READ: Matthew 27:27-42
“And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him” – Matthew 27:30-31
Jesus Christ was dishonoured throughout His ministry on earth. He came to His own and His own received Him not.
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 1:10-11 He was dishonoured constantly by the Pharisees and others who hated His honest, truthful preaching.
Finally, Jesus Christ was openly attacked and dishonoured by the soldiers of the Roman Empire. The Pharisees and their militiamen openly assaulted Jesus Christ and whipped Him. Whenever God’s servant is openly attacked, we have reached the highest level of dishonour. All that happened to Jesus on the cross was a culmination of what had happened to Him in the past three years that He ministered. He had been dishonoured in many different ways.
One day, after preaching at a programme, I felt that the church did not appreciate my preaching and my efforts to minister to them. I did not feel honoured by the church or by its pastor. I had various signs to prove that I was not honoured there. But I was to receive even greater dishonour. When I received a threat that I would be attacked for my preaching, I knew that the dishonour from that encounter was real. Anytime a physical attack is threatened, you no longer need evidence that you are dishonoured. You do not have to read any more signs.
When dishonour is in the form of silence, disbelief, rejection and accusations, you may not be sure of what is happening to you. But when an open attack is threatened, you can be sure that you have encountered the highest level of dishonour.