Are We Keeping Jesus’ Word? (Revelation 3:7-13)
How do we define strength, status, security and success? We may have certain ideas of what it looks like to attain these. Perhaps our understanding of what constitutes strength, status, security and success is not that different from the world's way of thinking. But when we, knowingly or unknowingly, import these ideas into the church, we end up looking more like the world. How can the church regain its distinctiveness? We need to listen to the Lord. His words to the seven churches challenge how we typically think about strength, status, security and success.
We are almost at the end of our sermon series in Revelation 1-3. A recurring theme runs throughout these chapters. Have you noticed how "upside-down" things are? Jesus repeatedly overturns common ideas of strength, status, security and success. For example, the church in Smyrna is poor in the eyes of the world, but Jesus calls them rich. The church in Pergamum faces hostility and death, but they do not deny the faith. The church in Sardis has a reputation for being alive, but Jesus says they are dying, if not already dead. The church in Laodicea thinks itself rich, but is actually poor. And consider Jesus Himself. He overturns the world's understanding of power. He is the glorious Lord, yet He died to defeat death on behalf of the undeserving.
The churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia have neither reputation nor riches. In the eyes of the world, they are nobodies with nothing. But Jesus flips expectations on their head. Both Smyrna and Philadelphia may be poor and powerless, yet Jesus commends them without complaint. The Lord has only good things to say about both churches. The world may view them as nobodies with nothing, but in Christ they have everything.
Jesus keeps all who keep his word.
The church in Philadelphia is the focus of our sermon text. They "have but little power" (Rev 3:8). They are small in size and significance, yet they have faithfully kept Jesus' word. Are we keeping Jesus' word? If we're honest, we will see our flaws, faults and failings. How are we able to keep Jesus' word? The church in Philadelphia encourages us to look to the Lord for strength. Our lack is the Lord's opportunity to show his strength and sufficiency. His power is made perfect in our weakness. Jesus' person and promise enable us to persevere. When we fear our faith will fail, Christ will hold us fast. This is the big idea of our passage: Jesus keeps all who keep His word. We will unpack this in two points: (1) Jesus opens a door for us; (2) Jesus bestows a name on us.
Jesus opens a door for us (Rev 3:7-10)
Each letter to the churches begins with a description of Jesus that is particularly suited for the situation. Knowing who Jesus is helps us to hold fast to Him. Our faith is strengthened when we are made more confident in Christ. The description of Jesus in Revelation 3:7 encourages the Philadelphian church to continue keeping His word. Jesus is the holy one. In the Old Testament, especially in Isaiah, this title is used to refer to God. He is the Holy One of Israel. He is perfectly pure and set apart from creation. He is glorious; high and lifted up. His ways and thoughts are not like ours. Jesus, being the holy one, is fully God. He is also the true one—totally trustworthy and faithful. His word is truth. We can trust Jesus to keep his word. In Revelation 6:10, the martyrs cry out: “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Because Jesus is holy and true, we can be confident that He will judge the world in righteousness and vindicate His people. This is especially comforting for Christians suffering opposition and oppression in the world. We can rest in the holy and true one.
Jesus is also the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. This refers to a promise given to Eliakim in Isaiah 22:22: “And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” Eliakim was not a king, but a steward. God gave Him authority to manage the royal household. But Eliakim’s stewardship was only temporary. He foreshadowed a greater ruler to come. Isaiah’s prophecy points forward to a promised king over God’s people from the line of David, whose rule and reign will never end. Jesus is this promised King, but His kingship is greater than that of any earthly ruler. Jesus has the key of David, which means He has authority over God’s kingdom. He has power to open and shut the door to the kingdom. To enter God’s kingdom, we must go through Jesus. He is the only way.
