SESSION 5
A Life of Persecution
Question 1:
When have you had to prepare for something you knew would be difficult?
THE POINT
Living like Jesus means being treated as He was.
THE PASSAGES
John 15:18-25; 16:1-4a
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Many questions related to the Christian life don’t fall into life and death categories:
What’s your favorite version of the Bible?
How can I be a better group member?
If a church has a meal at the end of a service, is that called a dinner, a potluck, a fellowship, or an afterglow?
Questions like these have lower stakes. However, other questions about our walk with Christ carry great weight:
Am I prepared to suffer well?
Am I ready to be hated for the sake of Jesus?
Suffering may not be a common topic of conversation in our lives, but suffering for the sake of Jesus—being persecuted because we follow Him—is something He told us to expect. In John 15 and 16, on the heels of Christ’s command for us to love one another, the Lord warned us to prepare to suffer along with other believers. Jesus wanted to help us understand that living connected to Him means we will be mistreated like He was mistreated. But we can endure the hard times because He is with us and He is worth it.
JOHN 15:18-21
18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.
20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me.
This is a difficult passage to read. But it’s also beautiful and logical. It’s difficult, because reading that the world hates the followers of Jesus is jarring, even scary, for those of us who follow Jesus. It’s beautiful because it reminds us that we have been loved and called by our Savior out of this sin-filled, hostile, fallen world into a world of life. Jesus’ words are also logical. People who have been brought into the kingdom of God still live in the earthly realm; therefore, they are going to seem weird, wrong, and out of place to the people of this world. Our hearts, minds, values, and priorities are foreign to those who are not followers of Jesus. But we are still here—“sticking out” and standing out because we choose not to live like the world.
Verse 20 says we are servants of our Master, Jesus. Throughout this study we’ve seen how our Master wants us to live, love, and obey as we live connected to Him, but His ways are not the ways of the unbelieving world. His ways appear strange to the rest of the world. Christianity is supposed to be strange to the world around us. Following Jesus is supposed to look different. And conflict—even hatred—is inevitable as a result.
DIGGING DEEPER
Persecution of the Disciples
The reaction of the world to the disciples, simply stated, will parallel the world’s reaction to Jesus. The theme of the world’s hatred permeates this entire section, and is exceedingly vivid.
If Christians think that the message of love in Christ will generally be well received by the world, they are in for a big surprise, just as the disciples had to learn. Love is not the usual pattern in social orders where power and domination are rampant and where the Good News runs counter to cultural commitments. Disciples of Jesus are, accordingly, advised to take this section very seriously as they contemplate their relationship to the world.
It is not difficult to understand the clarity with which Jesus details the hatred of the world. Jesus modeled the standard of God, and that meant his very presence in the world was a reminder to the world of its evil works and God’s resultant judgment.
The situation was, for the recipients of this Gospel, not some distant possibility. The Christian community had already been excluded from the synagogues and had suffered martyrdom throughout the Roman Empire. For them to read these words struck a painful cord of realism. They were in the midst of suffering. But they were also reminded that their resurrected Lord had also walked the way of being hated. The “before you” in the text is important here. They had been informed of what was to come. But hearing about and experiencing persecution are not the same. Jesus knew that hatred was the mark of the world just as love was to be the mark of the authentic Christian.
Gerald L Borchert, John 12-21, vol. 25B in New American Commentary, E. Ray Clendenen, gen. ed. (Nashville: B & H Publishers, 2002), Logos.
What we believe and what the world believes don’t always line up. Our belief and trust in the resurrected Jesus support everything in our lives. We live with a desperate longing for the return of Christ. At times, we live so moved by what He did to give us that hope that we fight against our sinful human nature in order to be like Him. And when we are like Him, we are not like so many others in the world. We are aliens. We are strangers. We are hostiles. We “are not of the world.”
There comes a point when the culture around us says, “We won’t take this ‘Jesus stuff’ anymore.” The thinking of the kingdom of heaven is too foreign and too offensive to the culture so that the followers of Jesus are persecuted just as Jesus was persecuted. As Jesus said, “ ‘If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.’ ” When we bear the name of Jesus and live like Jesus, persecution is sure to come.
Question 2:
When have you seen someone encounter opposition for following Jesus?
JOHN 15:22-25
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin.
