When Persecutions Come

Luke 21:5-19

Life is not easy, as we all can attest to.  Little children often wish they were grown up, but once we get there, we see how difficult life is.  Often it is filled with troubles and even persecutions. Christians are certainly no exception. The Church has faced persecution right from the start, and for true believers, the struggle has not stopped since then.  Looking back over the centuries, we can see that the path of the true Church is in reality a trail of blood, the blood of martyrs. In our Scripture passage today we read how Jesus warned His disciples of what they would face in the days and years ahead.

As our passage opens, Jesus is in Jerusalem, just days away from His crucifixion.  As He and His disciples are walking through the streets of the city, they draw near to the Temple, and they point out to Jesus what a magnificent building it is (vs. 5-6).  This was not the original Temple building which Solomon had built centuries earlier. That one was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. A second Temple was constructed, being completed in 515 BC.  This second Temple underwent a major renovation and expansion under King Herod the Great, beginning in 20 BC. It was this Temple, including renovations, that the disciples praised. Jesus then spoke a prophecy of the coming destruction of the Temple by the Romans, which occurred in 70 AD.  Since that time, there has been no Temple in Jerusalem.

Jesus proceeds to warn the disciples of the persecutions and troubles that will come their way because of their faith in Him.  The first thing He warns them of is that there will be false messiahs, those who pretend to preach the truth, but in reality their message is damnable heresy (vs. 8).  These false messiahs have come and gone for centuries, and we still see some of them preaching their unbiblical message today. Jesus warns us not to be fooled by them or be led astray.

Jesus also warns us that there will be natural disasters and persecutions to come.  However, through them all He will be with us, and will protect us. God will always remain in control.  Every detail in our life is safe in His hands. Jesus wasn’t saying that Christians would be exempt from suffering.  Believers and followers of Jesus will suffer persecution in this world, but not a hair on our head is touched without God’s permission (vs. 18).  Even if we die for Jesus, it will be according to God’s purpose and timing. Our eternal life with Him is secure. Believers can never suffer spiritual or eternal loss.  We are saved for eternity. We do not need to worry, but stand firm in our faith.

One persecution that some Christians face is the possibility of family members and assumed friends betraying them to the authorities during a time of severe governmental persecution (vs. 16).  Even when they abandon us, the Holy Spirit will remain with us. He will comfort us, protect us, and give us the words we need when called upon to give an official defense to those in power (vs. 14-15).  Knowing this should give us courage and hope to stand firm.

God can use persecutions to be opportunities to spread the Gospel message.  Paul made use of his imprisonments to further spread the message of Jesus to the lost (Acts 9:15; Philippians 1:12).  The Church has always grown and gotten stronger during times of persecution.

Conditions in this world do not seem to be improving any as time goes by.  Things actually seem to be getting worse. In many parts of the world Christians are being actively persecuted, even killed.  In other areas the persecution is more subtle. Jesus has warned us this would happen, but also gave us words of encouragement.  He will be with us no matter what we go through.