What would you do if you were confronted by the living Christ?
In Revelation 1 the apostle John hears behind him a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet. As he whips around, he finds himself standing before the living, resurrected Christ. Christ's eyes are like blazing fire-- penetrating to the very core of John's soul. His voice is like the sound of rushing water. Out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face is like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
John says in Revelation 1:17 (NIV), "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead." I mean, what would you do? I'd play dead too! John continues in Revelation 1:17-18 (NIV), "Then he placed his right hand on me and said: 'Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.' "
Now we live in a world where talk is cheap. But these are the words of Christ. And we have to ask ourselves what level of conviction, if any, we hold about Christ's words. So what Christ says is, "Do not be afraid."
We are taught to fear everything, but Christ tells us to not be afraid.
We live in a nanny culture where we're taught to fear everything. West Nile virus. Leptospirosis. Lead paint. Sickness. Global warming. Terrorists. So we have insurance for everything-- life, disability, home, health, car, boat, work, church, business, long-term care, and identity theft. And we have rules for everything too. Don't eat this, don't eat that, happy meals are bad, and no soda machines at school. And politicians play on our fears. Our economy will collapse if we do raise our debt ceiling; our economy will collapse if we don't.
Whose words do we trust? Who do we listen to? Yet here is the living, resurrected Christ saying, "Do not be afraid." Remember the disciples who were caught in the biggest storm of their lives, straining at their oars with all their might, and Jesus is sound asleep in their boat? Remember what Jesus said to them in Matthew 8:26 (NIV)? "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"
This admonition is repeated throughout Christ's ministry. In Matthew 10:28 (NIV) Jesus said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." In Luke 8:50 (NIV) at the news of Jairus' daughter's death, "Jesus said to Jairus, 'Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.' "
You know, it's one thing to read all these stories in the Bible, but it's quite another to take Christ at his word. But this is exactly what Christ expects of his church-- that we'd believe on him. In light of all that is happening, that can happen, that will happen, Christ expects that we'd take him at his word.
We need to focus on Christ's glory.
Look again at what Christ says in Revelation 1:17 (NIV). "Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last." The First and the Last is a divine title used throughout the Old Testament only by God when speaking of himself. In Isaiah 44:6 (NIV) God says, "This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God." In Isaiah 48:12 (NIV) God says, "Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last."
So there in Revelation 1:18 (NIV) Jesus says of himself, "I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! I hold the keys of death and Hades." Jesus has demonstrated his power over life and death through his death, burial, and resurrection. He isn't dead. He is alive, forever and ever. He is the Living One! He holds the keys to death and Hades. There in Revelation 1:17-18 the curtain of heaven is being pulled back and we're being given a glimpse of Christ's power and glory. This Christ is for us!
But how quickly our eyes are diverted away from Christ's glory, back to our troubles. Consider this case in point. The church at Smyrna mentioned in Revelation 2:8-11 was facing many troubles. Here we find a church facing an escalating threat to her own livelihood, who needed to be reminded just who Christ is!
The church at Smyrna was facing economic trouble.
Look at Revelation 2:9 (NIV). Jesus says, "I know your afflictions and your poverty..." Ironically, Smyrna was a prosperous city. But for many reasons, the church was struggling in abject poverty. It's likely that the church was started by Jewish Christians who settled there after fleeing persecution in Jerusalem. As outsiders in any community, they probably struggled to make economic inroads.
Some suspect that the Christians were excluded from the guilds because of their refusal to participate in the emperor cult. Others suspect that they impoverished themselves by giving sacrificially to people in need-- like the Macedonians. Still others suspect it was their refusal to pursue dishonest gain that did them in, or that their property was pillaged.
Here's the point. When times are tough, money is life. And desperate people will do anything for money. They'll lie, they'll embezzle, they'll steal, and they'll deceive. People will forfeit their virtue, they will covet, and they will take shortcuts. In tough times, money becomes an obsession. 1 Timothy 6:17 captures the essence of the problem. Instead of trusting God, we put our hope in wealth, which is so uncertain.
