Paul traveled to Jerusalem knowing full well that he would be arrested. He correctly suspected that this arrest would eventually lead to His execution, though the Holy Spirit assured him that he would reach Rome before his death. During his introductory trial in Jerusalem, he explained the reason that the Jews demanded his execution:
But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!” ~~Acts 23:6 (NASB95)
In our still comfortable American culture, very few people would seriously consider putting Christians to death simply because we proclaim Christ’s resurrection. Sure, they might question our sanity, or ask us not to bother them with our “religious nonsense,” but generally they treat us with a condescending tolerance while they celebrate the holiday with mythical bunnies and colored eggs. The idea of Paul risking his life rather than renounce his belief in Christ’s resurrection seems a bit foreign to us.
It shouldn’t. Many of us already suffer mild persecution for speaking against popular forms of sin. Those of you who stay home to homeschool your children know the pressure exerted by feminists who assume you’re wasting your lives and allowing your husbands to coerce you into submission. Those of you who oppose abortion and/or the LBGTQ agenda have been called terrible names. Even now, when persecution is relatively mild, standing for Christ carries a cost.
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