DAY 8
Matthew 26:65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
Jeremiah 26:7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. 8 And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. 10 When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the LORD and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the LORD. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”
Consider:
Being a prophetic minority is difficult. It implies not fitting in with the majority culture as a result of speaking the truth of God in Christ, truth that calls worldly unrighteousness for the damnable sin it is and truth that points to an exclusive salvation from such sin in Jesus the Christ alone. Through Jeremiah, the Lord decreed judgment on Judah in accordance with the Mosaic Law if Judah would not repent of sin and evil deeds. In Matthew 26:64, Jesus declared himself to be the Daniel 7 son of man who, as messiah, would rule next to God Almighty as the savior-king in an everlasting dominion. Yet, both Jeremiah and Jesus were hated unto death by the people to whom they spoke. Why? Because their prophetic ministries exposed idolatries and revealed difficult truths contrary to what their audience wanted to hear.
Point to Ponder and for Prayer:
As we approach Easter, let us remember that the gospel of salvation we proclaim is offensive to the world. Culture may too deem us deserving of death and persecution. So be it. Let us boldly proclaim the truth as it is in Jesus, as a prophetic minority, knowing that, in Christ, we have resurrection hope.
Jon Canler