God is holy. To enter His kingdom, we must be holy as He is holy. God made us for His glory, but we have all sinned against Him. We are unholy, spiritually dead in our sins. Because we have not worshiped our Creator, we deserve His righteous judgement and wrath against us. But God, who is gracious and merciful, sent His Son, Jesus, to save sinners. Jesus lived a perfectly holy life that led to His crucifixion. At the cross, Jesus died to bear God’s wrath in our place, if we trust in Him. Jesus rose from the dead, so that all who repent and believe in Him can be forgiven and have eternal life. Only Jesus has the keys of the kingdom. He is the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to God except through His Son. Have you repented and believed in Jesus for salvation? He who rules over God’s kingdom is also sovereign over life and death. Through His resurrection, Jesus has defeated the grave. He is the living one who has the power to give us life. Jesus says in 1:18, “I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Jesus commends the church in Philadelphia for their faith and obedience. “I know your works,” he says in Revelation 3:8. Be encouraged to follow Jesus, for He sees our faithfulness to Him. What are the works of the Philadelphian church? Jesus says in the second half of Revelation 3:8: “You have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Despite their trials, they still trust in Jesus. They are holding fast to His word. The church in Philadelphia remains steadfast in the face of pressure to conform to the culture. They refuse to worship the Roman emperor, despite the temptation of prosperity and the threat of persecution. They are also standing firm against Jewish opposition. The Jews were kicking Christians out of the synagogues and reporting them to the Roman authorities. Without the legal protection of Judaism, Christians had to worship the imperial cult or be punished. But in spite of the difficulties, the church in Philadelphia does not shy away from confessing Christ. It would have been easier to keep a low profile, hide their faith and avoid trouble. But these believers have not chosen comfort or convenience. They are boldly pressing on to proclaim Christ and to identify themselves with Him.
The church in Philadelphia is doing what the Book of Revelation calls all churches everywhere to do. We are to keep Jesus' word. Hold fast to the Lord and His truth, because He is coming soon. Listen to Revelation 1:3: "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near." Keeping Jesus' word entails persevering through trials and temptations, through suffering and sorrow. In Revelation 3:10, Jesus commends the Philadelphian Christians for keeping His word about patient endurance. This is Revelation's main exhortation. It says in Revelation 14:12: "Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus."
Our faithfulness to Christ does not depend on our strength, but His.
The church in Philadelphia is doing this from a place of weakness and need, not strength and sufficiency. Jesus knows they have but little power. The church in Philadelphia is small in size and significance, yet they are steadfast in the faith. Our faithfulness to Christ does not depend on our strength, but His. We are often tempted to rely on our own resources, on worldly strength, status, security and success. As a church, we trust in our budget and building, our plans and programmes, our strategies and schemes. But the example of the Philadelphian church rebukes our pride and self-sufficiency. Faithfulness to the Lord does not depend on worldly strength, status, security or success. We don't need any of these things to follow Jesus. In fact, these very things often distract and discourage us from trusting wholly in the Lord.
This shows the upside-down nature of the gospel and God’s kingdom. The world says strong is better than weak, but Jesus welcomes the weak and makes them strong. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29: “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. He is pleased to place gospel treasure in jars of clay. He calls the weak and wounded, the sick and sore to proclaim and portray the gospel. Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners. The church is not made up of inherently good and strong people, but redeemed sinners who are made saints only by the grace of Christ. Our weakness shows that the surpassing power belongs to the Lord and not to us. So, He gets all the glory. Therefore, even as we keep Jesus’ word, know that it is He who ultimately keeps us. The Lord guards us through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, when He returns. Jesus keeps all who keep His word.
The Lord has no complaints about the church in Philadelphia. He only has encouragements for them to keep going, indicated by three “behold” statements. The first of these is in Revelation 3:8 — “Behold I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.” As we saw earlier, Jesus is the promised King who opens the way to the kingdom of God. Through His life, death and resurrection, Jesus has opened the way for us to come to God. This door cannot be shut, for Jesus has accomplished His work. It is finished. Jesus has died and risen, conquering sin and death. If we believe in Him, our sins are washed away. We are made holy and right with God. Jesus has secured our eternal destiny.
