In Revelation John is given a vision of Jesus. Jesus speaks to him and asks him to write down messages for seven churches at the time. Each message contains (1) a picture of who Jesus is (2) a word of rebuke and/or encouragement and (3) a reward promised to faithful believers who remain faithful or repent of what Jesus is rebuking them of.

In Revelation 3:19 Jesus says, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” These messages are not words of condemnation, they are safeguards and words of correction to bring life. 

In the first message, Jesus introduces himself to John and says, “do not be afraid I am the first and the last. I am the living one; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys (over) death and hell” (Revelation 1:17-18). 

Jesus says this so that John can be assured that these messages are coming from a place of authority, from Jesus who is outside of time and space and knows the end from the beginning, who has been given authority, by God, over death who raised him from the dead. Jesus’ words of life bring life to everyone who follows them.

Message: There is only one way to connection back to God and it is not through works or self-righteousness it is through faith. 

Jesus says he is the one who knows the mystery of the body of Christ: who belongs to it and the message that will bring them life. The mystery that he shares is that the messages “are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands” (Revelation 2:1). 

Jesus explains to John that the seven stars are the messages to the body of Christ illuminating them to the truth and the seven lampstands are the churches, or the body of Christ the people who bring the light of truth to the world through their testimony of Jesus (Revelation 1:20). 

Jesus says, as the one who knows his body, the body of Christ, that he knows their deeds, nothing is kept hidden from him, “I know your hard work, your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people and those who claim to be apostles but are not” (Revelation 2:2). I know that you have been persecuted and have endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary (Revelation 2:3). 

Jesus’ word of correction is that all of this hard work that they have done and the hardships through which they persevered was not for God’s glory. Jesus says, “you have forsaken the love you had (for me) at first” (Revelation 2:4). Jesus pleads with them to repent, and return to being faithful out of love for God, not for self-righteousness or else what will happen is not a threat but a consequence, the light of the truth that they speak will not illuminate anyone. If they choose to have faith for personal honor no one will be drawn to Jesus by their teachings or example (Revelation 2:5). 

As the giver of life and the one who knows everything, Jesus says that if people in the body of Christ like this repent, they will have the right to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7), because there is only one way to connection back to God and it is not through works or self-righteousness it is through faith. 

Message: Jesus is able to give you power to endure suffering. 

To another church Jesus shares that he is outside of time and space, the first and the last, he knows the beginning and he knows the end. He is life itself and died but came back to life again to show his authority over death and his power to give life to everyone who believes (Revelation 2:8). 

To this church he says there are people in the body of Christ who suffer, but remember that he is familiar with suffering and able to give you the power to help you endure. He says, I know your afflictions and your poverty, but do you know the wealth that you have in me (Revelation 2:9)?

Do not be afraid of current suffering or suffering to come, but instead be faithful, even to the point of death as I was and just like God raised me from the dead and gave me power over death, I will give you life as your victor’s crown (Revelation 2:10). As the giver of life Jesus says the one who is faithful to endure suffering for me, “will not be hurt at all by the second death” (Revelation 2:11). 

Message: Repent from putting your faith in things that are not God.

To another church Jesus says that he has power to destroy every enemy. This power is described as a sharp, double-edged sword; and God who has the power to destroy, knows where you live: to protect those who have faith and vindicate his people from their enemies (Revelation 2:13). 

To this church he says, people in the body of Christ have been led astray to follow after false gods. In the scripture it is actual idols but can be interpreted to any power in opposition to God’s authority; any power that you believe to have more authority and power than God. 

This church has fed off of the food sacrificed to this idol, this false god. Meaning they get their nourishment from false teachings and not from scriptures, they put their faith in themselves or in human authority and not in God. Jesus corrects them and says “repent” (Revelation 2:14-15) turn back to trusting in me.

Jesus, the one who has the power to destroy every enemy, will destroy false gods, not with physical weapons but with his word that is true and alive and sharper than a sword. What Jesus speaks happens. Jesus reminds the body of Christ that they want this word to be for you and not against you (Revelation 2:16). 

Jesus says that those people who repent of trusting in false gods and feeding themselves off of ideologies that do not nourish, he will reward with spiritual food that does nourish (Revelation 2:17). Jesus says that he will also use this food to completely change your association in life. Trusting in him will allow you to have a new identity, one that he gives that promises life. Jesus says that he will give the person who repents from worshipping other gods “a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it (Revelation 2:17). 

Message: Do not tolerate false prophets.

