As John opens his gospel, he spends a few paragraphs describing Jesus. He is the Word made flesh, the uncreated One, and the light of the world. Specifically, in this passage, we see that Jesus is eternal, having self-existence, and what that means for us.

Despite their small size and lack of power, the church in Philadelphia remained steadfast. Because of their faithfulness, Jesus makes a number of promises that may have been or will be fulfilled. As Christians and as a church, we must remain faithful and steadfast, even in our weakest moments.

As Christians, we must be prepared to endure all sorts of things for the sake of Christ. Whether mild or sever, persecution comes in all forms. Proving faithful amid such trials is the true test of our devotion and faith in Jesus. May we all be as faithful as those in Smyrna.

While our efforts to be faithful to God and to maintain purity in church are praiseworthy, they are meaningless unless rooted in the love of Jesus Christ. This must be our first and foremost priority as a church. We need to continually remember, repent, and return to the works of loving Jesus that we did when we first fell in love with Him. When we do, we can look forward to our reward: Eating from the tree of life in paradice with God.