The second and third “behold” statements are in Revelation 3:9: “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.” The Jews are throwing Christians out of the synagogue in Philadelphia, saying that they have no place among God’s people. But Jesus turns the table on them. They are not true Jews, because the true people of God are not defined by ethnicity but by faith in the true Messiah. What matters is conversion, not culture, race or family connections. Romans 2:28-29 says, “No one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.” Is our Christianity merely external, or has Jesus truly saved us so that we love and obey Him from our hearts?
By rejecting King Jesus and opposing his people, the unbelieving Jews have made themselves a “synagogue of Satan”. The Jews slammed the door shut on Christians, but Jesus has opened the door to God’s kingdom that no one can close. In Christ, we are guaranteed an eternal place where we truly belong. The church, comprising Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus, is the true Israel. Regardless of our different backgrounds, Jesus has made us one, new people. Praise God for the church! In Christ, we have true unity, fellowship and community with one another.
In many other parts of the world, it can be hard for Christians to even gather as a church. My friend’s church in another Asian country had to move their services because they kept getting harassed by people in the neighbourhood. He encouraged the church to not retaliate when provoked. What opposition do we face in living for Jesus? Although we suffer slander and ridicule now, Jesus will vindicate us in the end. So, when we are sinned against, we do not have to sin in return. Instead, we can turn the other cheek and trust the Lord to put right all the wrongs. At the final judgement, He will humble the proud. The Jews will realise that the Lord loves His people. Therefore, take heart. In Christ, we are greatly loved. This world may hate and reject us. But know that the Lord loves us. He is ours and we are His forever.
The Lord keeps all who keep His word. He will guard us through times of trouble, especially as the final judgement draws nearer. Be encouraged by Revelation 3:10 to remain faithful to Jesus: Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. Before the last judgement, tribulation will come on this fallen world. In Revelation, the phrase “those who dwell on the earth” refers to rebellious humanity. These “smaller” judgements anticipate the final one. When Jesus promises to keep us from the hour of trial, he doesn’t mean that we will avoid suffering. Rather, Jesus promises to keep us through suffering. This was true for the church in Philadelphia, particularly during the martyrdom of Polycarp, who was a leader of the church in Smyrna. Like Polycarp, the believers in Philadelphia were faithful to the end. Some were also martyred. Even unto death, they kept Jesus’ word and did not deny His name. The Lord will protect and preserve His people amid trials. In times of trouble, He will hold us fast, enabling us to remain faithful. As Jesus prayed for us in John 17:15: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” So, persevere to the end, for the Lord promises an everlasting reward.
Jesus bestows a name on us (Rev 3:11-13)
The Lord Jesus will return to judge the world and to save his people. Therefore, continue to keep His word, so that His coming will not catch us off-guard. Always be ready. Live in the light of the Lord's return. If you have not believed in Jesus, I urge you to turn to Him without delay. Believe in Jesus today, while it is still the day of salvation. When the day of judgement comes, it will be too late.
Hear and heed Jesus’ exhortation in v. 11: “I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” This recalls his words to the church in Smyrna: “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Death will not prevent us from receiving the crown that Jesus gives. Nothing can separate us from Christ, not even death. Eternal life is our reward if we persevere in him until the end.
We are to hold fast to the gospel that we have heard and received. Do not drift away from the gospel.
This is what it means to conquer: We are to hold fast to the gospel that we have heard and received. Do not drift away from the gospel. Continue to trust in Jesus and what He has done to save sinners. Press on in faith and faithfulness. To the conquerors, Jesus promises a permanent place and a new name. First, let's consider the permanent place. Look at the first half of Revelation 3:12: "I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it". For the believers in Philadelphia, the image of a strong and stable pillar is especially striking. The city was prone to earthquakes. In fact, around 80 years before Revelation was written, Philadelphia was destroyed by an earthquake. In an unpredictable, fleeting world where nothing is sure and nothing lasts, Jesus' promise of permanence is powerful. In the world, Christians are often ostracized and marginalized. By refusing to compromise with worldliness, the believers in Philadelphia lost their privilege and position in society. But Jesus promises us a permanent place with Him. We will be steadfast, immovable. In Christ, our share in the kingdom is forever secure.
