Christmas in the middle of July seems like kind of an ironic way to turn Christmas upside down. Normally, we think of it being cold, and the pictures—at least the pictures of our Christmases—have snow in them, even if we don't actually have real snow. Doing it in the middle of summer when it's hot outside seems a little bit backwards.
But I think, Christmas is such a familiar tradition to us, something that we've celebrated all our lives, and we can remember year after year after year. We forget how upside-down the actual birth of Christ was that we celebrate. It was backwards and upside-down, and everything seemed to be unusually, not the way it's supposed to be—out of order, out of the norm.
Think about it. All of the songs that we sang today have angels in them. And in the Christmas story, angels are singing. Now, if you just saw one angel, that would be extraordinary. But in the Christmas story, there are a whole heavenly host of them in the sky singing. And who are they singing to? Not to the rich and the powerful. They're singing to shepherds, the people that were the outcast and forgotten of society, telling them about what? The birth of the Messiah, the Son of God.
You would think He would be born in a palace and everybody would know about it, but nobody knew about it. That's why the angels had to announce it. And He wasn't born in a palace. He was born in a manger in a stable because there was no room in the inn for Him to be born. Totally backwards.
Now eventually, the Magi come—these wise men come to visit Jesus. Did they come from Jerusalem? You would think they would come from Jerusalem, the capital of God's people. But no. The Magi had to come all the way from thousands of miles away in the land of the East, what is modern-day Iraq. And they come all the way over and they visit Jesus, the Messiah, the King of the Jews.
So it's so backwards and so unusual. You would think, just like the Magi did, “Let's go to Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish people, and ask them where their King is.” And of course, we know how that story goes. Nobody in Jerusalem knows. They're absolutely oblivious to it. And when they find out that their King has been born, what do they try to do? They try to kill Him. I mean, everything about the Christmas story isn't the way it's supposed to be. It's upside down.
And I think that that's a fitting tie-in for our message today as we continue our study in the book of Revelation. Revelation is also a book—a vision—that turns everything upside down. It's told to a persecuted Christian people who are suffering, and it tells them, “I know you're suffering. I know your world is falling apart. I know that everything seems like it is darkness around you.” But it all has a meaning because it is connected to what is happening in the spiritual realm.
The battle that is raging between the spiritual forces of darkness and the heavenly kingdoms is playing out in your world. And that's why everything looks wrong. But this vision seeks to open their eyes to see what is happening in the spiritual realms. Revelation uses divine images and symbols to paint a picture to show what is really going on. And the overwhelming, overarching message is: stand firm. Have faith. God has already won the battle—even though it doesn't seem like it from your perspective.
So let's get into it today as we study the letter to the church of Pergamum from Revelation 2:12–17.
Revelation 2:12-13
12 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum.
This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword:
13 “I
know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have
remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful
witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city.
Jesus writes a letter to the church in Pergamum—a real first-century city in Turkey—where Jesus says Satan has his throne.
Now, what does that mean? “Satan’s throne” on earth?
Pergamum was a wealthy city in the Roman Empire. There were Christians living there, but they were a small minority. There were also Jewish people living there, also a minority. But what Pergamum was famous for was the Temple of Zeus.
Zeus, as many of you know, was one of the Greek gods—actually the top god in their mythology. The king of all the Greek gods. And his temple was in Pergamum. People worshipped Zeus in Pergamum.
Now what Jesus is saying is: “What you see is a temple of Zeus, but in reality, the altar of that temple is the throne of Satan.” That’s what Jesus calls it.
This is what’s going on right there in their city—and yet, the Christians in Pergamum are being faithful.
In addition to the temple of Zeus, Pergamum was also part of the Roman Empire, and the emperor was Domitian. He thought he was a god. He told all his subjects in the Roman Empire, “You have to worship me. You have to honor me as a god.”
So not only are the people in Pergamum worshiping Zeus, but they’re also being told to worship the Roman Emperor, Domitian.
Now you might ask, “Well, how could they worship Zeus and also worship the Roman Emperor?”
This is the thing about the Roman Empire—it was wide, diverse, and full of many different peoples and religions. In order to maintain peace, the Romans were smart. They said to most people, “You can worship your gods, practice your religion—that’s fine. As long as you also worship the emperor.”
Everyone had to do that—except the Jews. Because the Jewish religion (and by extension the Christian religion) taught: “You shall have no other gods before me.” That’s one of the Ten Commandments.
So the Jews could not worship the emperor. And because of their long history and reputation, the Romans made an exception. The Jews were the only group that did not have to worship the emperor.
Early Christians were considered a Jewish sect, so they were also granted this exception. But over time, Jewish leaders who did not believe in Jesus began to say, “You Christians are not Jews.”
That created a real problem. Because if Christians weren’t Jews, then they were breaking Roman law by refusing to worship the emperor.
This is what Christians in Pergamum were dealing with. They had to decide: Are we going to be faithful to Jesus Christ? Or are we going to bow to Satan’s throne and worship the emperor?
And Jesus says to them, “You have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred.”
Now we don’t know exactly how Antipas was killed. The Bible doesn’t tell us. But I did some research.
That’s what Antipas suffered—because he refused to worship the emperor or deny Christ.
