THE opposite to all that Jesus has been teaching in the verses before verses 26-27 is to be ashamed of Jesus. I expect we who are disciples of Jesus know something about this. Certainly I have to confess with shame that like Peter, when the world has challenged me about my faith, I have been afraid, and in a word have been ashamed to confess my Lord. Other times I am ashamed of keeping silent for fear of the world, when an opportunity to confess Christ has been given. Being ashamed of Christ outwardly is so easy to be guilty of, but there is always renewal of Christ's love on true repentance, and forgiveness through Christ's merits. Like Peter we are so ashamed of being ashamed of Jesus, that we make sure we do not sin like this again.

Jesus knows this weakness, and so he gives this warning here, followed by an encouragement.

The warning is very serious, for it determines everlasting consequences. Faithful souls who in weakness deny Jesus, are restored to fellowship and acceptance by Jesus, and know the deep peace of forgiveness. But there are those who confess to being Christians, and even are in the ministry of Christ's church, and attain high position, who are ashamed of Jesus. Jesus' warning is for them, for if they persist in their attitude of shame, they will find Jesus will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory to judge the earth, and close the chapter of this earthly life.

This being ashamed has a very serious meaning. It is the attitude of judgement and rejection which Jesus will make when these people stand before his judgement throne on that fateful time of the last judgement. The words of Jesus to them will be depart from me for I never knew you. Jesus speaks of this at the end of chapter 25 of Matthew's Gospel. There Jesus is describing the last judgement, and he reveals there that there will be many there who had been very religious, and ministered in his name. To their surprise they hear the fateful words from Jesus "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and all his angels." They will protest their discipleship, and their religious works and caring works, but it will be of no avail.

To be ashamed of Jesus is to refuse to accept, receive, and believe on him as he is revealed in the Scriptures, and to own him as he is revealed in all his work, and the plain meaning of that work. If by human reason any point of the clear teaching of the Bible to the nature of the person of Christ and the work of Christ is refused, rejected, denied or explained away, this is by it very nature being ashamed of Jesus, and a very serious thing and will cause the damnation of the soul.

With this serious and dread warning comes a word of encouragement. In verse 27 Jesus declares that there were people standing listening to him who would not be ashamed of him or his word, but would receive it, believe it, and rest their souls upon it. This is the meaning of his words in verse 27. He says they will see the kingdom of God before they die, or before Jesus comes again in glory.

It seems at first sight that Jesus is predicting that some people standing and listening to him would still be alive when he returned a second time to judge the living and the dead. Such an understanding cannot be the case because Jesus has still not returned to judge the earth, and all those people who lived when Jesus was on earth have died physically.

When Scripture seems to be saying something that is impossible, then we have to realise that we have not understood the meaning correctly. It is easy to make the mistake here because the words of verse 27 follow directly after Jesus was speaking about the last judgement, and the setting up of his everlasting kingdom, wherein will dwell perfect righteousness.

However the words of Jesus in verse 27 have a very simple and straight forward meaning. To see the kingdom of God, is to become members of God's kingdom in this life. Jesus and John the Baptist spoke of the kingdom of God being at hand, because Jesus had come to open the way into that kingdom. We enter this kingdom of God, and become eternal members of it when we are brought to repentance by the Holy Spirit and are led to place our trust alone in Jesus for forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. The moment the Holy Spirit brings this about in a life, that person is raised to new life in Christ, and translated from the kingdom of this world, into the kingdom of God.

When Jesus says here that some of those listening to him would not taste death before they see the kingdom of God, he is speaking of the blessing of conversion and new birth, where through faith in the words of Jesus a soul is born again in the kingdom of God. We see the kingdom of God with spiritual sight, and breathe its atmosphere through faith.