Once you've seen the judge, you're put back in jail - and there you sit. If they have lots of problems with you, you may be sitting for many days. The typical jail time can be anywhere from a few days to a month - maybe even longer. The length of your stay also depends on whether you are eating or not. If you are fasting, there is a chance that you will come out sooner. If you're fasting and they keep you too long, you may not walk out - you may come out in a pine box. Whether you fast or not depends on your convictions. If you're not going to fast, that's fine. If you're going to fast, then fast until the end. That's important.
The Scripture that comes to mind is, "Does not a man first sit down and determine whether he can finish the tower before he starts?"
Luke 14:28 Make sure that you have the conviction within you to complete the job. If you are going to lay your life down, then be ready to lay it down. Jesus laid His life down. Can you imagine Jesus saying to the soldiers as they are getting out the hammer and nails, "On second thought, guys, I don't think I want to be crucified. What was it you wanted Me to do? Oh, you want Me to quit preaching? Okay, I'll quit preaching. I'll do whatever you require if I can just keep living."
Jesus would not be Jesus if He had done that. The same thing goes with you. You're not His follower unless you take up His cross and follow. Don't let them intimidate you like they did Peter. It is humiliating. Imagine how Peter felt when they asked if he was one of Christ's followers? "Are you crazy? I swear I never knew the man. Get away from me!" We don't want to be like Peter - denying our Lord during the time of crisis.
One man I know had been fasting a couple weeks. We were trying to help him on the outside. We were negotiating with jail personnel to allow him to receive bottled water and fruit juices so he wouldn't have to drink the jail water. We were making progress with the jail. Then, when we had nearly completed the arrangements, the jail clerk said, "I'm sorry but your man is now eating, there is nothing left to negotiate. Have a good day!" Click.
You can imagine what that did to those who were trying to help. All the energy and effort we had made to meet the requirements of his fast ended abruptly. He had sold us all down the river. What he did wasn't kind. I don't think Jesus liked it either. How can I stress it stronger, if you are going to start something, finish it. If you're going to fast, don't break the fast until you're out of jail. The reason this man broke his fast is because he panicked. He had just gone to court and they postponed his trial for a month. He returned to his jail cell and began to calculate that he would be fasting six weeks before going to trial. "I'll be dead by then," he must have concluded. But possibly this was just another technique to test his convictions. If he would have left his life in Jesus' hands, then Jesus could raise him up. By breaking his fast midway, his stand was weakened because the jailers knew if he backed off on fasting, maybe he would also compromise in other areas - and he did.
