Is it the messenger or the message?

Read Jeremiah 26.

These chapters are not in chronological order.  They appear to be grouped for emphasis.  The message is certainly not a new one, but we are given details not previously disclosed.

God gave Jeremiah very specific instructions for the sermon, including the exact place to deliver it.  Because of the anticipated reaction, the LORD encouraged Jeremiah with "do not hold back a word."  Obediently, the prophet went to the Temple and preached just as God had instructed him.  To call the religious leaders of the day and the gathered worshipers to repent or else brought an immediate response.  But it was not a favorable one.

When the leaders heard him pronounce impending judgment against Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, they accused him of being a false prophet worthy of death.  So, they brought charges against him before Judah's judicial leaders to hear the case.  They decided that Jeremiah was not guilty of a capital offense.  One of the elders even quoted the prophet Micah (Micah 3:12) from 70 years before in the days of Hezekiah.

Important insights can be found in Jeremiah's defense. It was based upon three crucial pillars that must be true of anyone who claims to be speaking on God's behalf.
1. The source of the message. (v.12)
"The LORD sent me to prophesy."  "Thus says the LORD" (v.4).  It was not Jeremiah's word but God's.  The test of any message today is to open the Bible and see it for yourself.  Personality preaching, cultural messages, and affirmation soliloquies are signs of false prophets.  Even though they hold a Bible in their hands while speaking does not mean their message conforms to the truth of Scripture.  Even when the Apostle Paul spoke, the listeners in Berea checked to be sure it was the truth.  "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." (Acts 17:11)

2. The choice of the message. (v.13)
God's word brought conviction of their guilt.  But, instead of hearing the hope of deliverance that was offered, they pridefully chose to attack the preacher.  Had they been worshiping and serving the LORD at the Temple with humility, their hearts would have been soft and immediately they would have desired what God wanted.  Preaching hope without confronting God's judgment on sin is a sign of a false prophet.  Both are always presented side by side in the Scriptures.  "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3:36)

3. The heart of the messenger. (v.14)
How could Jeremiah be so submissive in the face of these false accusations?  The answer is that he was innocent and his heart was pure.  If he had delivered his own message, if he had preached with insincere motives, if his life did not support the veracity of what he said, then he should have been condemned as a false prophet.  But with the grace, courage, and strength God gave to him, he stood.  "For in truth the LORD sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears."

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that in in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”  1 Peter 3:15

A good word for all of us.