Hi and welcome to Van Life Devotions. Today we are in the ancient city of Ephesus which is the first church that Jesus addresses in John’s Book of Revelation.
This is what Jesus says to this church in chapter 2 verses 1 to 7: [1] "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. [2] I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. [3] You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. [4] Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. [5] Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. [6] But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. [7] Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:1-7 NIV).
Jesus praises this church for their hard work and not tolerating wicked people which may have been a reference to those who pushed the worship of the cult goddess Artemis which included burning of incense and the like, and parents releasing their young daughters to serve in the Temple for at least a year. They also didn’t let the teachings of the Nicolaitans creep into the church which could have meant resisting some practices from Nicolas who was made a deacon in Acts 6, the church historian Irenaeus, writes that Nicolas became a false believer who later led some churches astray.
The main point that Jesus was concerned about was how they had lost their first love for God – the greatest of commandment that Jesus gave. They were able to tick a lot of boxes – good theology, work hard – but what matters is their deep love for Him. It’s a challenge for any of us who have been a Christian for a long time. We looked at this theme more deeply in another Van Life Devotion.
Habor Street Ephesus was only 1 of 3 street in the whole of the Roman Empire that had torches. We found one of the rings that tied one of the huge torches that lit up the city. Maybe using this as an illustration, Jesus told the church that if they didn’t repent, He would come and remove their lampstand from it place, meaning their witness will be snuffed out.
Ephesus has incredible well-preserved ruins. One of the ruins is this relief of the Goddess Nike. The Goddess Nike was generally depicted as the young, winged girl descending swiftly from the skies to bring victory. In Ancient Greek, Nike means both victory and overcomer.
John the Apostle uses this same word in his first letter. It is in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 that we find this same word nike used by Jesus to each of the seven churches. Jesus tells each church to overcome the issue that He addresses with them and then proceeds with a unique promise to each church. Here in Ephesus, Jesus tells the church: “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7 NIV84).
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are called to be an overcomer. This is more than just wearing some shoes or a t-shirt with the Nike symbol. When Jesus called this church and each of the other 6 churches to overcome, he is telling them to persevere, to have victory, to conquer what bad is thrown at them, and if they do overcome, there are a host of promises.
As fallible human beings, we are faced with temptations, hardships, and for many in the world persecution. The biblical call is to overcome. Dead winged goddesses carved from stone can’t help us however God’s living Holy Spirit does.
Let’s Pray:
Dear God. Thank you that Jesus overcame the world and even death. As the devil throws temptations, hardships, and persecution at us, please help us to be overcomers by loving You with all our heart, soul, and mind. O God, preserve us who travel; surround us with your loving care; protect us from every danger; and bring us in safety to our journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Leisl Moyes
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