April 2: REJOICE AND BE GLAD
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life’” Revelation 2:8
In our fallen world, the inevitable result of total surrender and faithfulness to Jesus is persecution from the opposition. Jesus had already laid this out for His listeners in the longest section of the Beatitudes.* In opening His message to Smyrna by identifying Himself as “the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life”, Jesus is very appropriately reminding the church here of His own bitter persecution, horrific death, and victorious resurrection. He is First because:
Now, Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:20
He is Last, in that He promises to be with His people to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20) and, as the righteous Judge, He will have the last word and will raise His faithful ones to life at the last day, stated five times! (see John 6:39,40,44,54; 11:24).
The name of the city, Smyrna, resembles the word for a costly resin or balm, myrrh, well known for both its fragrance and its bitter taste. The gift of myrrh, presented by the wise kings from the east shortly after the birth of Jesus (Matthew 2:11), is a prophetic symbol of bitterness encountered by all who desire to live righteously in this world of devils. The faithful followers of Jesus are an affront to Satan and his flimsy, deceptive kingdom; a reminder to him that he, along with his kingdom in its entirety, will soon — and suddenly! — be ended. Martin Luther reminds us: “A Mighty Fortress is Our God!”
The church at Ephesus has a historical application as the first-century church in its infancy. The church at Smyrna, characterized by fierce love for Christ and an unwavering witness for Him, also has a historical application, dating from approximately AD 100 to 325 (more on this later).
As we will see, Jesus had no rebuke whatsoever for the church at Smyrna. In spite of intense persecution and bloodshed, their faithfulness to Him stood fast. The church grew like wildfire!
*Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12