[The religious leaders] called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.” Acts 5:40-42
What Jesus warned his disciples about, came to pass nearly immediately after his death. In Matthew 10:17 Jesus said, “But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues.”
The contrast between the before-and-after pictures of the disciples is extraordinary. Immediately after the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples are found huddled away, fearful of receiving similar treatment, because they were Jesus’ followers. Nevertheless, after Jesus’ ascension they are found in public places, boldly declaring their faith in, and commitment to, the way of Jesus.
The book of Acts is a catalogue of the boldness of the disciples and what that boldness led to:
- Stephen, the earliest disciple to die because of his faith in Jesus. Acts 7:54-60.
- The Jerusalem church which, because of persecution, was forced to flee to other places, Acts 8:1-3.
- The Apostles who were repeatedly jailed, beaten, and mistreated because of their faith in Christ. Yet still said, “You can’t shut us up. We have to talk about this.”
Jesus’ beatitude for the persecuted was not a suggestion that persecution should be invited or deliberately caused. But the disciples’ state of mind gladly accepted persecution as a cost of following Jesus.
The Jerusalem Christians used persecution as an opportunity to move to other places and share the Gospel there. Because of persecution the story of Christ spread like wildfire all over the world: India, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Ethiopia, and Europe.
Prayer:
O God, give us courage to face the challenges of faith, like the earliest Christians of Jerusalem did. We know that it was not the persecution itself that distinguished them, but the character and attitude with which they faced it. Give us the courage and faith of those early Christians. Amen.