“And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.”(Acts 23:11)
Paul had spent years blazing the missionary trail throughout the Roman Empire, but that chapter of his life had now closed, and a new one had begun. This was the first imprisonment of this new chapter, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Over the next decade, he would spend most of it in some form of imprisonment.
Our verse today is a beautiful reminder from the Lord Jesus. Of the five times Jesus personally spoke to Paul, this was the last recorded instance, setting the tone for the remainder of his life—a final word for the final years.
The Lord Stood by Him
Notice that the verse says, “the night following.” Paul had nearly been killed by the Jews in the temple, captured by the Roman soldiers, hatefully rejected by his countrymen, and locked in a prison cell. He had now spent 24 to 36 hours reflecting on the choices that had led him there. No doubt, he recalled the warnings others had given him. He may have imagined the conversations taking place—"We tried to tell him! He’s just so stubborn!"
Alone in a prison cell and, perhaps worse, alone with his thoughts. It may have been the loneliest day of his life.
Yet, he wasn’t alone at all. “The Lord stood by him.” What a comfort! Even when we are separated from everyone else—whether by physical bars, like Paul, or by the circumstances of life—we can never be separated from Jesus. No prison, no barrier, no hardship can keep Him away.
Paul’s next chapter would be filled with loneliness, yet it seems that Jesus would be closer to him than ever before. How else could he go on to write about the riches of heaven in the prison epistles?
Be of Good Cheer
Jesus wasn’t just standing there—He had something to say: “Be of good cheer.”
Can you imagine? Good cheer—in such a place, at such a time? Is that even possible?
Go read Philippians, and you’ll see that these words weren’t an empty attempt at comfort. There is real joy to be found in Christ, even in the harshest environments. What followed this command were the very reasons Paul could be genuinely cheerful—not just that night, but for the rest of his life. And if these words were enough to carry Paul through years of separation, imprisonment, and even to the executioner’s block, then they will surely be enough to carry us through the trials of our lives.
He Knows Who You Are
Jesus said, “Paul.” What a joy to know that He knows our name! Remember Mary at the tomb—when she mistook Jesus for the gardener, but the moment He spoke her name, she knew it was Him. “His sheep hear His voice.”
Paul had first heard that voice on the road to Damascus. But this time, Jesus didn’t call him "Saul"—He called him Paul. That was significant. Throughout his ministry, Paul had wrestled with his identity. He often returned to the Jews, seeking their acceptance, only to find rejection, while the Gentiles were ready to hear. In Acts 21, he went so far as to shave his head, take a vow, and nearly offer a sacrifice just to appease the Jews who thought he had taken this "grace thing" too far.
But with one word—"Paul"—Jesus cleared up the identity crisis. You are the apostle to the Gentiles. This is who you are. Paul finally embraced this truth. Read Philippians 3, where he counts all his Jewish birth and heritage as dung compared to his position in Christ! We, too, can be of good cheer when we stop trying to fit into a mold set by culture or others and instead embrace the identity Christ has given us.
He Sees What You Have Done
Jesus continued, “For as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem.”
The Lord was assuring Paul—I saw what you did. Sometimes, we think our efforts were in vain because they didn’t produce the results we had hoped for. We prayed, we preached, we pleaded with a loved one, and yet they walked away, unchanged. A missionary or pastor may pour their heart into a town or church, only to see no visible fruit.
This can be discouraging—doing what we know God called us to do, yet facing rejection. We begin to second-guess ourselves: “Maybe I wasn’t supposed to be here. Maybe I came on my own accord.” But Jesus reassures Paul: I saw your service. And He wasn’t measuring success by results, but by obedience.
In fact, the Lord was so pleased with Paul’s witness in Jerusalem that He wanted him to do the same in Rome! Dear Christian, rest assured—He knows who you are, and He knows what you have done.
He Has a Purpose for Your Future
Lastly, Jesus gives Paul hope: “So must thou bear witness also at Rome.”
Not only did the Lord acknowledge his past service, but He assured Paul that there was still more to do. God wasn’t done with him yet!
Be of good cheer, Christian—if you have breath in your lungs, God still has a purpose for you. Paul’s trailblazing days were over, but his ministry was far from finished. He was still a chosen vessel to bear Christ’s name before Gentiles, kings, and Israel.
It may have seemed like everything had come to a screeching halt, but in reality, the most fruitful days of Paul’s ministry were still ahead. He would see Rome. He would hold house church while under arrest. He would write at least five more books of the Bible. He would receive glorious revelations from the Lord.
Best of all, Jesus, who stood by him that night, continued to stand by him until the very end.
“At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” (2 Timothy 4:16-17)
Dear Christian, whatever chapter of life you are in, you can and should be of good cheer. He knows you. He sees all that you have done. He has a purpose for you as long as you have breath. And at the end of your days, I believe you will testify as Paul did:"Nevertheless the Lord stood with me."
Be of good cheer.
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