Our Identity In Christ
LENT 2024 | HOLY WEDNESDAY DAY 37
Mark 14:53-72 (NIV)
(Patricia Yeo, Honorary Treasurer, Local Church Executive Committee)
The Roman leaders and authorities were determined to prosecute Jesus but struggled with a consistent testimony against Him. Jesus was steadfast and did not succumb to their antagonistic attacks and accusations. He remained composed and continued to affirm His identity as the Son of Man. Peter denied that he knew Jesus when he was identified to be one of Jesus’ followers.
The following points stood out for me:
The tide of popular sentiment can lend credence to falsehood and cause justice to be compromised.
Even Peter, when faced with potentially dire consequences of standing up to the truth, became afraid and lost his identity as a follower of Jesus. However, when Jesus was prosecuted, He held firmly to His identity and did not waver.
This led me to ponder on whether, when the going gets tough, would I compromise the truth to conform to the secular world or remain steadfast like Jesus? In the face of dire consequences, would I dissociate myself from being identified as a Christian?
I witnessed a situation in which a Christian colleague shared with me that she was going to speak up against someone who had misunderstood her for the things she felt she was doing right in the workplace. She prayed about it and was directed by God to be bold and to speak up with grace. While she suffered from the backlash of her actions and faced harsh consequences, things changed for the better after that. As events unfolded, I watched how God worked and how my colleague was used by Him to initiate the change, but she first had to take that step of obedience despite putting herself at risk. Just as Jesus was a sacrificial lamb for us, we too are sometimes called by God to make sacrifices in order to lay the foundation for a better future for others. To be rooted in our identity in Jesus, to be obedient to act when God calls, to be set apart and uphold righteousness against popular sentiment and suffer pain are all lessons I need to learn.
I pray that we will be able to carry our identity in Christ everywhere we go, and that every day, when there is an opportunity to act on our beliefs, we will seek God and rise to the occasion.
DISCUSSION POINTERS:
1. How often do you pray for your workplace and ask God to help you shine a light for Jesus there?
2. Do you disappear into the crowd like Peter so that you will not need to be identified as a Christian who bears the hallmark of Jesus?
3. Do you try to form support groups for others to help them grow in Christlikeness and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit?
