It is more difficult for some of us to understand the pressure by the religious leaders to reject Jesus. The man whom Jesus healed was thrown out of the synagogue. That did not mean he could not attend church on the one day. It meant he could never again enter the house of worship. That meant no more animal sacrifices which in turn meant no forgiveness of sin. It meant eternal damnation, or so they thought.
It was not small sacrifice to become a follower of Jesus.
After the resurrection of Lazarus the pressure increased to the point that all were held accountable to report it if they so much as saw Jesus (John 11:57).
Christians in other countries now face the same persecution. Becoming a believer means losing family, friends and in some cases, life. Let’s pray for God to encourage them today.
