Blessed are you when men reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you. … thanks for the Drama; it is well performed….
We shall entitled it Reward in Heaven and the Biblical Text is Matt 5:11-12
Grace mercy and Peace from God the Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!
Please it is important to note that Jesus mesmerized the crowd with His words.
Unanimously, almost everybody agreed, that “Jesus had spoken as someone who had authority.” They said “He spoke Not like the others who normally teach us.”
- Ironically the crowd may believe everything Jesus said, but the court did not. Though they listened carefully to Jesus’ words as He called them to order and to return to God’s laws rather than their blind-obedience to human regulations… they will not obey.
- They had listened as Jesus summoned sinners and asked them to repent their hearts rather than bloody temple sacrifices.
- Truly, a day will come, and indeed it has now arrived:
- When people would promote Jesus’ humanity and deny His divinity;
- People emphasize Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem and ignore His suffering on the cross of Calvary.
Friends: the judges of Israel understood very well that Jesus was, a divine promise who comes with the forgiveness of sins through faith.
- The court rightly foresaw that Jesus was going to turn the world upside down. As Simeon prophesied about Him in the Temple.
- They understood that if Jesus was not checked, He would convert the world to follow Him.
- They realized that if the world worshiped God in spirit and not on Jerusalem’s temple, they would be out of job, and
- The world would have a new mediator between God and man… and this Jesus was ushering in a new age, a new covenant, and a new world order which would make it possible for the average man to come directly to God the Father in heaven.
These are things, the judges understood most clearly. For this understanding they set aside all their differences and come together with one purpose; to murder the Messiah, the Anointed one,, the Christ, they crushed the Savior of the world to death!.
Coming together with one accord, they implemented their plan by bribing one of Jesus’ own disciples to betraying Him – with a brotherly kiss.
They arrested Jesus under the cover of darkness… In the middle of the night, the court sat; tried and condemned Jesus before the crowd became aware that something abnormal had happened.
Pontius Pilate, the man who had the final say to decide Jesus’ fate was convinced beyond all doubt that Jesus had no sin; so he washed his hands of the matter,.
Jesus had been condemned and going to the cross Jesus did not put up any serious defense. Though Jesus’ enemies despised and persecuted Him, uttering all kinds of evils against Him, yet Jesus died speaking words of forgiveness. (Blessed are you when men reproach you),
The Crowd made sure that Jesus died! By Jesus ministry they were unable to sleep, they did not have good night’s rest for 3 yrs. So for the first time in recent years, they were relieved and could breathe. They had felt safe and secure; but they had the shock of their lives…their dreams and joy were truncated on Sunday!!
- On Sunday the chief Priest and his council heard the first-hand reports from the terrified guards who had fled Jesus’ grave.
- They were told that Jesus had risen and His tomb was empty…
- Very well they knew Jesus had risen. They didn’t doubt but believed it that Jesus has risen in deed … Hallelujah
In the mist of all this drama, they had selfish ego: for that ego; all they could do was to stop the Good News of Jesus resurrection from spreading;
- The chief priest and the council did all they could to stop people from believing the Truth.
- Jesus’ judges tried so hard as they could to confine and re-bury Him back into the tomb…
- Indeed that is exactly what many nations and religious leaders after the chief priests did; even right now as I speak that is what is being done… Jesus is re-crucified, re-buried and confined to the tomb.
Let me tell you a story…
There stood before the court and the judges this young man, who was a believer in a living Lord, a risen Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
This young-man had been boldly talking about how; there is hope for the hopeless in Jesus. By word and work, this young-man had told how, in Jesus, there is love for those who are abandoned.
This young-man gladly shared with anyone who would listen, that when God turned you to faith in Jesus, your sins are forgiven,
Your life finds meaning, you posses peace, and you are assured of Jesus’ promise that: on the last day He will raise you up from the grave to a new life, an ETERNAL LIFE OF HAPPINESS IN HEAVEN.
In order for the court and it Judges to achieve their objective of stopping Jesus’ resurrection story, they have to silence this young-man for accusing them of abusing their authority by disobedience to God.
The judges were so upset; and what would infuriate their anger the more was for Jesus to personally show up in the courtroom.
Dear friends: Truly, Jesus did showed up in the court…. I say Jesus showered up because Through the eyes of faith, this young-man looked up into heaven and saw Jesus and told the court what he saw….!
In spite of all what he said, the stiff-necked judges covered their ears.. they wouldn’t listen and they threw this young-man out of the city and stoned him to death.
My dear listeners: Our condemned friend did not try to escape!; Neither did he try to save his life; nor did he beg. He did none of those: from the picture he painted in the courtroom…, it is evidently clear that; the living Jesus, was right there with them. As he continued looking at Jesus whilst he was being stoned, he asked for forgiveness for his murderers and then fell asleep.
Certainly that is how those who watched his execution reported it. They said, “He fell asleep.”
- Stephen is the name of the first Christian martyr. In his martyrdom; Stephen fell asleep on earth and moments later, awoke from his sleep in heaven…Praise God.
- Now whilst Stephen was in heaven, his murderers, went back home to live in their crime for stoning.
- Unless otherwise, those evil men came to faith in Jesus, they would have died with their souls condemned.
Akwasi, I am not just telling you about Stephen’s martyrdom. Rather, I am telling you Jesus’ story in Stephen’s life; A story of God’s ongoing forgiveness and grace.
I am telling a story of hope and heaven, a story of victory and the crushing of sin, death, and the devil.
Friends: Following me to search the Gospels;
- You will see how, Jesus who lived without sin, carried every sin that stain our souls…
- You will see how the leaders of His community hated and persecuted Him; how they lied and falsely brought up charges against Him.
- Jesus never had a wife, He never had children.
- Jesus had no home to call His own.
- Everyone, especially those working outside their home-towns and countries, know the pain and how it feels to be separated from our spouses, children, friends, and families…
- All these were part of the price Jesus paid so that our needs will be met.
Searching deeper and deeper, we will find nothing except Jesus:
- My dear ones; Jesus’ meekness should not be misinterpreted as a weakness. His meekness was the price He paid so that we might be forgiven of our sins and be free from all guilt. So that you and I, can boldly stand before God on the judgment day.
- In the Scriptures we will see a caring and compassionate Jesus.
- We will see Jesus comforting those who mourn, and those rejected, shunned, despised, and afflicted.
Friends; have you found Jesus yet? If not, let’s search the scriptures once more.
- Going through: You will see how Jesus had to endure dishonesty and deception.
- You will see Jesus, the Prince of Peace enduring pain and punishment.. Jesus endures so that you and I and all believers might have eternal life in heaven.
- You will see, Jesus, our divine peacemaker, bringing forgiveness to repentant souls, calming worried minds and touching broken hearts.
- You will see Jesus, He who takes all the refused and rejected things of this world and takes them into His Father’s house: where He restores, refreshes, adopts and beloveds them.
My dear listener I pray fervently that; in our most challenging moments:
We should see Jesus as Stephen saw Him;
We should see a Savior who gave His all and all for us, so that in this life and in eternity we shall continually have God’s good and gracious gifts… of forgiveness and eternal life.
Though believer we are not perfect, yet we have a Savior who is perfect and pure. Jesus; a Savior of suffering and salvation; is at the door knocking, He wish to come in and forgive you, change and give you a new and purposeful life.
Friend: listen to Jesus; and allow Him in… He comes with His heavenly Rewards for those who love Him….
May His name be praised now and forever more. Amen.
Benediction:
The Lord Bless you and keep you!
The Lord Make His Face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you!!
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His everlasting peace!!
Amen!