Key Passage
“You must be careful. People will arrest you and take you to be judged. They will beat you in their synagogues. You will be forced to stand before kings and governors. You will tell them about me. This will happen to you because you follow me.”
— Mark 13:9 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
Another part of the believer’s future is harsh—in addition to the natural disasters and wars mentioned in previous verses. Not everyone will like Christians. Just as Jesus was hated, so also will his followers be hated. Some will be persecuted and even martyred for the sake of the faith. These are not only to be expected, they are also events that are promised before the return of Jesus. How many years the persecution will continue, we don’t know. But, they are an expected evil that we will endure before the end. However, in the process of facing these hardships, we will have the opportunity to share our faith in places we might otherwise be denied a voice—like the apostle Paul (Acts 9, 22, 26) and others like him. So we should tell folks about Jesus whether our audience is favorable or hostile. This is a part of the plan. This is our opportunity to demonstrate our faith and share our hope with a fallen world.
Prayer
O God my Heavenly Father, please give me the courage to stand my ground for my faith and never compromise. Please strengthen me through the power of the Holy Spirit to give my testimony to those who doubt, persecute, or hate me. Use me to share the hope of your Son with those in darkness. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was a good thing. Some men that truly worshiped God buried Stephen. They cried very loudly for him. On that day the Jews began to persecute the group of believers in Jerusalem. The Jews made them suffer very much. Saul was also trying to destroy the group. Saul went into their houses. He dragged out men and women and put them in jail. All the believers left Jerusalem. Only the apostles stayed. The believers went to different places in Judea and Samaria. The believers were scattered everywhere. Every place the believers went they told people the Good News. Philip went to the city of Samaria. He told people about the Christ.
— Acts 8:1-5
If you are always trying to do good, then no person can really hurt you. But you may suffer for doing right. If that happens, then you are blessed (happy). “Don’t be afraid of those people {that make you suffer}; don’t be worried.” But you should keep the Lord Christ holy in your hearts. Always be ready to answer every person who asks you to explain about the hope you have. But answer those people in a gentle way with respect. Always be able to feel that you are doing right. When you do that, the people who say bad things about you will be made ashamed. They say these bad things about the good way you live in Christ. They will be made ashamed for the bad things they said about you. It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong. Yes, it is better if that is what God wants.
— 1 Peter 3:13-17
You will be arrested and judged. But don’t worry about what you should say. Say the things God gives you to say at that time. It will not really be you speaking. It will be the Holy Spirit speaking.
— Mark 13:11
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