The church at Smyrna was facing persecution.
Look again at Revelation 2:9 (NIV) where Christ says, "I know your afflictions and your poverty-- yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan."
When early converts fled Jerusalem to places like Smyrna, they infiltrated the Jewish synagogues, Jewish places of worship. The Jews were terrifically threatened by the presence of Christians, and did everything they could to stir up trouble. They considered Christians to be their religious rivals.
The Jews were waiting for a messiah while the Christians embraced Jesus as the messiah. The Jews insisted upon obedience to the law of Moses while the Christians insisted upon obedience to Christ. The Jews insisted they were the chosen race while the Christians insisted that even Gentiles had been chosen for salvation.
Interesting enough, the Jews started slandering the Christians and sharing false reports about them. They stoked the embers of hostility and distrust. The Christians quickly found themselves being maligned, hated, spoken against, disinvited, ignored, and enduring injustice.
The church at Smyrna was facing suffering.
In Revelation 2:10 (NIV) Jesus says, "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days."
Some more background is needed. Throughout Asia Minor a decree was issued, under threat of death, that everyone must worship Caesar. Everyone that is, except the Jews. The Jews were exempt from emperor worship. They were free to honor their own customs and traditions.
But along come the Christians, claiming that Christ is the fulfillment of all the law and the prophets, and of all Judaism. The Jews wouldn't have it. So, many of them turned into informants, informing the Roman authorities of the Christians refusal to worship the emperor. The Christians quickly found themselves drug off to prison and standing trial.
Notice how their troubles escalated. First they struggled economically, as outsiders. Then they were verbally slandered and ostracized. And then they began suffering physical maltreatment. And Satan was behind it all.
The church at Smyrna was facing the punishment of death.
In Revelation 2:10 (NIV) Jesus admonishes them, "Be faithful, even to the point of death..." In order to fulfill his legal obligation to Caesar, all a citizen had to do was take a pinch of incense, burn it at the altar, and say three words, "Caesar is Lord." Think about that for a moment. Three words and a pinch of incense, and they'd be given a legal certificate stating they'd fulfilled their duty! They didn't even have to mean it. They just had go through the motions!
Yet many Christians refused to do it. And the Jews, who were exempt, would turn the Christians in to the authorities. "They don't have their certificates." The punishment for disloyalty to Caesar was death.
What does Christ want the church at Smyrna to know?
Now to a church facing escalating trouble, look what Christ most wants the Church at Smyrna to know! Revelation 2:8 (NIV) says, "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again."
To a church facing economic trouble Jesus says in Revelation 2:9 (NIV), "I know your afflictions and your poverty-- yet you are rich!"
To a church slandered and maligned Jesus says in Revelation 2:9 (NIV), "I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan."
To a church suffering hardship and facing the threat of death Jesus says in Revelation 2:10-11 (NIV), "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown (wreath) of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death."
Jesus will give us the crown of life if we persevere.
Let me give you some background on the crown of life. It was not a crown, but a wreath of flowers. In Roman culture, wreaths were given to athletes after they struggled across the finish line. Wreaths were given to soldiers who courageously distinguished themselves in battle. Wreaths were given to generous benefactors who helped their city.
What shouldn't have mattered most to the Christians at Smyrna was receiving such wreaths from men, but receiving a crown (a wreath) of eternal life from Christ himself. Christ would make them rich. Christ would vindicate their good name. Christ would deliver them from death. Christ would give them victory over life and death.
1 Peter 5:4 (NIV) promises, "And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away."
James 1:12 (NIV) says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
In 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV) Paul writes, "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."
In Romans 8:18 (NIV) Paul writes, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
Could this ever describe us? Revelation 12:11 (NIV) says, "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." True life is far more than physical existence!