Secret Friends

Read John 18:1–19:42

28. Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”
29. A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips.
30. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.
31. It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was the Passover). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down.
32. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus.
33. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. John 19:28-33

Imagine that you are the only fan in a sold-out stadium cheering for the visiting team. Couple this with the fact that the sporting event you are attending is the championship game. Even though the stadium security forces are nearby, you know that if you raise your voice to celebrate your team’s score, you will be in danger. At times like this, secrecy has its advantages.

Unfortunately, secrecy can also be a trap. Peter learns this lesson the hard way as he tries but fails to hide his faith in Jesus. In this reading, Peter is not the only one to learn this lesson. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus also realize that it is better to acknowledge Jesus for who he is than to deny knowing him at all. For them, however, this realization comes a little too late.

The bottom line is that secrecy has disadvantages, too, especially when it comes to faith. Secret faith is no faith at all. As you read, determine to be open and honest about your faith in Christ.

We take a risk whenever we let others know that we follow Christ. We risk backlash—some may think less of us, some may question our judgment, some may even threaten our job or safety. Yet the time always comes when someone says, “Aren’t you one of his?” Or we recognize that we must say or do something that many others will see and recognize as an act of faith in Christ.

Exposing your faith may have some disadvantages. But doing so also may help you take an important step. If you’re not willing to be bold for Christ, it begs the question, Do you really believe?