Look Up

Look Up: What Does Jesus Say?

Jesus begins His message with a surprising combination of encouragement and
correction. He tells the believers in Pergamum that He knows exactly where they live.
This was not simply a difficult city. It was a place saturated with spiritual confusion,
cultural pressure, and idol worship. Jesus describes it as the place “where Satan has
his throne.” He recognizes the reality of what they are facing before addressing what
they are doing.

What follows is remarkable. Jesus commends them for remaining faithful. Even after
witnessing the martyrdom of Antipas, a faithful believer from their own church, they had
not abandoned His name. They had endured pressure that many of us can hardly
imagine. Jesus sees their courage and honors it.

Yet faithfulness in one area did not excuse compromise in another. Although they had
remained loyal to Jesus publicly, they had begun tolerating teachings that encouraged
believers to relax their commitment to holiness and truth. Rather than confronting compromise, they had learned to coexist with it. Jesus loved them too much to leave them there.

Discussion

What does Jesus’ praise of Pergamum teach us about His character and the way He
sees His people?
Why do you think Jesus addresses compromise even after acknowledging their
faithfulness?