Facing ridicule

“For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Luke 23:31
Jesus spoke these words as He was being led out of the city to be crucified. We read how a crowd of people were following, some of them weeping. There is no doubt that ‘these things’ refer to His scourging and crucifixion, even though He had been declared innocent by Pilate, the Roman governor. He was in this situation, firstly because it had been prophesied, but also because of the jealousy of the priests and the Sanhedrin. ‘When the tree is green’ refers to this period of history when Jesus was walking around on the earth, God clothed in flesh. Trees are green in summer, a time of settled weather, long days where the light remains long into the evenings. This describes the period of time they were in; as John writes, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (John 1:9). Isaiah had prophesied of a time when “the people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Isa. 9:2, quoted in Matt. 4:16). But the religious leaders sought to put an end to that light, and it would seem at the crucifixion that they succeeded.
People rejected Jesus when He was walking around on this planet, when God’s presence was obvious – when the tree was green. Have you noticed how antagonistic people are about Jesus, now that He has not here? It sickens me sometimes to hear the ridicule that certain people spew out against God and against those who believe in Him. But this is simply one of the symptoms of a person who has rejected God and is living for themselves. It seems that man’s wickedness knows no bounds. It wasn’t enough for the Sanhedrin to disagree with Jesus; they campaigned for Him to be crucified. It isn’t enough for people to disagree with the Bible; they have to launch billboard campaigns and form lobby groups and shake their fists in the face of God and treat His followers with derision. This shouldn’t surprise us. Jesus told His disciples, “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed My teaching, they will obey yours also” (John 15:20). Simply stand firm in the Lord. “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).