Revelation 2:8-11

This will be the last Sunday before Christmas. I will be sticking with our study in Revelation 2:8-11, and the Church in Smyrna will provide a pre-Christmas challenge!

The name -Smyrna - is derived from the word "myrrh", which is an aromatic resin that has had multiple practical uses throughout history. The tree pictured above is a tree from which myrrh is harvested!

Myrrh shows up in the NT as one of the gifts offered to Jesus as a baby. Remember? Gold, frankincense and......myrrh! It was also offered to Jesus one the cross as a painkiller. In fact, Nicodemus brought a combination of embalming spices that included myrrh when he worked with Joseph of Arimathea to anoint the body of Jesus after His crucifixion.

What does all of this have to do with Smyrna? The letter to Smyrna depicts the very challenging times they lived in. It was not easy to be a Christian. It meant prison and death in many cases. They needed something to lean on.....

As the Great Physician examines this church, we will see what the Praise, Problem, Prescription, and Prognosis are for this church. What do we do when the going gets tough? How often have we bailed out prematurely or let our lives be directed by fear rather than trusting the truth?

By the way....do you know how myrrh is harvested? If not.....

VIEW AND SEE!!!

Steve