This is the kind of world these Christians were living in. That’s why Revelation was given. To say, “Even though it looks like evil is winning, God is doing something. Don’t give up. Stand firm.”
Revelation 2:14-16
14 “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some
among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip
up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols
and by committing sexual sin. 15 In a similar way, you
have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. 16 Repent
of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the
sword of my mouth.
Now Jesus is shifting. He’s gone from praise to a warning. He says, “Even though you’ve been faithful in the face of persecution, you have some teachers among you who are compromising in other areas.”
He references Balaam. Do you remember Balaam from the Old Testament (Number 22-24)? He’s the prophet who was hired by King Balak to curse the Israelites. But Balaam knew he couldn’t actually curse them—God had blessed them. So instead, Balaam showed Balak another way to trip them up. He advised Balak to tempt the Israelites into sin—specifically, sexual immorality and idolatry.
And it worked. The Israelites gave in to the temptation and sinned, and God’s judgment came upon them.
Jesus says that something similar is happening in the church at Pergamum. Some people in the church are teaching others to compromise—just like Balaam did. They’re mixing faith in God with worldly practices.
They’re eating food sacrificed to idols—participating in pagan religious feasts. And they’re engaging in sexual immorality, like all the pagans around them practiced.
Jesus also calls out the Nicolaitans, a group we’ve mentioned before. The Nicolaitans took it even further. They said, “You can do whatever you want—God will forgive you.” They used God’s grace as an excuse to sin.
Jesus says, “Repent of your sin, or I will come to you and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”
Now what is the sword of Jesus’ mouth?
It’s His Word—powerful, sharp, and penetrating. It’s full of truth, judgment, and authority. Jesus doesn’t need a sword in His hand. His Word alone cuts through lies, exposes sin, convicts hearts, and brings both judgment and life.
This is serious. Jesus is saying: “Don’t tolerate compromise in your church. Don’t let false teachers lead you astray. If you do, I will deal with them Myself.”
Revelation 2:17
17 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and
understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I
will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will
give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name
that no one understands except the one who receives it.
Here Jesus gives two promises to those who remain faithful.
First, there is Hidden Manna. This is spiritual nourishment. It refers back to the manna God gave the Israelites in the wilderness back in Exodus. They didn’t know where their next meal was coming from, but God provided. In the same way, Jesus provides spiritual nourishment—He is the Bread of Life. Those who remain faithful will be sustained by Him in ways the world cannot see.
Second, Jesus promises a White Stone with a New Name. This is rich with meaning. In the ancient world, white stones were used as symbols of:
-
Acquittal in a court of law (a white stone meant “not guilty”).
-
Victory in athletic competitions (a token of triumph).
-
Invitations to special banquets or feasts. The white stone was the token to gain intrance to the party.
Jesus says He will give a white stone with a name only the one who receives it will understand. It’s a personal, eternal identity—something beautiful, known between you and God alone. A sign of His intimate love and reward for your faithfulness. It shows that the receipient is innocent (because Jesus washed their sins away). It showed they were victorious (because Jesus won the victory over sin and death). And it is symbolizes the recipient has been invited to the eternal banquet with Jesus in the Kingdom of God.
So Jesus is saying:
If you will be faithful,
If you will resist unholy compromise,
If you will stand firm even when the pressure is on,
Then I will sustain you with heavenly manna—My presence, My provision, My life.
And I will give you a white stone that declares you are Mine.
Not guilty.
Victorious.
Invited.
Known and loved.
That was the message to the church in Pergamum.
And it’s the message to us today.
We live in a world that constantly tempts us to compromise our values to fit in.
We are encouraged to live in harmony with diverse people—and we should.
We can’t expect non-Christians to live by Christian standards.
But we must never compromise the Word of God in order to be accepted by the world.
We are called to speak the truth in love,
To live with grace and conviction,
To be faithful witnesses like Antipas—even when it’s hard.
Let me ask you:
·
Have you allowed the world’s values to
soften or silence your faith?
· Are
there places in your life where you’ve compromised God's truth to avoid
conflict or gain acceptance?
· Have
you made peace with sin instead of standing for righteousness?
· Are
you more shaped by culture than by Christ?
· Are
there people or pressures that have nudged you away from full faithfulness?
Jesus praised the church in Pergamum for staying loyal even when
it cost them everything—
but He also called them to repent where they had tolerated compromise.
What about you? Today is
a time to reflect…
To repent if needed…
To renew your commitment to Christ…
To tune your ears to what the Spirit is saying…
and to stand firm.
Let anyone with ears to hear listen to the Spirit and
understand.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are the
One with the sharp two-edged sword.
Your Word pierces through confusion and compromise.
Forgive us, Lord, for the times we’ve drifted,
For the ways we’ve let culture speak louder than Your truth.
Give us courage to stand firm, even when it's uncomfortable,
unpopular, or costly.
Help us be people of grace and conviction—full of Your Spirit, faithful
to Your Word,
Shining light in a world that desperately needs You.
Give us ears to hear what Your Spirit is saying.
Strengthen us to live it out this week—at home, at work, in school, in every
part of life.
In your name we pray, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment