Hold On, Christian!

HOLD ON, CHRISTIAN!

Text: Matthew 26:47–56
Theme: Some things the Christian needs to hold on to in the last days.

Opening Thought

Matthew 26 records the last days of Christ’s earthly ministry: the Last Supper, His betrayal, arrest, and the beginning of His mock trial for blasphemy (vs. 37). Judas gave the soldiers a sign—"Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast" (v. 48). When the they laid hold on Jesus, His disciples fled, fulfilling Zechariah 13:7.

The challenge for us today is this: ✋ Hold on to Jesus and never let go—not for salvation (which is secure), but out of love and loyalty and for fellowship until He returns.

I. ✋ Hold Fast (v. 48)

💡 Definition: To hold firm; a strong, unloosened grip; to stick close to what is pursued.

  • Judas used this phrase with evil intent—grip Jesus so He can’t get away.

  • We must use it for good—grip Jesus so nothing can pull us away from Him.

📜 Scriptures:

  • Song of Solomon 3:4 — "I held him, and would not let him go…"

  • Proverbs 18:24 — "…a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

🔹 What to Hold Fast To:

  1. ✅ That which is good (1 Thess. 5:21; Matt. 28:9)

  2. 📖 Sound words (2 Tim. 1:13; Phil. 2:16)

  3. 💪 Your confidence (Heb. 3:6; Acts 28:31; 1 Jn. 5:14)

  4. 🗣 Your profession (Heb. 4:14)

  5. 🙏 Your faith (Heb. 10:23; 1 Tim. 4:1)

  6. 👂 What you’ve heard (Rev. 3:3; Rom. 10:17)

  7. ⏳ Until He returns (Rev. 2:25; Phil. 4:5)

💬 Quote: “When you have Jesus in your grasp, you hold eternity in your hands—never let go.”
📖 Illustration: A mountain climber clinging to a rope—his life depends on his grip. Let go, and the fall is certain.

II. 📅 Hold Faithfully (v. 55)

📖 What Jesus Did Daily:

  1. 📚 Spent time in the word.

  2. 🗣 Taught the word.

  3. ⛪ Ministered the word in the synagogue.

🛠 What We Should Do Daily:

  1. 🙏 Spend time with God in prayer and His word.

  2. 📖 Be taught by the Holy Ghost through reading and studying his word.

  3. 🤝 Stay faithful in the ministry of the word at church (Heb. 10:24–25).

⚠ Warning: Some hear the word but never lay hold of it (Mark 4:4–7). Don’t have a loose grip on the truth. Many hold it in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18)
📜 Key Verses: Titus 1:9 — "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught…"; Philippians 2:16 – “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”

💬 Quote: “Faithfulness is not a matter of convenience, but of commitment.”
📖 Illustration: Like Daniel opening his window to pray three times a day, even under threat of death.

III. 🤝 Hold Fidelity (vv. 57–60)

💡 Definition: Firm adherence to one to whom we are bound; loyalty; adherence to truth.

  • Many have loyalty to a group, cause, or opinion—few to Christ Himself (2 Tim. 3:4–5).

  • Jesus is the Faithful and True Witness (Rev. 19:11).

  • Our loyalty must be to:

    1. 👑 Jesus, who is faithful and true above all.

    2. 📜 His words — Rev. 21:5.

    3. 🕊 What is true — Phil. 4:8.

💬 Quote: “Loyalty to Christ means saying ‘yes’ to Him even when the world says ‘no.’”
📖 Illustration: Soldiers standing by their king in the heat of battle, refusing to retreat.

Closing Illustration

💎 In 2003, a man lost a $10,000 diamond ring because he took a call and loosened his grip—it slipped away forever.
💻 Another James in Wales accidentally threw away a hard drive containing over $900 million in bitcoin; it has never been recovered.

📌 Lesson: If you don’t hold on to what’s precious, you can lose the benefit in an instant.
🚀 Application: Hold on, Christian! Christ is coming soon!

Jeffrey smith