More than that, Jesus promises us God’s presence. Hold fast to Christ, and He will make us a pillar in God’s temple. The temple was a symbol of God’s dwelling place with his people. He reveals his glory in the temple. The Christians in Philadelphia may have lost their place in an earthly synagogue, but they are guaranteed an eternal place in God’s temple. We follow in the footsteps of the suffering Saviour. Jesus is the living stone who was rejected by men, but in God’s sight is chosen and precious. Christ has become the cornerstone of the true temple. In Christ, we are living stones that are being built up as a spiritual house. Together, we grow into a holy temple in the Lord. We are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Jesus promises to establish us in God’s presence forever. When humanity fell into sin, the first man and woman were cast out of God’s presence. But if we continue in Christ, we are assured of being with God forever. To the one who conquers, Jesus says never shall He go out of (the temple). We can look forward with the sure hope of being with God forever in the new creation. Revelation 21:3 says, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
Jesus promises us a permanent place. He also promises us a new name. Listen to the rest of Revelation 3:12: “I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.” Our new identity and status in Christ are expressed in three ways: the name of God, the name of the city of God, and Jesus’ own new name.
Jesus will inscribe God’s name on those who persevere in him till the end. God’s name represents the glorious perfections of his person. By putting his name on us, God is saying that He is for us, and that He takes us to be His own. It is a pledge of relationship, fellowship and belonging. God is our God; we belong to Him as His people. Our perseverance does not earn us God’s name; rather, it is evidence that God has set His love on us.
Jesus will also write on us the name of the city of God, the new Jerusalem. The Jews said Christians had no part in the earthly Jerusalem, but Jesus promises the church a better city. It is not a worldly city, for it comes down from God out of heaven. Like Abraham, our forefather in the faith, we look forward to this heavenly city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Do not be distracted or deceived by the world’s false promises of a good place. We have a better city. Because we belong to the new Jerusalem, our citizenship is in heaven. From it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Jesus comes again, He will usher in the new Jerusalem and the new creation. In Revelation 21, John is given a vision of the glorious splendour of the new Jerusalem: “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. (Rev 21:10-11)” This passing world is not our home, but we yearn for our heavenly home, the new Jerusalem. That is home, truly. It is where we know we must be.
Homer’s Odyssey is a story about going home. The hero Odysseus has to endure much suffering, loss and grief on his homecoming. Constant perils line his journey. Siren songs try to draw Him away. There are times when Odysseus is tempted to not go home. And, for a while, he even forgets about home. But ultimately, Odysseus’ deep desire for home drives him back to where he belongs. The voyage home was supposed to only take weeks. But after ten arduous years, Odysseus finally makes it home, where he finds his identity and family. The Odyssey could be a parable for the Christian life. As followers of Jesus, we are all on a journey home. But unlike Odysseus, we are not returning to where we came from. No, we are headed to a far better home. And it is not our own strength that will get us there. Odysseus fought the gods to get home. But our God will bring us home. The hymn Amazing Grace says it well:
Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
By grace alone, we will make it home to the heavenly Jerusalem. Like the church in Philadelphia, we have but little power. But our strength is in the Lord, who keeps all who keep His word. His grace is sufficient for us, for His power is made perfect in our weakness. Jesus has promised to bring us home to be with Him forever. He has written His own new name on us as a guarantee. It is a new name because Jesus has done a new and amazing thing: He has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. Jesus has bought us with His own blood. Because we belong to Jesus, He shares His strength and life with us. If we hold fast to Christ, we shall also share in His resurrection and be raised with Him in glory. So, press on in Jesus. He will bring us home. Continue to keep His word. He who has an ear, let Jim hear what the Spirit says to the churches.