Luke 12:8-12 (NIV) “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
Jesus had no delusions about the world into which He would soon send His disciples. It would be a dangerous place for them, with threats all around. He knew that they would be arrested, beaten, and the vast majority of them killed for the gospel. And it was into that reality that He spoke two powerful truths.
The first truth was that, even in the midst of persecution, torture, and the threat of death, it was not okay for Jesus ‘followers to deny Him. If His followers stood firm and affirmed their relationship with Him regardless of the consequences, Jesus promised that they would be acknowledged in return before God’s throne in heaven. But if someone denied Jesus, then they would be denied by Him in heaven.
Some wonder how this played out in terms of Peter’s denial of Jesus on the night of His arrest and trial. The game changer there was that Peter repented and turned back to Jesus. Repentance changes everything. This was in stark contrast to Judas who , after betraying Jesus, did not repent, but committed suicide, thus dooming himself to be denied by Jesus in the end, and sentenced to an eternity in hell. And it is well worth noting that, at the end of his earthly life, even when threatened with crucifixion, Peter did not deny Jesus a second time, but stood firm all the way to the end.
The second truth is that, when Jesus’ disciples have to stand firm, that they won’t be standing alone. The Holy Spirit will be present in them, empowering them, even to the point of providing them with the very words that they are to say. This will not guarantee their release or their victory in court. But it will guarantee that truth is clearly spoken to power, that a clear opportunity to repent and receive Jesus is given, and that God’s agenda will be moved forward, even if they are convicted and/or killed.
Father, thank You for this reminder that our health or safety is not our key goal as Your people; the advancement of Your kingdom is. Help me, Lord, to keep that goal firmly in mind, to always stand firm, and to allow You to steer me through all of the hard places. Amen.