumstances as we face opposition. It is easy to get caught into the trap of worrying about the opposition we face from people around us instead of focusing on the One we serve. It is also easy to forget the reward that is promised for faithful service to Christ. Christians around the world suffer everyday for their faith, some in ways beyond our comprehension, but the same faithfulness they are called to, we are called to. There may come a time when we are persecuted physically for our faith. How do we know if we will be able stand? The answer to that question is found in our faithfulness and motivation now. The same singular devotion required then is required of us now. Do we allow the circumstances of our lives or opposition we face to deter our faithfulness to Christ? The moment we set our hearts to serve Him, the whole world might come against us. May we be found faithful. Serve in His power. Remain faithful despite opposition. Live according to His promises.