To another church Jesus reveals that he is God Almighty and magnificent “whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze” the only true God (Revelation 2:18). This God who is true and real also knows, he knows you and what you do, he knows who is faithful to him, who perseveres despite persecution and who truly loves him (Revelation 2:19). 

He also knows when people prophesy in his name but do not know him. Jesus says, if you tolerate people in the body of Christ speaking on behalf of God words that he did not speak and that they have not received from him, you will suffer intensely. Jesus says repent because their words have no life and this is what will cause you to suffer. Jesus, as the only true God and the one who knows more than what people can know about a person “searches the hearts and minds “of his people and will reward according to their deeds: the faithfulness of their heart (Revelation 2:23). 

Believers who renounce false prophets and do not follow them but “do (God’s) will to the end”, to them Jesus says he will give authority over the nations. “Ask me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession” you will rule them just as I have received authority from my father (Psalms 2:8), “I will also give that one the morning star” meaning life itself (Revelation 2:26-28). 

Message: Jesus is the message, the messenger and the leader of the body of Christ. 

To another church Jesus reminds them that he is the message, the messenger and the head of the body of Christ (Revelation 3:1). To this church he says that people in the body of Christ have tried to function separately from him as the head and have a reputation for being alive through charisma and large congregations but any church that does not center Jesus as the message, the messenger and the head of the body of Christ is not alive, it is dead (Revelation 3:1). 

From a place of love Jesus pleads with them to wake up! And to realize that they are not focusing on him. He asks them to remember who he, the spiritual leader of the body of Christ, that has been revealed to them from scripture, or the result will be that they will spiritually die, meaning the hope that they claim to have as believers: eternal life, salvation and forgiveness will not be realized (Revelation 3:2-3). But the one who repents he says, “will walk with me dressed in white, for they are worthy. I will never blot out their name from the book of life but will acknowledge that name before my father and his angels” (Revelation 3:4-5).

Message: What God opens no one can shut and what he shuts no one can open.

To another church Jesus reminds them that he is holy, meaning chosen by God and set apart from the rest, from the lineage of faithfulness and love for God. This Jesus who is holy has been given authority by God as the one God has chosen to open and close doors, meaning he controls access to God the Father and all things that happen on earth (Revelation 3:7), “what he opens no one can shut and what he shuts no one can open” (Revelation 3:7). 

To his faithful servants in the body of Christ, people who have faith in him and also live to do his will Jesus says he will “place before them an open door that no one can shut” (Revelation 3:8). He will give access and provide for them in a way that cannot be taken away. He will make people who tried to harm his people, the body of Christ, or have mocked them, come and fall at your feet and acknowledge that there is a higher authority that has power and has shown favor and loves you (Revelation 3:9).

Jesus commends this faithful church for their faithfulness, patience and endurance that through persecution they have not denied their faith in God and because they have kept their faith, this Jesus, who is holy, and chosen by God, will keep them from true suffering: eternal separation from God (Revelation 3:9-10). 

Their reward in the life after this one cannot be compared to earthly rewards except that their reward will be as though they were a pillar holding up the ideal of a follower of Christ, a child of the Most High God who has given them his name, a name more valuable than the most coveted family name on earth, children of God (Revelation 3:12). 

Message: Repent from being complacent. 

To another church Jesus says that he is the final word spoken by God that makes what is said happen. He is the “let it be done” by God, the “amen”, the faithful and true witness of God’s power and authority in heaven and on earth, the creator and ruler of all (Revelation 3:14). 

To the complacent body of Christ that lives their Christianity through the motions with neither passion nor resentment, Jesus says, repent and choose one or the other to have faith or to not have faith (Revelation 3:15). Jesus says that the consequence of being complacent is that he, as the one who speaks, will speak a word against you that will remove you from the promises of God and the riches of his glory (Revelation 3:16-17). 

Jesus does not say this to condemn but to counsel, asking that they not look to riches and security in earthly things but look to riches and security in spiritual things that truly protect and give wealth (Revelation 3:18). 

Jesus says, “those whom I love I rebuke and discipline” (Revelation 3:19). “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20). Jesus is saying that he will richly reward those who repent from being complacent with spiritual food that gives life and give them the authority to “sit with (him) on his throne, “just as I was victorious and sat down with my father on his throne” (Revelation 3:20-21). 

“Whoever has ears let them hear what the spirit says to the churches” in the body of Christ”. “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might repent and be forgiven!” (Revelation 3:22; Mark 4:11-12; Isaiah 6:9,10).