Nougat 5

There are times when we need to hear the truth about ourselves. Often, it’s not what we really want to hear, but if we are keen on transformation, it becomes worthwhile. But, what if the shoe is on the other foot? As in, we are assigned to deliver God’s truth? It might not be as easy, is it? Would we be willing to deliver or hear Today’s Holy Nougat, as God’s truth?

Acts 4:10-11 CEVDCI

[10] But there is something we must tell you and everyone else in Israel. This man is standing here completely well because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You put Jesus to death on a cross, but God raised him to life.

[11] He is the stone you builders thought was worthless, and now he is the most important stone of all.

Speak Up, and Speak the Truth

Are we familiar with the gem,

‘Speak the truth and speak it ever, cost it what it will.

The one who hides the wrong they did,

will do the wrong thing still.’?

I can’t say it’s a memory gem I’ve always enjoyed hearing as a child. It usually preceded a truth about myself that I didn’t wish to hear, or just before being punished for lies. (If I were to be honest, we also used it before ‘slapping’ each other with truths no one wanted to hear.)

I wonder how Caiaphas, the High Priest, Annas, his predecessor, and the cronies felt when Peter emphatically asserted, You put Jesus to death on a cross. Those weren’t comfortable words, despite being true. Those two were not only co-conspirators over Y’shua’s crucifixion, but they were also in-laws! Annas was Caiaphas’ father-in-law. They were also colleagues in ministry, with Caiaphas inheriting the role of high priest after his brother-in-law, Annas’ son, died. In John’s crucifixion narrative we see just how devious those two were (see John 18:12-19:42). Their hearing the truth about their sins (judgement) from Peter and John during another hastily convened trial may not have offered the disciples any hope for a fair judgement.

Self-Check

When given the chance to speak to those who wronged us, what do we do? Is our reaction the same when the context isn’t as personal?

Deeper Dive

I’ve been uncomfortable with Peter’s response to Annas and Caiaphas for a while. Perhaps if Peter possessed several degrees of separation from Y’shua and Caiaphas, it would feel less like he was speaking of his own will. But, I have realised that Peter spoke under God’s authority.

We know that Y’shua didn’t sugarcoat the truth to the religious leadership. He once referred to the Pharisees as ‘whitewashed tombs’ (see Matthew 23:27-28). We’re told that God’s Spirit would guide the disciples into all truth in John 16:13. Moreover, as the second person of the Trinity, Y’shua was extremely close to God’s Spirit. God’s Spirit would also be grieved by the manipulations of the religious leaders that resulted in Y’shua’s death, whether they realised it or not. Under the Spirit’s anointing, Peter’s pronouncement was aligned with the truth God needed to be told.

Further, the defence didn’t stop at that pronouncement; though it was central to the bigger picture. Peter preached Christ, His crucifixion and resurrection. That was the main point of God’s thesis that Peter shared in the post-Pentecost period. To the Jewish audience, the message often carried an accusatory note, a cross between Peter’s grief and the harsh truth about their actions.

To those who conspired against Christ, this was not just a harsh truth, it was also proof of how their actions resulted in prophetic fulfilment! That is a very important aspect of the Gospel … Y’shua is the fulfilment of biblical prophecy: He is the long-awaited Messiah! Y’shua is the rejected cornerstone referenced in Psalm 118:22. In their capacities as current and former High Priests, Caiaphas and Annas, were the builders who rejected Y’shua, the Cornerstone of the Gospel Message. Oy!

Siblings,

Here’s a painful consideration for each of us: our failure to accept the Gospel of Christ, the power of God unto salvation, is similar to rejecting Christ as the religious leaders did. As believers who ought to confess Christ’s Lordship over our lives, we often run the risk of betraying Him like Judas or denying Him as Peter did. That harsh truth spoken to Annas and Caiaphas is applicable to us, although we weren’t physically at Y’shua’s trial. Are we going to act on the truth?

Having accepted and responded to the truth, there is that other element. We also have to determine, like Peter, if we are willing to share that truth (and others like it) with others. This applies to how we relate to those within the body of Christ. It applies both to the Gospel of Christ and to confronting others with some harsh truths about ourselves when we are acting outside of God’s will.

Sometimes it is to persons who are somewhat distant from us. It might be easy then. But will we speak up and speak the truth to close friends, family members and/or religious leaders? Yes, we must speak the truth in love as per Ephesians 4:15. Let’s remember, neither Perfect Love nor God’s Spirit avoids the truth. Both will keep covenant with God, Who prioritises the Truth. May we be recognised by our willingness to speak the truth in all seasons.

Point to Ponder

Do others know us for our integrity (commitment to truth telling)?

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May all we seek be found in Christ