23 The one who hates me also hates my Father.
24 If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated me for no reason.
When Jesus said, “ ‘If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin,’ ” He was not saying He brought sin upon those who heard Him. What He brought was a full picture and realization of the truth and an opportunity for people to accept Him. As Leon Morris noted:
“The seriousness of rejecting Christ is brought out. Jesus does not mean, of course, that the Jews would have been sinless had he not appeared. But he does mean that the sin of rejecting God as he really is would not have been imputed to them had they not had the revelation of God that was made through him. But now, as things are, they have no excuse. There is no way of covering up their sin.” 1
No one is without excuse. Even those without a gospel witness have the general revelation of nature to point them to God (Rom. 1:18-20). Jesus is talking about those who clearly have no excuse, for they saw and heard Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Jewish people witnessed the best thing that could ever happen to them—Jesus Himself. Tragically, they rejected that which they needed most. Having witnessed what they needed most and rejecting it, they remained in their sin.
The people saw Jesus serve extravagantly. Jesus taught brilliantly and passionately. Jesus healed freely and lovingly. He ushered in a new kingdom of repentance that leads to life, showing people that He was the answer to their deepest need. The people saw all this, and they violently opposed Him. For many, the truth was revealed, but hatefully rejected. This is still happening today.
My wife and I were at a restaurant with some friends from church, including a woman who was new to our church. At some point during dinner, she shared how her eyes had been opened to who Jesus is. She was from a Muslim family in a Middle Eastern country, but by the Holy Spirit working through the gospel, she became so clearly convinced of her need for Christ that she was willing to make the huge break from her culture, accept Christ, and become a Christian. She said she had been so excited about what she was experiencing in Jesus that she thought her parents would be open to the gospel as well. But, when she shared with them what God had done in her heart, her father told her to leave the house; he never wanted to see her again. I asked her when she had last seen her family, and her answer was surreal. She said, “I haven’t seen them in a few years. I talk to my mom every once in a while, but she tells me to stay away because my dad wants me dead.”
The truth was there. She found and embraced the truth in Jesus. She shared that same truth with her family, but they so thoroughly rejected the truth that they kicked her out and even threatened to kill her. We hate to hear that, but it is the reality of two worlds—two kingdoms—coming into conflict. The world continues to reject Jesus despite the beautiful truth He has revealed.
Question 3:
What are some biblical truths that people just don’t want to hear?
JOHN 16:1-4A
1 “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling.
2 They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God.
3 They will do these things because they haven’t known the Father or me.
4a But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you will remember I told them to you.
Those who hate Jesus also hate His followers, and they don’t just express this hate in their emotions; they also display it in their actions. We shouldn’t be shocked; in fact, we should be prepared. Such persecution may be as “mild” as ostracism—“They will ban you from the synagogues”—or as extreme as killing—“A time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God.”
All the disciples who first heard Jesus speak these words were killed for following Jesus, except John, who wrote this Gospel. And they weren’t the only ones. The early church experienced periods of persecution and martyrdom. For 2,000 years men and women all over the world have suffered and died because they were following Jesus. Even today, people pay the ultimate price for their faith in Christ. The 2020 report from Open Doors® indicated that 260 million Christians suffered “high to severe levels of persecution” between November 1, 2018 and October 31, 2019 for their faith, including these estimates:
Eight Christians are killed every day.
182 churches (or Christian buildings) are attacked every week.
309 Christians are jailed for their faith every month.
Those numbers reflect only the top 50 nations where Christians suffer most. Estimates are that an additional 50 million could be added if we include other nations where persecution occurs. 2
Question 4:
How does knowing something will be difficult help you prepare for it?
Jesus wanted His followers to be well aware of what could happen. “ ‘I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling.’ ” I hope you hear a ring of encouragement in that. Jesus knows; none of this will ever catch Him by surprise. He is still God, and God is still in control. In addition, He promised the presence of His Holy Spirit in the previous verses (John 15:26-27). Persecution may come, but we’re not alone—and persecution is not the last chapter.
Matthew Henry wrote: “There were a world of people that opposed Christ and Christianity …. I fear, if we should put it to the vote between Christ and Satan, Satan would out-poll us quite.” 3 That quote makes me smile because there is no vote. No poll. No arm wrestling, cage match, or sprint to the finish will decide the outcome of the conflict between Jesus and Satan. There is only the inevitability of Jesus. There will just be a Sovereign Creator who triumphs in the end.
