Many people may think that Cancel Culture is something new, but Cancel Culture is nothing new, it’s been around for a very long time. For those who don’t know what we mean by Cancel Culture, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as, “the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure.” Jesus had to deal with Cancel Culture when He walked this earth over two thousand years ago. The Pharisees and Sadducees wanted nothing better than for Jesus to disappear because of what He was preaching. He was called out in a synagogue by a priest who objected to Jesus proclaiming that He was the Messiah. (Luke 4:14-30) When they heard Jesus’ teaching, they thought He was doing away with the Law handed down by Moses by going against all of the man-made laws that had been added by them. But in our Bible Journaling Scripture today, Jesus says, “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17 CSB) The religious leaders of the day did NOT like it when Jesus called them out, calling them “white-washed sepulchers” (Matthew 23:27-28) because they forced man-made laws upon the people but didn’t honor them themselves except in public where everyone would see.
Jesus fulfilled everything the Scriptures foretold about Him. The religious leaders of the day either didn’t understand what He was teaching or understood and refused to believe that He was the Messiah. They were so upset with Him that they plotted to kill Him, and even accomplished it, but the result was not what they wanted. Instead of squelching Jesus’ teachings, what He taught was spread throughout the world. All of this was done in fulfillment of the prophecies about Jesus that they had read in Scripture.
In his commentary on Matthew, J. Vernon McGee states, “Remember that part of the Mosaic Law was the ceremonial law. Christ was the sacrifice for the sins of the world, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth. Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill the Law. He fulfilled it in that He kept it during His earthly life. And the standard which was set before man He was able to attain, and now He is able to make over to you and me (and every believer) His own righteousness. God’s standards have not changed, but you and I cannot attain them in our own strength. We need help; we need a Savior.” That Savior is Jesus Christ!
Jesus had to endure attacks by those who hated Him. Jesus knows what it’s like to have people “cancel” Him from their lives. They would have nothing to do with Him. I’m sure it broke His heart because He came to help them, and they refused His help and His love. Therefore, He knows what it’s like when we have people who push us aside, take us out of their lives, etc. and He showed us how to deal with them. What did He do? He loved them! Even though they came against Him with everything they could think of, Jesus still tried to reach out to them.
Sometimes though, there are those in our lives whom we must distance ourselves from because of what they do or say against us. That is heartbreaking because as much as we love them, it isn’t healthy to have a close relationship with them. That is when we must pray for them, and even though contact is limited, we need to try and show them Jesus’ light within us, in the hope that they will one day come to Jesus and accept His salvation.
When others have turned their backs on us cancelling us from their lives, then we must love them even more. It is heartbreaking especially when they are family members. Even though we desire a relationship with them, we must try to be an example for them of how a Christian handles being on the receiving end of Cancel Culture. Jesus goes on later in His Sermon on the Mount to say, “ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matthew 5:44 KJV) Jesus did just that!
That’s how He dealt with Cancel Culture in His day. He loved them and gave us an example to follow when we become the object of Cancel Culture today. Jesus fulfilled the law in everything He did when He was on earth. His fulfillment of Scripture is what gives us hope. His death, burial, and resurrection, which was all foretold, saves us and we become adopted into His family when we ask Him to live inside us and be Lord, Master, and Savior of our lives. In His family, we are never canceled by Him!
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