The Resurrection of Jesus reveals that God’s power enters into the world only through cross-shaped acts and not through acts of earthly power.

In Revelation 2:12-17, John takes his Jesus Edict to Pergamum, the two-tiered neokoros-honored city once designated the capital of Asia Minor.

The kings of this earth are pretending. In Johns eyes, they are merely a parody of the reality found in Christ. The kings of the earth are no higher than you or I; their crowns might as well be made of paper, their thrones of cardboard.

“John understood that a person cannot share in the profits of domination without also sharing in its crimes.”

In Revelation 18, Babylon falls after it reaps the harvest it has sewed. She has received “double for what she has done” and has received “as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself” (v6-7).

Revelation 2:8-11 / The Church of Smyrna

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life:”

The church's role is not to argue, fight, or upend or overthrow. It is not to take power and try to steer the ship. The role of the church is simply to be the church.[2] The church's role is to embody the lamb, display the cross through our everyday lives, and gather all people at the table of communion with Jesus.

Johns readers are in that wilderness, and they are facing the same ancient temptation once again: do they worship the emperor and drink from the cup of the empire, or do they choose to take up their cross of suffering and remain allegiant to Christ?

Johns readers are in that wilderness, and they are facing the same ancient temptation once again: do they worship the emperor and drink from the cup of the empire, or do they choose to take up their cross of suffering and remain allegiant to Christ?

“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.”

Throughout church history, God’s people have welcomed the 40 days before Easter as a time to pull away from the appetites of the world. Learn more about how to make space in your life for the Spirit during the season of Lent.

This is where we receive our first glimpse of John’s writing. He is creative and constantly shifts his images from one form to another to communicate one simple message to them as he begins his letter: Do not be afraid (Revelation 1:17).

The church exists to change the empire, but John is worried that the empire might be changing the church instead.

The church gathers your closest friends and your furthest enemies to the table of Jesus to experience the love of God which transforms and softens the heart, brings healing, and replaces the center of our desires; replacing the cravings of the flesh (food, sex, money, power, honor, status, fame… etc) with the very cravings of God (love, justice, community, connection, beauty, and the fruits of the Spirit).

“We steal because we do not love. We murder because we do not love. We lie, cheat, manipulate, oppress, and coerce because we do not love. There is no point in simply obeying laws if it does not change our hearts, nor do we have any ability to overcome our disdain for others by simply making rules to keep ourselves out of trouble.”

The Christian life is not a list of laws to follow or rules to obey, nor is it a civil religion meant to unify society into a set of principles to live by…

We are, at every moment, forming a body that will then form us. Toxic churches make people toxic. Judgemental churches make people judgemental. But good churches contribute to the formation of good people. Generous churches make people generous, and loving churches make people more loving.

“Sin is the culpable disturbance of shalom.” ~ Alvin Plantinga Jr.

Is the church really commanded to support Israel? Is killing our enemies compatible with loving them? What does the cross have to say about our modern conflicts, and what can Christians do to push back against Babylon while announcing the new way, the way of the Kingdom of God?