Jesus wanted His disciples to persist despite rejection, so He gave them a heads-up about what was to come. John 16: 2 For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.[1]
There was already a precedent for ejecting followers of Jesus from the synagogues. John 9: 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue.[2] As a result, many believers were afraid to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah openly. John 12:42 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue.[3]
Misplaced Service
Jesus’ prophecy about persecutors killing believers but thinking they were serving God came true quickly. Jewish leaders were enraged when Stephen accused them of murdering Jesus the Messiah. Stephen became the first Christian martyr as the result of a mob stoning him to death.
Saul of Tarsus considered the followers of Jesus to be a heretic group and wanted to purge them from Judaism. Acts 9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. [4]
Then, not only Jewish persecution but also Roman persecution occurred. King Herod put the Apostle James to death to win favor with the Jewish leadership. Acts 12:1 About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. 2 He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword.[5]
Persist in Love
Jesus had just finished teaching on love before He warned of persecution. John 15: 17 This is my command: Love each other.[6] Persecution was sure to come, but the disciples needed to react to this with love. First of all, they needed the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to discern truth. What would Godly service look like in their situation? Then they would need to proceed in love with the strength that Jesus would provide.
Throughout history, we have seen zealous disciples harm others in the name of serving God. We can’t force anyone to believe; that is an individual choice. It is better to err on the side of mercy. Our methods of serving God must be consistent with His command to love. We can persist despite rejection, but we must do it in a God honoring way. To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/when-the-road-gets-hard
[1-6] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.