After the death and resurrection of Jesus, it wasn’t long before the leaders of the rapidly growing Christian church began to experience persecution.

One time when the Apostles were arrested and put in jail by the Sanhedrin, the religious rulers of Judaism, an angel came and set them free. When the jailers went to check on the Apostles, the locks were all intact but the prisoners had vanished! Imagine how the Apostles rejoiced at their miraculous release.

Soon there were reports that the Apostles were back teaching the people in the city. The Sanhedrin had them re-arrested, but this time they were flogged, then released.

In the first century flogging was a severe form of punishment that often resulted in extensive bleeding and infection – even death. This time no angel came. There was no miraculous deliverance. Yet what was their response? The Bible tells us, “The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name [of Jesus].”

Now, if I correctly understand what the Bible is teaching here, it’s telling us that the essence of the Christian life is not in pleasure or in pain. It’s not in success or in failure. It’s not that our dreams come true or do not come true. The essence of Christianity is that we find our satisfaction in Jesus Christ, no matter what the circumstance. Whether released from jail by an angel or flogged with no deliverance from God; either way, we rejoice to be counted worthy of suffering for Jesus.