Truth Costs

“’What is your decision?’ They answered, ‘He deserves death!’ Then they spit in His face and beat Him; others slapped Him.” (Matthew 26:66)

The vote was not unanimous. We know of at least two who dissented – Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Perhaps there were others, but the overwhelming majority of the Sanhedrin cast their votes against Jesus: Guilty. Guilty of what? From their view, He was guilty of blasphemy. Jesus of Nazareth, the son of a poor carpenter in their eyes, had stated under oath before God Almighty that He was the Messiah of Israel, making Himself equal with God. For this, they killed Him.

They saw this as blasphemy because they did not believe it was true. From the believer’s viewpoint, however, they condemned Jesus to death for telling the truth.

The truth can cost. It can cost you your life, at the extreme, as it did Stephen before that same Sanhedrin just a few years later. Or, it can cost you respect. Some when they hear the truth we preach and teach, find the message ridiculous and stupid. So they scoff and ridicule us for it. Worse, some just ignore us and our message.

We have to come to grips with this. We have to decide if we are going to speak the truth of God as the Bible teaches it, understanding the cost inherent in doing so.

Understanding, we then speak on. We cannot do otherwise.

Lord, Speaking the truth proved to be costly for You. Help us to understand it can be costly for us as well as we follow You, but strengthen us to continue speaking the truth so we may honor You. Amen.