John addressed each of the 7 churches following a similar literary structure. It starts off naming the church to be addressed. He then anchors his address to the church with one of Christ’s nature mentioned in 1:9-20. In the case of the church in Smyrna, Christ is the first and the last, who died and came to life. John then addresses his concerns of the church and ends off with a reminder to listen to the Spirit of God, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church.”

The idea of ‘hearing’ or in Hebrew shama is not a matter of listening to content, but also to allow the word of God to enter into our own hearts and be convicted. True hearing will bring a change in heart and thus a response in our actions.

To the church of Smyrna, it was a church that was facing poverty and persecution from the Jewish community. The affluent Jews were rich and powerful and they contributed greatly to the building of the beautiful port city of Smyrna. Historically, we found that they contributed 10,000 denarii for the beautification of the city. However, as the Christian community grew, more and more Jews left Judaism to follow Christ and this did not go well with the Jews in the city.

John told the believers in Smyrna that trials and tribulation, even to death, were inevitable but he exalted them to remain faithful unto death, for what they will receive is a crown of life. Their hope lies beyond the life and death of what they have now.

One of the most famous Christian martyrdom that happened in the city of Smyrna was when Polycarp, the old bishop of Smyrna, was burnt to death in AD 155. On his brief journey to be burnt, even the police captain pled with the old man: "What harm is it to say, `Caesar is Lord' and to offer sacrifice and be saved?" But Polycarp was adamant that for him only Jesus Christ was Lord. In his dying breath, he made this prayer unto the Lord:

O God… I thank you that you have graciously provided this day and this hour to allot me a portion among the number of martyrs, among the people of Christ to the resurrection of eternal life, both of body and soul, in the incorruption of the Holy Spirit. Among them I will be received in your sight this day as a fruitful and acceptable sacrifice, you have already prepared, often revealed and now fulfilled… through the eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ, your well-beloved Son, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit, be all glory, now and forever. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, what a remarkable prayer Polycarp made in face of extreme persecution. He responded to John’s call in verse 10, ‘Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life’, holding onto the promise that ‘The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’ Even in the midst of the persecution we face amidst living out our faith, hold steadfast and stand firm in our faith, for what we will receive is a crown of life, far greater and better than the crown of thorns we have now.