5th midweek Lent Date: 3/16/05 Text: Rev. 3:1-13
3/16/2005
5th midweek service in Lent
Text: Revelation 3:7-13
He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. So closes each letter to the seven churches. This is an important statement, one that appears to be more fitting for the beginning of a letter from Christ, than the end. But whether it is at the beginning or the end, it tells us that it is only through our spiritual ears that we can believe in and thus trust Christ’s words to us. So let us all listen closely with our spiritual ears, so we may not just hear, but understand
The letter to Philadelphia is usually described as a missionary letter. I will explain what I mean in a moment, but first let us take a quick look at the ancient city of Philadelphia in what is modern day Turkey. It is located just 30 miles southeast of Sardis. It is an important city because it lies at the head of a long valley extending to the sea. It is known as “The gateway to the East.” Unfortunately this entire region lays just south of a great volcanic plain, and thus is subject to earthquakes. Philadelphia along with twelve other cities was leveled by an earthquake in 17 A.D.
Since this city was considered by the ancients to be the doorway to the East, the imagery of keys and doors would be very meaningful to them. It was the custom for centuries, for the rich to have a trusted servant or slave in charge of the doors to the house and storage areas. He who held the keys had the real power, for no one could go through a door unless the doorkeeper let the person in. To be in charge of the keys was to have power, at times absolute power.
Verse 7 of our reading is a quote from Isaiah 22:22, where the Lord is telling the chief steward of Hezekiah. “I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”
This meant that the steward was directed to exercise complete control of the household of the king. As possessor of the “key of David” only he could open locked doors, and no one else could lock the doors he opened.
Jesus uses the words of Isaiah to proclaim that he is over the household of God, and that he alone has the authority to control entrance into it. He earned this authority of who enters heaven by his death and resurrection. His open, empty tomb shows us his authority over death. For those who believe in him as their Savior he has shut forever the door to eternal death, that is the second death, when the body and soul of the unbeliever are reunited and sent to eternal damnation.
The Gospel message of this text is that Jesus has not only opened the door to heaven but that he has also opened another door for the Philadelphian Christians. This “open door” represents opportunities for bringing the message of Christ’s victory, his kingship to others. Paul uses a similar expression in 1 Corinthians 16:7-9, where he is writing to the congregation at Corinth, “I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.”
When Christ opens a door of opportunity for Christians he expected his people to go through it and make the most of those opportunities. God expects his followers to always take advantage of opportunities which he had set up in advance for them to do. If the opportunity is missed or ignored, he might close the door.
It appears that the Christians of Philadelphia had recognized the open door and had gone through it to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. They were proclaiming the Gospel but not to the fullest extent God wanted them to, for it is the Lord’s desire that all hear the Good News.
Part of their problem might have been the Jews who were causing them much suffering and maybe even persecuting them, for you need to remember that the Christians did not voluntarily leave the synagogues. They only left after they were driven out by the religious leaders of the time.
In verse 9 Christ speaks harshly of the Jewish people who had not accepted him as their Messiah. They had forfeited their membership in the covenant with Abraham and his descendents and now belonged to the synagogue of Satan, for anything that is not for Christ is against him.
The true children of Abraham, the true Israel, were those Jews and Gentiles who accepted Jesus as their Messiah. This of course brought on the persecution they were suffering, but Christ tells us that the Christians there still remained faithful in their witness of the message and their Lord.
Because of that faithfulness Christ promised that their enemies from the synagogue would be judged and he would make them fall down at the Christians feet. It is not known if this was to be a literal falling down at their feet, or a symbolic falling. It is probably symbolic, for we are told that all people, even non-believers at the last judgment would kneel before Christ, acknowledging his Godhood.
Christ did not just stop there, for he continues on giving them another promise, a promise that he would defend them during their period of trial. No matter how much suffering and persecution the congregation might experience the Lord will see his people through that time of affliction.
As if those promises are not enough he gives them even greater promises, for the letter concludes with two more promises. The first being, “I am coming quickly”, the time is near. Be about your business, for time is running short. Quickly finish the mission, for it will not be long now.
Then he gives them his final promise of victory with the words, “I will place him as a pillar in the temple of my God.” Each believer in Christ will be assured that they are a member of God’s temple, the New Jerusalem, the place of perfect everlasting life with God in the new heaven and earth.
What this letter means to us today is that one’s citizenship in the new Jerusalem is confirmed by the name of God, being written upon each child of God. This takes place in Holy Baptism, where the name of God is conferred upon the person being baptized.
It means that you are guaranteed a place in heaven, for the key to heaven is Jesus and his cross. You can now stand before God without fear, for you have been made holy by his precious blood shed for you.
It also means that you will not lose the crown you have received, for you have power, the power of Jesus’ name. The world might think that you are weak. You might even think you are weak when you will fall into sin. You might suffer and grow faint of the spiritual battles waged against you, but remember the name of Jesus Christ, for his name always refers to his character.
Jesus Christ is holy, perfect, and loves you with a love that we as humans cannot even begin to grasp. That is why, for example, we can know that our prayers are being answered when we pray in Christ’s name, for knowing his character, his holiness, his perfection, his love, assures us that when we pray for the things that are in accord with his divine will we will receive them.
Of all the letters to the 7 congregations this one gives us the most assurance that despite our weaknesses we will make it through life, for Christ will give us the strength we need to run the race. (Read from page 49 of the daily devotions) For the Lord defines the lack of strength as an opportunity for his word to work its power. God’s Words make us strong. Our weaknesses are our sinfulness. God’s forgiveness brings us hope and strength in the midst of this fallen and weak world. Christ brings resurrection in the face of death. It that resurrection power that God pours out though us as we take his Word to our family, friends, and business associates. That same power that raised Christ from the dead pulls us out of our valleys, through our challenges, and creates in us perseverance and faithfulness. Let us close with a prayer.
God almighty, omnipotent Lord, you are far more capable than I. Fill me with your resurrection power to accomplish whatever is your will. Amen
5th midweek service in Lent
Text: Revelation 3:7-13
He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. So closes each letter to the seven churches. This is an important statement, one that appears to be more fitting for the beginning of a letter from Christ, than the end. But whether it is at the beginning or the end, it tells us that it is only through our spiritual ears that we can believe in and thus trust Christ’s words to us. So let us all listen closely with our spiritual ears, so we may not just hear, but understand
The letter to Philadelphia is usually described as a missionary letter. I will explain what I mean in a moment, but first let us take a quick look at the ancient city of Philadelphia in what is modern day Turkey. It is located just 30 miles southeast of Sardis. It is an important city because it lies at the head of a long valley extending to the sea. It is known as “The gateway to the East.” Unfortunately this entire region lays just south of a great volcanic plain, and thus is subject to earthquakes. Philadelphia along with twelve other cities was leveled by an earthquake in 17 A.D.
Since this city was considered by the ancients to be the doorway to the East, the imagery of keys and doors would be very meaningful to them. It was the custom for centuries, for the rich to have a trusted servant or slave in charge of the doors to the house and storage areas. He who held the keys had the real power, for no one could go through a door unless the doorkeeper let the person in. To be in charge of the keys was to have power, at times absolute power.
Verse 7 of our reading is a quote from Isaiah 22:22, where the Lord is telling the chief steward of Hezekiah. “I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”
This meant that the steward was directed to exercise complete control of the household of the king. As possessor of the “key of David” only he could open locked doors, and no one else could lock the doors he opened.
Jesus uses the words of Isaiah to proclaim that he is over the household of God, and that he alone has the authority to control entrance into it. He earned this authority of who enters heaven by his death and resurrection. His open, empty tomb shows us his authority over death. For those who believe in him as their Savior he has shut forever the door to eternal death, that is the second death, when the body and soul of the unbeliever are reunited and sent to eternal damnation.
The Gospel message of this text is that Jesus has not only opened the door to heaven but that he has also opened another door for the Philadelphian Christians. This “open door” represents opportunities for bringing the message of Christ’s victory, his kingship to others. Paul uses a similar expression in 1 Corinthians 16:7-9, where he is writing to the congregation at Corinth, “I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.”
When Christ opens a door of opportunity for Christians he expected his people to go through it and make the most of those opportunities. God expects his followers to always take advantage of opportunities which he had set up in advance for them to do. If the opportunity is missed or ignored, he might close the door.
It appears that the Christians of Philadelphia had recognized the open door and had gone through it to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. They were proclaiming the Gospel but not to the fullest extent God wanted them to, for it is the Lord’s desire that all hear the Good News.
Part of their problem might have been the Jews who were causing them much suffering and maybe even persecuting them, for you need to remember that the Christians did not voluntarily leave the synagogues. They only left after they were driven out by the religious leaders of the time.
In verse 9 Christ speaks harshly of the Jewish people who had not accepted him as their Messiah. They had forfeited their membership in the covenant with Abraham and his descendents and now belonged to the synagogue of Satan, for anything that is not for Christ is against him.
The true children of Abraham, the true Israel, were those Jews and Gentiles who accepted Jesus as their Messiah. This of course brought on the persecution they were suffering, but Christ tells us that the Christians there still remained faithful in their witness of the message and their Lord.
Because of that faithfulness Christ promised that their enemies from the synagogue would be judged and he would make them fall down at the Christians feet. It is not known if this was to be a literal falling down at their feet, or a symbolic falling. It is probably symbolic, for we are told that all people, even non-believers at the last judgment would kneel before Christ, acknowledging his Godhood.
Christ did not just stop there, for he continues on giving them another promise, a promise that he would defend them during their period of trial. No matter how much suffering and persecution the congregation might experience the Lord will see his people through that time of affliction.
As if those promises are not enough he gives them even greater promises, for the letter concludes with two more promises. The first being, “I am coming quickly”, the time is near. Be about your business, for time is running short. Quickly finish the mission, for it will not be long now.
Then he gives them his final promise of victory with the words, “I will place him as a pillar in the temple of my God.” Each believer in Christ will be assured that they are a member of God’s temple, the New Jerusalem, the place of perfect everlasting life with God in the new heaven and earth.
What this letter means to us today is that one’s citizenship in the new Jerusalem is confirmed by the name of God, being written upon each child of God. This takes place in Holy Baptism, where the name of God is conferred upon the person being baptized.
It means that you are guaranteed a place in heaven, for the key to heaven is Jesus and his cross. You can now stand before God without fear, for you have been made holy by his precious blood shed for you.
It also means that you will not lose the crown you have received, for you have power, the power of Jesus’ name. The world might think that you are weak. You might even think you are weak when you will fall into sin. You might suffer and grow faint of the spiritual battles waged against you, but remember the name of Jesus Christ, for his name always refers to his character.
Jesus Christ is holy, perfect, and loves you with a love that we as humans cannot even begin to grasp. That is why, for example, we can know that our prayers are being answered when we pray in Christ’s name, for knowing his character, his holiness, his perfection, his love, assures us that when we pray for the things that are in accord with his divine will we will receive them.
Of all the letters to the 7 congregations this one gives us the most assurance that despite our weaknesses we will make it through life, for Christ will give us the strength we need to run the race. (Read from page 49 of the daily devotions) For the Lord defines the lack of strength as an opportunity for his word to work its power. God’s Words make us strong. Our weaknesses are our sinfulness. God’s forgiveness brings us hope and strength in the midst of this fallen and weak world. Christ brings resurrection in the face of death. It that resurrection power that God pours out though us as we take his Word to our family, friends, and business associates. That same power that raised Christ from the dead pulls us out of our valleys, through our challenges, and creates in us perseverance and faithfulness. Let us close with a prayer.
God almighty, omnipotent Lord, you are far more capable than I. Fill me with your resurrection power to accomplish whatever is your will. Amen
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 6:21 PM
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