Let your heart be comforted. Persecution is scary, but it can’t impact the outcome. Christian, Jesus gave you this warning “to keep you from stumbling,” not to keep you from losing. With these words, Jesus was, in a sense, reporting the news as He won the war. Jesus knows what’s going to happen. He knows what’s going to happen as His people are persecuted just like He knows His people are victorious forever in Him. Therefore, we don’t anticipate persecution with our fingers crossed hoping things will work out. We anticipate persecution with our hands folded, knowing the battle has already been won. The cross isn’t coming, it’s already happened. Death has been destroyed. The moment the martyr’s sword touches one of God’s children, life begins with Him forever. We have no battle left to win. Jesus spoke matter-of-factly about hatred that will certainly come to us, but we can rest confidently in Him because He has already won the battle. Jesus would conclude His teaching to His disciples with this wonderful truth: “ ‘I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.’ ” (John 16:33).
Question 5:
How can Jesus’ warning keep us from stumbling?
ENGAGE
List traits or characteristics of Christians who stand out from the world.
Choose one you would like to more fully develop in your own life.
LIVE IT OUT
We do not wrestle alone with the prospect of persecution. We have fellow Christians around the world today, suffering without stumbling. Jesus Himself was persecuted and attacked. He suffered and faced hatred, so we are not alone.
Thank. Thank God for the freedom we have to worship Him. Thank Him that believers in our country have not experienced persecution like other believers around the world.
Pray. Pray for the Christians who are being persecuted around the world.
Partner. Partner with your small group to identify a missionary serving in a place of Christian persecution. As a group, make plans to support them financially. You can find help with this at imb.org.
END NOTES
1. Leon Morris, The Gospel according to John (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995), 604.
2. Jayson Casper, “The Top 50 Countries Where It’s Hardest to Be a Christian, Christianity Today, January 15, 2020, christianitytoday.com/news/2020/january/top-christian-persecution-open-doors-2020-world-watch-list.html.
3. Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994), 2020. [Lifeway Adults (NaN). (p. 62). Bible Studies for Life: Senior Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. Lifeway Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
A Life of Persecution
Question 1:
When have you had to prepare for something you knew would be difficult?
THE POINT
Living like Jesus means being treated as He was.
THE PASSAGES
John 15:18-25; 16:1-4a
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Many questions related to the Christian life don’t fall into life and death categories:
What’s your favorite version of the Bible?
How can I be a better group member?
If a church has a meal at the end of a service, is that called a dinner, a potluck, a fellowship, or an afterglow?
Questions like these have lower stakes. However, other questions about our walk with Christ carry great weight:
Am I prepared to suffer well?
Am I ready to be hated for the sake of Jesus?
Suffering may not be a common topic of conversation in our lives, but suffering for the sake of Jesus—being persecuted because we follow Him—is something He told us to expect. In John 15 and 16, on the heels of Christ’s command for us to love one another, the Lord warned us to prepare to suffer along with other believers. Jesus wanted to help us understand that living connected to Him means we will be mistreated like He was mistreated. But we can endure the hard times because He is with us and He is worth it.
JOHN 15:18-21
18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.
20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me.
This is a difficult passage to read. But it’s also beautiful and logical. It’s difficult, because reading that the world hates the followers of Jesus is jarring, even scary, for those of us who follow Jesus. It’s beautiful because it reminds us that we have been loved and called by our Savior out of this sin-filled, hostile, fallen world into a world of life. Jesus’ words are also logical. People who have been brought into the kingdom of God still live in the earthly realm; therefore, they are going to seem weird, wrong, and out of place to the people of this world. Our hearts, minds, values, and priorities are foreign to those who are not followers of Jesus. But we are still here—“sticking out” and standing out because we choose not to live like the world.
Verse 20 says we are servants of our Master, Jesus. Throughout this study we’ve seen how our Master wants us to live, love, and obey as we live connected to Him, but His ways are not the ways of the unbelieving world. His ways appear strange to the rest of the world. Christianity is supposed to be strange to the world around us. Following Jesus is supposed to look different. And conflict—even hatred—is inevitable as a result.
DIGGING DEEPER
Persecution of the Disciples
The reaction of the world to the disciples, simply stated, will parallel the world’s reaction to Jesus. The theme of the world’s hatred permeates this entire section, and is exceedingly vivid.
