PERSECUTION IS COMING

• Persecution Is Coming
• Ravenous Wolves
• Be Prepared
• Despite Persecution There Is Hope
• There Is Hope In Christ

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persecution is coming

In ministry comes a heavy mission and responsibility. We, as disciples of Christ, cannot be naïve. As ministers of Christ, we will all face some form of persecution as the end of this age draws near.

In fulfilling our commission, we are certain to encounter rejection and division. Yet, Jesus will give us the strength, wisdom, and even the words we may need to speak whenever we are faced with any form of opposition to the gospel, if we trust Him. That is the key. We must trust everything Jesus has said to us in the Holy Scriptures concerning what He has promised to do when we experience persecution.

In this season, it is essential that we are not cynical concerning our ministry, for such a mentality will not help us endure the things that will come. For Christ has sent us out as sheep in the midst of wolves (Matthew 10:16).

Jesus understood that His disciples would have a hard road before them—that they would suffer as He did. Hence, He said, “A student is not greater than his teacher. A servant is not above his master” (Matthew 10:24-25). Therefore, the student will share in his teacher’s fate.

A student of Christ should not only expect persecution but be prepared for it. They should be able to bear through it and continue their Kingdom work in the midst of persecution.

ravenous wolves​

In our society, wicked men are likened to wolves. Their goal is to conquer, devour, and destroy (John 10:10). God's people are easy prey among them because they are like sheep among wolves. Although the trials they will face will be frightening, they can rest assured that Christ will be with them to comfort, protect, and help His disciples bear whatever comes their way.

be prepared​

​Part of helping them to be prepared is Christ telling His disciples what they should expect to experience.
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1. They will be hated. Those whom Christ loves, the world will hate without cause (John 15:25). The Apostle Paul describes it this way: Christ’s disciples will become like the scum of the world, the dregs of all things (1 Corinthians 4:13). A Christian’s existence will make them noxious to the world. They will become objects of persecutors' ill-will because of the name Christians represent. It is for His name’s sake that Christians will encounter such hatred.
2. They will be delivered to authorities. As a result, Christ’s disciples will be handed over to aldermen—elected members of municipal councils—or to justices—members of the Supreme Court. Christ’s disciples will experience all kinds of injustices under the guise of law and justice. King Solomon states, “…in the place of justice, there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, there is wickedness” (Ecclesiastes 3:16). Because of the wickedness of man, Christ’s followers must expect to experience injustices not only from magistrates but also from governors, presidents, political figureheads, and supreme authorities. The Apostle Peter says it this way: “Be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion (fiercely hungry), seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, AMP).
3. Some will even face death. Matthew 10:21 says, “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up and rebel against their parents and cause them to be put to death.” The sad reality is that many will be put to death as criminals.
4. They will be branded with odious and shameful names. They will be called names such as Beelzebub, the prince of demons (Matthew 10:25). They will be accused of being the ringleaders of the kingdom of darkness.
5. Their suffering will also lead to division. Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not think I have come to bring peace on the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword (division between belief and unbelief). For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law” (Matthew 10:34-35).

despite persecution, there is hope

Although Christ’s disciples will suffer, there is hope. Jesus said, "He who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22). Therefore, we should not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul (Matthew 10:26, 28).

there’s hope in christ​

Despite the persecution, there is hope in Christ. We must be mindful that our persecution serves a Kingdom purpose. Verse 18 of Matthew chapter 10 states that it is a testimony (evidence) to the persecutor and the Gentile nations, bearing witness to the truth and its glorious effect. Who would have guessed that our suffering could represent the beauty of the good news? Our suffering is for the greatest name on earth. We suffer for His name’s sake.

Despite this suffering, our hope rests in Him. Enduring such tumultuous times will guarantee us the privilege of being saved by the only one who can rescue us (Matthew 10:22b, 28).
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We must remember that we, as God’s creation, are worth more than sparrows. The Lord God provides for, protects, and takes care of all of them. We are worth more than these (Matthew 10:29). The hairs of our head are numbered—every strand. He knows exactly how many strands rest on our head.