It Starts Small

This is not the first time Jesus has said this.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last,

Revelation 1:17

This name reflects Jesus’ eternal existence.

³ All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.

John 1:3

Jesus created all things and in today’s scripture He identifies as having died and returned to life. This points to His death and resurrection. HE was at the beginning, will be at the end.

The church as Smyrna could relate to Jesus’ identification because they ceased to exist for long periods of times (the seventh to third century B.C.) and understood what resurrection meant. The designation of Jesus as eternal and the crucified risen Lord would provide encouragement to the believers in the face of their intense persecution. Martyrdom could not end their existence because they belonged to the one who had conquered death and would escort them through death to their home in heaven.

We may have had a season or going through a season in which each new day brought unbearable suffering; more than the prior day. Jesus promises us a tomorrow in which all our suffering would just be a memory. He presented Himself as proof that our lives will be preserved.