Acts 12:1 – 15:35

The cost of discipleship was growing ever higher. The gloves were off and the Jews were not playing games. The Apostle James was the next martyr. His own mother had asked for him to “drink the cup” that Jesus knew He Himself must “drink”.

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”

Matthew 20:20-22

Now the one who boasted, ‘I’ll die for you!” was in prison and the Jews expected Herod to kill him, too. The disciples had no hope or expectation that they would see Peter alive again. By the providence of God, Peter stood at the home of Mary and the people were astonished. Luke introduces us to John Mark, the writer of the Gospel of Mark and missionary companion of Barnabas and Paul. Strange days, indeed.

Paul embarks on the first journey to spread the gospel to the Gentiles and begins his long walk to his own martyrdom at the hands of Emperor Nero. Persecution. Oppression. Murder. These should have been enough to silence even the most zealous Christian. The Jesus sect by all rights should have died in Jerusalem where it was born. The only problem was they had seen the Risen Lord and the power driving them was not their own – it was God.

The early church faced off against the Jewish Sanhedrin and the tentacles of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Proving that politics makes strange bedfellows, the Jewish Herodians and their “king” Herod joined in the fray to snuff out the followers of Jesus. Looming overhead was the ever-present Roman beast. The Jews could be tolerated by Roma so long as they bent the knee to Caesar and to Herod, his puppet. But, these Christians were another matter. Stubbornly, they would only bend the knee to Jesus their Lord.

It wasn’t really close. The power arrayed against the church was as impressive as it was oppressive. They had no army. They had no power bloc in government. They had no friend in Rome. Now, they hid from Herod as others proclaimed him to be a god. It may have been the best thing that ever happened to them.

On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. But the word of God increased and multiplied.

Acts 12:21-24

Through Isaiah Yahweh promised that His word would accomplish its purpose and never return to Him void. The disciples saw the evidence of that precious promise right before their eyes. Vengeance belongs to God alone. The church would not have to fight. Against all odds, we simply sow seeds and water seeds sown by others. God does the rest.

Whether it is the Jews, Rome, communism, atheism or Islam, the church will always face daunting opposition. We look at the crazy world around us today and we see trouble on every horizon. The truth is, the odds are against THEM, not us. God wins.

Consider His nature.  Consider His ways.  Strive to love Him more!