Achieving Victory With JesusSample

Sharing in Jesus’ victory

“The one who conquers and who keeps My works until the end […] I will give him the morning star.” (Revelation 2:26-28)

The promise we want to look at today is about the Morning Star. (In ancient times, stars and planets were often not distinguished; the morning star is the planet Venus.) This morning star symbolizes power and victory. In Jewish traditions, it was often associated with the promised Messiah, who would overcome evil. Picking up on this, the Lord Jesus calls Himself in Revelation 22:16 “the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

Today’s verse says that Jesus gives the morning star to believers who overcome. This expression is hard to understand. What is probably meant here is that these believers may share in the heavenly glory and messianic status of Christ. Just as they will reign with Him, so they share in His victory and glory.

The morning star also holds a promise of a new day. Now it is often dark around us. Martin Luther, for example, wrote of “the night of trial and of fear, the night of doubt and temptation.” The congregation of Thyatira, to whom this letter was written, would also go through another difficult period. But this night would not last forever. Jesus directed their attention to the morning star, which announced the sunrise.

Are you looking forward to the new day when darkness will finally disappear?