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PAUL’S ARREST
MONDAY, MARCH 15
Acts 21:27-36

Matthew 26:55-56

 

“But all this was done,
that the scriptures of the prophets

might be fulfilled…”

 

PAUL’S ARREST
 
The prophecy of Agabus was fulfilled. Paul knew this would come and he was ready. In fact, he did not resist the mob. The Lord prepared him to face this arrest in order to obey God’s will. As followers of Christ, we must be ready to go through what the Lord Jesus Christ went through in His life while He was on earth. How can we call ourselves followers of Christ if we leave Him when it is rugged and uphill?
 
Accused publicly: When the Jews (who came from Asia where Paul had missions work) saw him, they publicly blamed him with false claims. They accused him of teaching “against the people, and the law, and this place” (Acts 21:28). He was labelled being against the Jews, the laws of Moses, and the Temple. He was also accused of bringing a Gentile into the temple which was unlawful for the Jews. All these were false allegations, but people believed them and were about to kill Paul when, by God’s providence, Roman soldiers arrived.
 
Arrested providentially: When the chief captain arrived, they stopped beating Paul. The chief captain inquired as to why they wanted to kill Paul. In the confusion, the people were unable to say why and how the tumult started. The Lord in His perfect timing delivered Paul from this near-death experience. He had been through similar experiences before, and he knew that when God again extended his earthly life, his work on earth was not yet complete.
 
Paul in this passage understood that the will of God for him was to face persecution. Although there were several warnings given, the Apostle knew it was God’s will for him. Every believer must also be ready to face persecution and to bravely suffer for the Lord’s sake always. Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
 
Are you prepared to face adversities in life? Do you realise how much the Lord Jesus Christ suffered for us that we may be saved to the uttermost? Let us understand that these earthly sufferings are but temporary, and the glory that awaits us is for eternity!
 
THOUGHT: Am I submissive to the will of God even unto death?

PRAYER: Father, give me the grace to face difficult circumstances in life.

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