Prepared for
opposition!
Did you know that Jesus told His followers "if you don't have a
sword, sell your cloak and buy one"? 1*. Did you think it was easy to be a
follower of Jesus?
Have you ever thought of what it must have been like to be one of
the original disciples of Jesus Christ? They went around with Him
and listened to His teaching and saw Him perform miracles. Then
Jesus sent them out without purse, bag or sandals and gave them
authority to preach and to heal the sick! 2*. When they returned He asked them, "Did
you lack anything?" "Nothing," they answered. 3*. It must have been exciting being
one of those disciples!
Jesus knew that the popularity that He and His disciples had had
for a short while was not going to last much longer!
Being the Son of God, Jesus didn't have to wait until things
changed to know what was coming. The all-knowing God knows every
detail of the future! God's message through the prophets hundreds
of years earlier had even told that the Messiah would
suffer! "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and
rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness
of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem." His faithful followers would preach that people must
put their trust in Jesus alone as their only Saviour. 4*.
Jesus now told His disciples, "What is written about Me is reaching
its fulfilment." 5*.
His popularity with the crowds was about to end! Jesus knew to
expect fierce opposition and suffering and death for Himself and
His followers! He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take
it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak
and buy one." 1*.
From Jesus' teachings we know that He did NOT mean He would be
wanting them to defend Him, or to use force to get people to submit
to His message. 6*.
Nor was Jesus wanting His followers to live by the sword - to
dominate and control people's lives by force, or to have an armed
uprising. Jesus never used those tactics Himself, and He wouldn't
want His followers to either. 7*.
The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords." "That is
enough," He replied. 8*.
By telling His followers to be equipped with a sword Jesus was
warning them to expect fierce opposition and hardship in their
service for Him. "In fact," the Bible says, "everyone who wants to
live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."
9*.
Even as Jesus spoke with His disciples the religious leaders were
waiting their opportunity to destroy Jesus. They knew that if the
people were to repent - to turn from them to Jesus - and to believe
in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, 10*. then their words and
actions would be known to be empty and powerless! For this
reason all those who have preached the true message of Jesus down
through the ages have been despised and rejected and bitterly
opposed by religious leaders.
In Luke chapter 22, verses 35-38 you can read of Jesus teaching His
disciples to be prepared for
opposition.
Bye for now,
John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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Bible quotations from N.I.V.
1 Luke 22:36.
2 Luke 10:8-9.
3 Luke 22:35.
4 Luke 24:46-48. Acts
4:12.
5 Luke 22:37.
6 Luke 22:51. Matthew
26:52-53. John 18:36.
7 Matthew 26:52.
8 Luke 22:38.
9 2nd Timothy 3:12.
10 Acts 20:21. 26:20.
5:31.