If Christians think that the message of love in Christ will generally be well received by the world, they are in for a big surprise, just as the disciples had to learn. Love is not the usual pattern in social orders where power and domination are rampant and where the Good News runs counter to cultural commitments. Disciples of Jesus are, accordingly, advised to take this section very seriously as they contemplate their relationship to the world.
It is not difficult to understand the clarity with which Jesus details the hatred of the world. Jesus modeled the standard of God, and that meant his very presence in the world was a reminder to the world of its evil works and God’s resultant judgment.
The situation was, for the recipients of this Gospel, not some distant possibility. The Christian community had already been excluded from the synagogues and had suffered martyrdom throughout the Roman Empire. For them to read these words struck a painful cord of realism. They were in the midst of suffering. But they were also reminded that their resurrected Lord had also walked the way of being hated. The “before you” in the text is important here. They had been informed of what was to come. But hearing about and experiencing persecution are not the same. Jesus knew that hatred was the mark of the world just as love was to be the mark of the authentic Christian.
Gerald L Borchert, John 12-21, vol. 25B in New American Commentary, E. Ray Clendenen, gen. ed. (Nashville: B & H Publishers, 2002), Logos.
What we believe and what the world believes don’t always line up. Our belief and trust in the resurrected Jesus support everything in our lives. We live with a desperate longing for the return of Christ. At times, we live so moved by what He did to give us that hope that we fight against our sinful human nature in order to be like Him. And when we are like Him, we are not like so many others in the world. We are aliens. We are strangers. We are hostiles. We “are not of the world.”
There comes a point when the culture around us says, “We won’t take this ‘Jesus stuff’ anymore.” The thinking of the kingdom of heaven is too foreign and too offensive to the culture so that the followers of Jesus are persecuted just as Jesus was persecuted. As Jesus said, “ ‘If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.’ ” When we bear the name of Jesus and live like Jesus, persecution is sure to come.
Question 2:
When have you seen someone encounter opposition for following Jesus?
JOHN 15:22-25
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin.
23 The one who hates me also hates my Father.
24 If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated me for no reason.
When Jesus said, “ ‘If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin,’ ” He was not saying He brought sin upon those who heard Him. What He brought was a full picture and realization of the truth and an opportunity for people to accept Him. As Leon Morris noted:
“The seriousness of rejecting Christ is brought out. Jesus does not mean, of course, that the Jews would have been sinless had he not appeared. But he does mean that the sin of rejecting God as he really is would not have been imputed to them had they not had the revelation of God that was made through him. But now, as things are, they have no excuse. There is no way of covering up their sin.” 1
No one is without excuse. Even those without a gospel witness have the general revelation of nature to point them to God (Rom. 1:18-20). Jesus is talking about those who clearly have no excuse, for they saw and heard Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Jewish people witnessed the best thing that could ever happen to them—Jesus Himself. Tragically, they rejected that which they needed most. Having witnessed what they needed most and rejecting it, they remained in their sin.
The people saw Jesus serve extravagantly. Jesus taught brilliantly and passionately. Jesus healed freely and lovingly. He ushered in a new kingdom of repentance that leads to life, showing people that He was the answer to their deepest need. The people saw all this, and they violently opposed Him. For many, the truth was revealed, but hatefully rejected. This is still happening today.
My wife and I were at a restaurant with some friends from church, including a woman who was new to our church. At some point during dinner, she shared how her eyes had been opened to who Jesus is. She was from a Muslim family in a Middle Eastern country, but by the Holy Spirit working through the gospel, she became so clearly convinced of her need for Christ that she was willing to make the huge break from her culture, accept Christ, and become a Christian. She said she had been so excited about what she was experiencing in Jesus that she thought her parents would be open to the gospel as well. But, when she shared with them what God had done in her heart, her father told her to leave the house; he never wanted to see her again. I asked her when she had last seen her family, and her answer was surreal. She said, “I haven’t seen them in a few years. I talk to my mom every once in a while, but she tells me to stay away because my dad wants me dead.”
The truth was there. She found and embraced the truth in Jesus. She shared that same truth with her family, but they so thoroughly rejected the truth that they kicked her out and even threatened to kill her. We hate to hear that, but it is the reality of two worlds—two kingdoms—coming into conflict. The world continues to reject Jesus despite the beautiful truth He has revealed.
