In the society we live in, there is this term called ‘cancel culture.’ The term springs from people who have lost jobs, contracts, businesses, future livelihood opportunities and sometimes families for standing up for what they believe to be true. This term has been politically charged in our society and has encouraged people who have the opportunity to stand against evil to do nothing. Like all other things, however, cancel culture is not new and it even played a part in our salvation.

Jesus first experienced cancel culture before He was 3 years old when king Herod tried to trick some wise men into giving him the location of Jesus so that he might kill him. When an angel warned them of Herod’s plan, they went home a different way and Herod had all the male babies two years old and under killed. Jesus’ family was given warning and went to Egypt and Jesus was spared cancellation.

Before Jesus’ ministry began, He was tempted by Satan and because Jesus was fully man, I truly believe the opportunity to fail was there. Even though Satan tried to use scripture, lust of the eyes, and lust of power to tempt Jesus, He stood firm and Satan went away from Him. Jesus was again spared cancellation.

As Jesus began His ministry, He was preaching, “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” and great crowds were following Him. After His sermon on the mount, people realized Jesus was teaching with an authority greater than the scribes and the cancellation from His peers began. Jesus would be tested by the Pharisees for the next three years trying to trick and trap Him in theological statements that would allow them to legally cancel Him. However, they failed for three years.

Then finally, Jesus’ own disciple betrayed Him, handing Him over to His peers, who arrested Him secretly in the dead of night. He was taken to the high priest’s house and they would condemn Him there before they took Him to the Roman government for a fair trial. The Roman government would find Jesus innocent and wash their hands of any responsibility of Him, knowing it was envy that brought Jesus to him. As false accusations were hurled at Him, Jesus stood silent, knowing that His cancellation was the mission. Politics seemed to win as Jesus was beaten, crucified, lowered from the cross and buried. Finally canceled, His peers rested easy.

You and I know the rest. Jesus wasn’t cancelled permanently, but rose from His grave defeating death. God undid three years of work in three days, turning Jesus’ cancellation into our salvation. Glory to God for His plan to redeem us. May we praise God in that we can endure trials and He will be our source of comfort, in this world and the one to come.