“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you…” 1 Peter 4.14
In the opening chapter of the book of Acts, we have some of the last words of Jesus given to His disciples before His ascension into heaven. Jesus commanded them to stay in Jerusalem, and to wait for the “Promise of the Father.” The Promise was the Holy Spirit, and it would happen as Jesus said; “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1.8). The book of Acts tells us of the fulfillment of those words with that verse essentially acting as an outline of the book.
The fulfilled Promise of the Holy Spirit resulted in the empowering of the disciples and the early church to witness. It is the same for us today-the same Holy Spirit, the same message of the gospel and the same warrant: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16.15).
But if all of that is true, why is it that so many Christians so rarely witness, or in some cases don’t witness at all. Often Christians will reason that they don’t know what to say, or that’s the job of pastors, or they just don’t have opportunity. However, some have suggested, and I agree, that it’s primarily the fear of rejection, which sometimes is accompanied by ridicule, insults or being “reproached.”
Jesus knew this rejection. After the feeding of the 5000 (probably more, 10-12,000, since often it was only the men who were counted and not women and children), Jesus began to teach and “many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6.66). They complained about His teaching and were offended (verse 61).
Jesus then turned to the remaining 12 disciples and asked, “Do you also want to go away?” (verse 67). It would be Peter who would say, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (verse 68). And so, we see Jesus with only the 12 who remained out of thousands who were fed, and even then, one of those 12 would betray Him.
How did Jesus react to this kind of rejection? We gain some insight into that question by examining what Jesus said on another occasion when He was rejected and reviled. Actually, His words were in the form of a prayer. He said, “I thank You Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (Matthew 11.25-26).
Does Jesus offering up of thanks surprise you? How could that rejection of God’s Son and gospel message be “good” in the Father’s sight? Jesus being thankful implies that He was blessed in this rejection! Further and remarkably, that kind of blessing is promised in our verse for Christians when they witness and are “reproached for the name of Christ…”
Why? “for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on (them),” and that’s the key to understanding why Jesus was blessed and why it seemed good in God’s eyes. When Christ was attacked, the glory of His Person and His words and works shone forth in truth and light, for the Spirit of glory and of God rested on Him. So too for the believer as they are united by faith to Jesus. What does that mean?
In the case of the church at Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul wrote, “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure…” (2 Thessalonians 1.3-4, italics mine). Their patience and faith in the midst of rejection and persecution can only be explained by the powerful workings of the indwelling Person of the Holy Spirit in their lives. That display of God’s grace worked out in their lives by faith is to God’s glory!
That understanding of the primacy of God’s glory changes everything about what are often our misunderstandings of witnessing and rejection. It’s God’s glory, not our pride, which is at stake. In the previous two verses to ours, Peter wrote, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (4:12-13, italics mine). Incredibly, those trials and sufferings experienced when we witness (insult, ridicule, reproach, persecution, et al) actually bring blessing and are a cause for thanksgiving!
In His Sermon on the mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven…” (Matthew 5:11-12).
What a great blessing indeed to be a witness for Christ. Let me write it again; we have the same Holy Spirit, the same message of the gospel and the same warrant. Therefore, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” And then be joyful no matter what the response, knowing that God is pleased and glorified with the God-given patience, perseverance and faith exhibited in your witness. You show yourself be a true disciple of Christ as you share in His sufferings, because you demonstrate that “the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
In the opening chapter of the book of Acts, we have some of the last words of Jesus given to His disciples before His ascension into heaven. Jesus commanded them to stay in Jerusalem, and to wait for the “Promise of the Father.” The Promise was the Holy Spirit, and it would happen as Jesus said; “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1.8). The book of Acts tells us of the fulfillment of those words with that verse essentially acting as an outline of the book.
The fulfilled Promise of the Holy Spirit resulted in the empowering of the disciples and the early church to witness. It is the same for us today-the same Holy Spirit, the same message of the gospel and the same warrant: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16.15).
But if all of that is true, why is it that so many Christians so rarely witness, or in some cases don’t witness at all. Often Christians will reason that they don’t know what to say, or that’s the job of pastors, or they just don’t have opportunity. However, some have suggested, and I agree, that it’s primarily the fear of rejection, which sometimes is accompanied by ridicule, insults or being “reproached.”
Jesus knew this rejection. After the feeding of the 5000 (probably more, 10-12,000, since often it was only the men who were counted and not women and children), Jesus began to teach and “many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6.66). They complained about His teaching and were offended (verse 61).
Jesus then turned to the remaining 12 disciples and asked, “Do you also want to go away?” (verse 67). It would be Peter who would say, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (verse 68). And so, we see Jesus with only the 12 who remained out of thousands who were fed, and even then, one of those 12 would betray Him.
How did Jesus react to this kind of rejection? We gain some insight into that question by examining what Jesus said on another occasion when He was rejected and reviled. Actually, His words were in the form of a prayer. He said, “I thank You Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (Matthew 11.25-26).
Does Jesus offering up of thanks surprise you? How could that rejection of God’s Son and gospel message be “good” in the Father’s sight? Jesus being thankful implies that He was blessed in this rejection! Further and remarkably, that kind of blessing is promised in our verse for Christians when they witness and are “reproached for the name of Christ…”
Why? “for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on (them),” and that’s the key to understanding why Jesus was blessed and why it seemed good in God’s eyes. When Christ was attacked, the glory of His Person and His words and works shone forth in truth and light, for the Spirit of glory and of God rested on Him. So too for the believer as they are united by faith to Jesus. What does that mean?
In the case of the church at Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul wrote, “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure…” (2 Thessalonians 1.3-4, italics mine). Their patience and faith in the midst of rejection and persecution can only be explained by the powerful workings of the indwelling Person of the Holy Spirit in their lives. That display of God’s grace worked out in their lives by faith is to God’s glory!
That understanding of the primacy of God’s glory changes everything about what are often our misunderstandings of witnessing and rejection. It’s God’s glory, not our pride, which is at stake. In the previous two verses to ours, Peter wrote, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (4:12-13, italics mine). Incredibly, those trials and sufferings experienced when we witness (insult, ridicule, reproach, persecution, et al) actually bring blessing and are a cause for thanksgiving!
In His Sermon on the mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven…” (Matthew 5:11-12).
What a great blessing indeed to be a witness for Christ. Let me write it again; we have the same Holy Spirit, the same message of the gospel and the same warrant. Therefore, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” And then be joyful no matter what the response, knowing that God is pleased and glorified with the God-given patience, perseverance and faith exhibited in your witness. You show yourself be a true disciple of Christ as you share in His sufferings, because you demonstrate that “the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”