Question 3:
What are some biblical truths that people just don’t want to hear?
JOHN 16:1-4A
1 “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling.
2 They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God.
3 They will do these things because they haven’t known the Father or me.
4a But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you will remember I told them to you.
Those who hate Jesus also hate His followers, and they don’t just express this hate in their emotions; they also display it in their actions. We shouldn’t be shocked; in fact, we should be prepared. Such persecution may be as “mild” as ostracism—“They will ban you from the synagogues”—or as extreme as killing—“A time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God.”
All the disciples who first heard Jesus speak these words were killed for following Jesus, except John, who wrote this Gospel. And they weren’t the only ones. The early church experienced periods of persecution and martyrdom. For 2,000 years men and women all over the world have suffered and died because they were following Jesus. Even today, people pay the ultimate price for their faith in Christ. The 2020 report from Open Doors® indicated that 260 million Christians suffered “high to severe levels of persecution” between November 1, 2018 and October 31, 2019 for their faith, including these estimates:
Eight Christians are killed every day.
182 churches (or Christian buildings) are attacked every week.
309 Christians are jailed for their faith every month.
Those numbers reflect only the top 50 nations where Christians suffer most. Estimates are that an additional 50 million could be added if we include other nations where persecution occurs. 2
Question 4:
How does knowing something will be difficult help you prepare for it?
Jesus wanted His followers to be well aware of what could happen. “ ‘I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling.’ ” I hope you hear a ring of encouragement in that. Jesus knows; none of this will ever catch Him by surprise. He is still God, and God is still in control. In addition, He promised the presence of His Holy Spirit in the previous verses (John 15:26-27). Persecution may come, but we’re not alone—and persecution is not the last chapter.
Matthew Henry wrote: “There were a world of people that opposed Christ and Christianity …. I fear, if we should put it to the vote between Christ and Satan, Satan would out-poll us quite.” 3 That quote makes me smile because there is no vote. No poll. No arm wrestling, cage match, or sprint to the finish will decide the outcome of the conflict between Jesus and Satan. There is only the inevitability of Jesus. There will just be a Sovereign Creator who triumphs in the end.
Let your heart be comforted. Persecution is scary, but it can’t impact the outcome. Christian, Jesus gave you this warning “to keep you from stumbling,” not to keep you from losing. With these words, Jesus was, in a sense, reporting the news as He won the war. Jesus knows what’s going to happen. He knows what’s going to happen as His people are persecuted just like He knows His people are victorious forever in Him. Therefore, we don’t anticipate persecution with our fingers crossed hoping things will work out. We anticipate persecution with our hands folded, knowing the battle has already been won. The cross isn’t coming, it’s already happened. Death has been destroyed. The moment the martyr’s sword touches one of God’s children, life begins with Him forever. We have no battle left to win. Jesus spoke matter-of-factly about hatred that will certainly come to us, but we can rest confidently in Him because He has already won the battle. Jesus would conclude His teaching to His disciples with this wonderful truth: “ ‘I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.’ ” (John 16:33).
Question 5:
How can Jesus’ warning keep us from stumbling?
ENGAGE
List traits or characteristics of Christians who stand out from the world.
Choose one you would like to more fully develop in your own life.
LIVE IT OUT
We do not wrestle alone with the prospect of persecution. We have fellow Christians around the world today, suffering without stumbling. Jesus Himself was persecuted and attacked. He suffered and faced hatred, so we are not alone.
Thank. Thank God for the freedom we have to worship Him. Thank Him that believers in our country have not experienced persecution like other believers around the world.
Pray. Pray for the Christians who are being persecuted around the world.
Partner. Partner with your small group to identify a missionary serving in a place of Christian persecution. As a group, make plans to support them financially. You can find help with this at imb.org.
END NOTES
1. Leon Morris, The Gospel according to John (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995), 604.
2. Jayson Casper, “The Top 50 Countries Where It’s Hardest to Be a Christian, Christianity Today, January 15, 2020, christianitytoday.com/news/2020/january/top-christian-persecution-open-doors-2020-world-watch-list.html.
3. Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994), 2020. [Lifeway Adults (NaN). (p. 62). Bible Studies for Life: Senior Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Spring 2022. Lifeway Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]