Just before returning to heaven, Jesus reminded his disciples of their assignment to give a witness about him “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8; Luke 24:46-48) A short time later, the Jewish leaders seized the apostles Peter and John and brought them before the Sanhedrin, demanding that these faithful men stop preaching, even threatening them. (Acts 4:18, 21) Peter and John said: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves. But as for us, we cannot stop speaking about the things we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19, 20) When Peter and John were released, the disciples raised their voices to Jehovah in a prayer that focused on his will. Jehovah answered that sincere prayer.​—Acts 4:31. w23.05 5 ¶11-12

For untold ages, Jehovah and his beloved Son forged a close bond of deep love and affection. Their relationship is the oldest in the universe. Jehovah clearly expressed his love for Jesus, as we read in today’s text. Jehovah could have simply said, ‘This is the one whom I have approved.’ However, he wanted us to know how much he loves Jesus, so he called him “my Son, the beloved.” Jehovah was proud of who Jesus was and of what he was about to do. (Eph. 1:7) And Jesus had no doubts about his Father’s feelings for him. Jehovah’s love was so real to Jesus that he could feel it deep inside. He repeatedly expressed with confidence that the Father loved him.​—John 3:35; 10:17; 17:24. w24.01 28 ¶8

Imagine this: Someone you care about says something terrible about you. You know that it is a lie; yet, some believe it. Even worse, they begin repeating the lie, and many others believe it too. How would you feel? Most likely, the slander would make you feel bad, would it not? This scenario can help us understand how Jehovah felt when his reputation was tarnished. One of his spirit sons lied about him to the first woman, Eve. She believed the lie. That lie led our first parents to rebel against Jehovah. As a result, sin and death entered the human family. (Gen. 3:1-6; Rom. 5:12) All the problems we see in the world​—the deaths, the wars, the misery—​have come about because of the lies that Satan has spread. Does Jehovah feel pain because of such slander and its results? Without a doubt. Yet, Jehovah is not bitter, or resentful. In fact, he remains “the happy God.”​—1 Tim. 1:11. w24.02 8 ¶1-2