Answering your accusers.
1 Peter 3:17-18.
For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
What suffering of Jesus can we identify with.
1 Peter 3:9-17.
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult.
On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
For, Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?
What suffering of Jesus can we identify with.
1 Peter 3:9-17 (continued)
But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
What suffering of Jesus can we identify with.
What suffering of Jesus can we identify with.
1 Peter 2:19-23.
For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Are you able to remain silent in the face of false accusations, or do you try defend yourself and retaliate?
Silent before His accusers.
Acts 8:26-35. So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, … This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, Go to that chariot and stay near it. Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet.
Do you understand what you are reading? Philip asked. How can I, he said, unless some one explains it to me
Silent before His accusers.
Acts 8:26-35. So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth. The eunuch asked Philip, Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?
Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
Silent before His accusers.
Matthew 26:63.
But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, "I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God."
Matthew 27:12.
And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer.
Mark 14:61.
But Jesus remained silent and made no reply. Again the high priest questioned Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
Mark 15:5.
But to Pilate's amazement, Jesus made no further reply.
.
Silent before His accusers.
Luke 23:9. Herod questioned Jesus at great length, but He gave no answer. John 19:9.
"Where are You from?" he asked. But Jesus gave no answer.
1 Peter 2:23.
When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
Imagine what Jesus could have said.
Jesus knows all about you and me and he knew all
about His accusers.
John 4:16-18. He told her, Go, call your husband and come back. I have no husband, she replied. Jesus said to her, You are right when you say you no husband.
The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.
Imagine what Jesus could have said to the crowd.
John 8:5-11. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say? …. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? No one, sir, she said. Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin.
Imagine what Jesus could have said.
Even when Judas was stealing from the purse, Jesus never belittled him and exposed him.
John12:4-8. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,
Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.
He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. Leave her alone, Jesus replied. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.
Imagine what Jesus could have said.
Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him and yet He did not expose Judas.
John13:27-29.
So Jesus told him, What you are about to do, do quickly. But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival,
or to give some-
thing to the poor.
Imagine what Jesus could have said to the leaders.
Mark 15:3-5. The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.
But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
Imagine what Jesus could have said to Pilate.
John 19:8-11. Where do you come from? he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. Do you refuse to speak to me? Pilate said. Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?
Jesus answered, You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.
Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.
Imagine what Jesus could have said to Herod.
Luke 23:8-10.
When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.
The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him.
Jesus mocked by the Chief Priests.
Matthew 26:65-68. Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think? He is worthy of death, they answered.
Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists.
Others slapped him and said, Prophesy to us, Messiah.
Who hit you.
Jesus mocked Herod and the soldiers.
Luke 23:11.
Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.
Jesus mocked by the soldiers.
Matthew 27:27-21. Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. Hail, king of the Jews! they said.They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
Jesus mocked.
Matthew 27:38-44.
Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!
In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. He saved others, they said, but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, I am the Son of God. In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
One criminal has a change of heart.
Luke 23:39-43.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us! But the other criminal rebuked him. Don’t you fear God, he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.
Answering your accusers.
1 Peter 3:17-18.
For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
Matthew 5:11-12: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall 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 which were before you.
The Apostles response to persecution.
1 Corinthians 4:9-13.
For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands.
When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world, right up to this moment.
How to deal with our accuser.
We can learn a lesson from how Jesus spoke to Satan when he was tempted in the wilderness.
It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
How to deal with our accuser.
It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.
How to deal with our accuser.
Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.
How to deal with our accuser.
Silence the accuser by remembering Christ saved us by his blood.
We have an enemy who loves to remind us of our sins and failures. He’s called in Scripture the accuser of the brethren:
Revelation 12.10. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
Revelation 12.11.
And they have conquered him (the accuser of the brethren) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Slandering celestial beings.
Jude 8-10.
In the same way these dreamers pollute
their own bodies, reject authority and
slander celestial beings. But even the
archangel Michael, when he was
disputing with the devil about the body
of Moses, did not dare bring a slanderous
accusation against him, but said,
The Lord rebuke you. Yet these men
speak abusively against whatever they do not understand.
2 Peter 2:10-12.
..Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
Be reluctant to speak.
Be slow to speak is not only a case of thinking before you
speak, but being reluctant to speak.
James 1:19.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Words unexpressed may sometimes fall back dead, but even God can’t kill them when they are said.
Speak as those who will be judged.
James 2:12-13.
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Speak as those who will be judged.
Matthew 5:21-22.
You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Raca - This is a Syriac word, expressive of great contempt. It comes from a verb signifying to be empty, vain; and hence, as a word of contempt, denotes senseless, stupid, shallow-brains. Jesus teaches here that to use such words is a violation of the spirit of the sixth commandment.
Speak as those who will be judged.
Spurgeon -
Christ here shows us that the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill,” deals with anger, with angry words, with words of cursing, with words of derision, for all these are killing things, hurting and wounding things, and the passion of anger is forbidden under the command. “Thou shalt not kill.”
Men have not thought so, but it really is so, for he who is angry with his brother is a murderer; there is the spirit, the essence of that which leads to murder in the passion which breeds malice and revenge.
The law is spiritual; it touches the emotions, the thoughts, the desires, as well as the words and actions of men. If I desire ill for a man, I have within me that which would desire his death; and what is that, after all, but murder in the heart? How strict is this law, and yet how just and right!
Speak as those who will be judged.
James 3:9-10.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
James 1:26.
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
Rebuking a fellow brother.
We have a responsibility to take the speck out of our brothers eye, but only when we have by God’s grace dealt with the beam in our own eye. (and we all have to deal with the beam of self-righteousness)
Luke 17:3-4.
If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
Ezekiel 33:9.
But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his wicked ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will save yourself.
Proverbs 27:5.
Open criticism is better than unexpressed love.
Food for thought.
Luke 6:27-38.
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.
Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
Food for thought.
Luke 6:27-38.
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
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