Being persecuted for your faith in Jesus began in the early church and continues today. From 1901 to 2000, more people were martyred for their faith than all the other centuries combined. [1] Satan has been desperately fighting to stop the Good News of Jesus that the Apostles first experienced as they boldly proclaimed the message of life. As the Apostles ministered to people, God enabled them to perform signs, miracles, and wonders. Such a move of God drew many people to faith and angered the religious leaders, who were jealous and had them jailed.
Although it was clear God was at work, the leaders’ hardened hearts turned away from the message of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. [2] The message of Jesus was for everyone, including religious leaders blinded by their sins. When an angel freed the Apostles, he instructed them to continue to tell people about the message of life, which they did.
Arrested for Telling Others About Jesus
Following their second arrest for proclaiming the message of Jesus, the religious leaders questioned the disciples. As they interrogated the Apostles, a high council member named Gamaliel recommended they be let go. Gamaliel said that if their message was not from God, it would die out. To further express their anger to the Apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
Acts 5:41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.[3] The Apostles could have complained about their treatment for obeying God, but instead, they rejoiced. They did not rejoice at their flogging but because they were worthy to suffer for their Savior. By rejoicing in their suffering, the Apostles turned a defeat into a victory.
Is Being Persecuted Worth the Price?
There is something about being persecuted for your faith and having to rely on the Lord to sustain you that is transforming. Because the Apostles were not afraid of being persecuted for their faith, they continued to proclaim the message of Jesus. Many disciples, such as Peter, would be martyred for their faith later in his life.
The persecution of the Apostles gave others the boldness to share the message of Jesus. It was the great persecution of Christians in China after the Communists took over in 1949 that led to an explosion in the number of Christians in their nation. The world continues to persecute Christians, but with God’s strength, you can tell others about Jesus.
To learn more about being persecuted for your faith, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/apostles-persecuted
[1] https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/modern-persecution-11630665.html
[2,3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.