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His claim of son-ship was
rejected by the leaders. When Pilate found Jesus not guilty, the Jewish leaders
responded, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of
God” (John 19:7).
●
He was accused of being a
glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Jesus knew what the
people called Him; so, when comparing Himself with John the Baptist, He quoted
them: “John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine and
you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts
and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax
collectors and sinners!’” (Lk 7:34).
●
He was accused of being
demon-possessed. It seems that each time Jesus reminded the people about his
relationship with God or His deity, they accused him of being demon-possessed: “Some
said, ‘He is demon-possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like
that?’” (John 10:20). And another time, they said to Him: “You Samaritan devil!
Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?” (John 8:48).
●
Sinners made fun of Him: One of the criminals who
was crucified that day scoffed: “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by
saving yourself—and us, too, while you are at it” (Luke 23:39).
●
The leaders plotted to
kill Him numerous times. One such occasion was when Jesus healed a man with a
deformed hand on the Sabbath: “At once the Pharisees went away and met with the
supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus” (Mark 3:6).
●
Satan persecuted Him: “The devil said to him,
‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread’” (Luke
4:3).
●
Even His townspeople were
put down because of Him. When Peter and Andrew met Jesus, Philip went to tell
Nathanael, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about!
His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth” (John 1:45). Nathanael’s
response: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46).
●
The crowd ridiculed Him. “The crowd watched and
the leaders scoffed. ‘He saved others, let him save himself if he is really
God’s Messiah, the Chosen One’” (Luke 23:35). At Jesus’ sentencing, the
soldiers robed Him and put a crown of thorns on His head, irreverently saluting
Him: “Hail! King of the Jews!” “They mocked, as they slapped him across the
face” (John 19:3).
●
They falsely accused and
convicted Him of things He hadn’t done. When the Jewish council took Jesus to Pilate,
their stated reason for arresting Him was, “This man has been leading our
people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government
and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king” (Luke 23:2).
●
They put him through the
most shameful death—crucifixion. “When they came to a place called The Skull,
they nailed him to the cross” (Luke 23:33).
●
They gave Him vinegar
instead of water for His thirst: “The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a
drink of sour wine” (Luke 23:36).
●
Finally, they killed Him
and stole His property: “The soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing
dice” (Luke 23:34).
●
He was buried in a
borrowed tomb: “Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean
linen cloth. He placed him in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of
the rock” (Matthew 27:59-60).
●
And when God raised Him
from the dead on the third day, the leaders bribed the guards who were
stationed to guard the tomb, to say His disciples stole the body when they fell
asleep, to refute the resurrection: “So the guards accepted the
bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the
Jews, and they still tell it today” (Matthew 28:15).
So, we can
conclude that Jesus was persecuted non-stop by just about everybody. What was
remarkable in all of these situations was His response; He did not fight,
argue, or hate them. Instead, He was saddened by their hardness of heart and
rebuked them, but He prayed for them: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t
know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Jesus warned
His followers (us) right from the onset that we would be persecuted because we
belong to Him. Have you experienced any yet? Christians are persecuted all the
time, sometimes in homes where not every member of the family is a
Christian—especially converted Muslims get disowned, threatened, and kicked
out. The workplace and schools are also hot spots for persecution; colleagues
and schoolmates are always looking for occasions to criticize, ridicule, and
call us names.
How should
we respond to persecutions? Exactly the way Jesus did—He rebuked, corrected,
held no grudge, and prayed for them. In addition, He instructs us how we should
respond: “Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you
will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:44).
We know God
promises to bless and reward us when we obey Him. Here are some of the
blessings we can claim or look forward to: “God blesses those who are
persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses
you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts
of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be
very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember the ancient
prophets were persecuted in the same way” (Matthew 5:10-12).
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