The letter to the church at Sardis follows the same pattern as the other letters (Revelation 3:1). It is written to the “angel,” the church leader and messenger of Sardis, and it is the very words of Jesus, who is identified in Chapter 1:4 with “the seven spirits who are before the throne” in heaven - which is a way of speaking of the One Holy Spirit, who has seven-fold gifts (Isaiah 11:2) and works among all seven of the churches in Asia Minor. Jesus is also said to have “seven stars in His ri...
The letter to the church at Sardis follows the same pattern as the other letters (Revelation 3:1). It is written to the “angel,” the church leader and messenger of Sardis, and it is the very words of Jesus, who is identified in Chapter 1:4 with “the seven spirits who are before the throne” in heaven - which is a way of speaking of the One Holy Spirit, who has seven-fold gifts (Isaiah 11:2) and works among all seven of the churches in Asia Minor. Jesus is also said to have “seven stars in His right hand” (Revelation 1:16), and the seven stars are the angels (the leaders and messengers) of the seven churches (1:20). Jesus is seeking to teach and guide these leaders and their churches by these letters.
The city of Sardis was about 30 miles southeast of Thyatira. It had been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, long before the Roman control of this area. It was a city of great wealth and fame. Its high point (acropolis) was 1500 feet above the valley below. The church in Sardis had a reputation, a “name” of being an “alive” church, but Jesus says that He knows its works, and it is dead (Revelation 3:1). As He goes on, He says that the church is not completely dead, but dying, like a fire where the coals were becoming “dimmer and dimmer,” with lots of “mere ashes and dead coals,” and in danger of “the whole fire being dead,” as the commentator Lenski says. It was a “drowsy, sleepy” congregation that didn’t seem to see what was happening and needed to “wake up and strengthen what remains.” Jesus especially could see that because, as God, He found that their works were not “complete” (filled full). This does not mean that they were not doing enough works, in the sense of not doing enough to earn salvation, or anything like that. None of us can earn our salvation, no matter what we do.
Rather, good works flow from faith and confidence in Christ Himself, who He is and what He has already done for us as our Savior. Notice again a familiar Scripture like Ephesians 2:4-10, where Paul first tells us what God has done for us in Christ, by His grace alone that saves us. Only then, in v. 10, does Paul talk about the fact that we are now God’s “workmanship,” new people “created in Christ Jesus for good works” in our new life in Him. Somehow, in the church at Sardis, “the faith, love, and spiritual life” in Christ “that should have filled all their works had been growing less and less,” as Lenski says.
Therefore, Jesus says, in Revelation 3:3, that the people at Sardis needed to “remember what they had received and heard” in Christ and the Word of Scripture and the Sacraments and “keep” that strong and “repent” of their spiritual sleepiness. To use Lenski’s picture of dying coals, see how Paul said to the young pastor, Timothy, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you… (2 Timothy 1:6) “by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus…” (2 Timothy 1:9).
How are God’s gifts “fanned into flame” in Timothy and in the people in Sardis and in us, still today? Jesus particularly mentioned in Revelation 3:1 His connection with God the Holy Spirit, who works, based on other Scriptures, through the Word of God and the Sacraments to bring people to faith and and keep them in that faith, unto eternal life. (See for example 1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 2:19-22, Matthew 28:19-20, and Acts 2: 42.) That is why it is so important that we stay in God’s Word and His good gifts, through which the Holy Spirit works in our lives. That is why the “angels” of the churches, the pastors and teachers and leaders of the churches (Revelation 3:1) need to stay in the Word, too, for their own sake and to teach and lead others in the proper way, according to God’s Word and will.
That is why Jesus also gives a strong warning in Revelation 3:3, that if the people at Sardis do not “wake up,” He will come like a thief” at an unknown hour, and “come against those people” if they are spiritually dead and don’t ever repent. As He also warns in v. 5, their names would be “blotted out of the book of Life,” because of unbelief.
The image of Jesus coming unexpectedly, “like a thief in the night,” is used numbers of times in the Scriptures, especially in regard to His second coming, on the last day or in a time of judgment. Here are some examples: Revelation 16:15, Matthew 24:42-44, and 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3. The emphasis is upon being ready and prepared by continuing faith in Jesus, whenever He comes again or when the day of death comes for each of us, whichever comes first (Matthew 10:22).
The image of “the Book of Life” is also often used in the Scripture, as a way of assuring people that their personal future is secure in eternal life, because of God’s promises and His desire to keep them in faith in Him. There are warnings that people can be blotted out of the Book by sin and rebellion and continually rejecting God and His will and plan for their salvation. Here are other Scriptures that speak of this “Book of Life,” if you would like to trace them through the Bible: Exodus 32:32, Psalm 69:29, Daniel 12:1. Malachi 3:16, Luke 10:20, Philippians 4:3, Revelation 13:8, 17:3; 20:12,15, and 21:27.
Going back to Revelation 3:4, we hear Jesus revealing that there were still some people in the church at Sardis who were faithful Christians, “who had not soiled their garments.” This is a Biblical way of speaking of sinfulness, which pollutes a person. The Bible tells us that we are all sinners. The difference for these people is that they had been brought to repentance and forgiveness and faith in Jesus as their Savior and continued in faith in a life of repentance. These are people who say with Isaiah, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). As Paul also says in Philippians 3:9, I am “found in Christ, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” His worthiness comes not from himself, but from what Christ has done for him.
In Revelation 3:5, Jesus says that such believers “will be clothed thus with white garments” and will “walk with Him in white” (Revelation 3:4) in eternal life. John sees such believers “given a white robe” in visions later on in Revelation 6:11 and 7:9, 13-14. Their robes were “washed white in the blood of the Lamb,” the sacrifice of Jesus for them on the cross to forgive all sins. These people have “conquered” through Christ and their names are never blotted out of the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5). In fact, Jesus says of such a believer, “I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Revelation 3:5). (See how Jesus promises this to all those who are His own, in Matthew 10:32 and Matthew 25:34, too.)
In this letter to Sardis, then, Jesus is calling all of the people of this sleepy congregation to “wake up” and “repent” of their sins and their lazy response to Christ and “strengthen what remains,” through God’s Word and Sacraments. This is always possible, through Christ. When Jesus predicted that Peter would deny Him three times, Jesus also said, “I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned again (repented), strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-34).
This letter, like the others, says to us all, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” We all have times of “sleepiness” in our Christianity, and none of our churches are perfect. This letter is for us, too. You might remember the closing words of Jude, when we studied his letter a while back: “In the last times there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear; hating even the garments stained by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 17-25)
