Persecution

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 11th of January, 2026.  A recording of our service may be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams for the older services or https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch3115/streams for later services.]

As I mentioned last week, today is when we celebrate the baptism of the adult Jesus in the River Jordan by His kinsman John.  Persecution began almost immediately, when Satan set his sights on Jesus there in the wilderness.  Of course, God kind of set this up since He had His Holy Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness, there to be tempted by the devil.  But the persecution that our Lord had to endure started much, much earlier than this.  In fact, it began within days of His birth.

We’ve been listening as the Apostle Matthew recalled for us the birth of Jesus and the visit of the wise men from the east.  Now please pay attention as Matthew continues with his Christmas story into an event that is often overlooked or ignored, or forgotten, one that is not so pleasant to read and recall, as recorded in verses 13 through 23 of the 2nd chapter of his Gospel account, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible this morning…

13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the Child and His mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”

14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the Child and Mary, His mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called My Son out of Egypt.”

16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

18 “A cry was heard in Ramah —

weeping and great mourning.

Rachel weeps for her children,

refusing to be comforted,

for they are dead.”

19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the Child and His mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the Child are dead.”

21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and His mother. 22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. 23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

--Matthew 2:13-23 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, thank You so much for sending Your angel to warn Joseph of King Herod’s evil plan.  And thank You for giving Jesus and His earthly family safe passage to Egypt to escape the carnage that ensued.  Father, this was just the first of many persecutions that Your Son and His church would endure at the hands of the rulers of the people and those that serve Satan.  Jesus was able to withstand all persecution and temptations, but we are not always as strong.  Please give us the strength and the courage to stand against evil, to resist temptation, and to endure any persecution because of our faith in and love of Your Son Jesus.  Please forgive us, Father, when we falter and let doubts creep in, when the pain we experience becomes too great.  Help us be more like Your Son in our reaction to whatever comes our way.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand our message today.  This we humbly pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Back in 1989, the magazine Today in the Word recalled that, “During China's Boxer Rebellion of 1900, insurgents captured a mission station, blocked all the gates but one, and in front of that one gate placed a cross flat on the ground.  Then the word was passed to those inside that any who trampled the cross underfoot would be permitted their freedom and life, but that any refusing would be shot.  Terribly frightened, the first seven students trampled the cross under their feet and were allowed to go free.  But the eighth student, a young girl, refused to commit the sacrilegious act.  Kneeling beside the cross in prayer for strength, she arose and moved carefully around the cross, and went out to face the firing squad.  Strengthened by her example, every one of the remaining ninety-two students followed her to the firing squad.”

How strong is our faith?  This is a tough question that we need to ask ourselves, maybe ask each and every day.  We may not really know the answer until we’re faced with a similar lose-lose situation.  But would we have the courage, the strength, the willingness to walk to our death just for doing what is right, just because of our faith and belief in Jesus?  Would we respond like that girl and the 92 that followed her, or like one of the first seven, more concerned with this life than the next?  It’s a tough question.

Now, I’m sure very few, if any, of us will ever have to choose between Jesus and death.  Most of us have never faced any greater persecution than funny looks or disparaging comments if we show any sign of our faith.  A lot of Christians are hesitant to even pray over their meal in public, worried about what other people may think or say, concerned about upsetting someone, afraid of any consequences that may arise from it.  I think of that as self-inflicted persecution, or self-intimidation.  I am very encouraged to see more and more people giving thanks for their meal each time we eat out.  It’s kind of like the girl, doing what is right in the sight of God and not being worried about the consequences.

In my invocation, I quoted a verse from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, when He said that we are the light of the world, like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.  Just a few moments earlier in that sermon, in what we call the Beatitudes, Matthew recorded Jesus blessing us in verses 9 through 12 of the 5th chapter of the Apostle’s Gospel account…

9 “God blesses those who work for peace,

for they will be called the children of God.

10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,

for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are My followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.”

--Matthew 5:9-12 (NLT)

OK, show of hands…  How many of us would feel happy and glad to be persecuted, to be mocked and have all kinds of nasty, untruthful things said about us?  When Jesus tells us to be happy and glad, He’s trying to remind us that the faithful have been mistreated all along.  He’s saying that when we put our faith and belief ahead of our earthly, bodily concerns, when we do what is right even under threat of persecution, we will be greatly rewarded in heaven.

Now you may not have noticed, but Jesus did not use the word “if” in that passage.  It’s not that we should be happy if we are persecuted because we follow Him, it’s that we should be happy when we are persecuted because of our faith.  It’s going to happen, in one form or another, to one degree or another.  Jesus knew this.  That’s why He also said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  Persecution is certainly a trial, and it can clearly bring sorrow to the persecuted.  And ultimately, the persecutor will also be sorry for their actions and words.  But we believers need to remember that Jesus has already conquered the world.  He did it on the cross.  He did it for you and for me.

Family, the Christian church has been persecuted since its founding, with a young Pharisee named Saul vigorously rounding up believers for trial.  The church is still being persecuted, and the persecution is growing, spreading, reaching even here into these United States, where many came for religious freedom.  Jesus promised that in this life we would suffer many trials and tribulations, and that includes persecution.  Yet we must not give up.  We must not hold back the Gospel to those who would demand we be quiet.  We must not surrender to those who would destroy the church.

Trust in the Lord, and lean on Him for strength.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, who has overcome the world.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for sending Your Son to redeem us of our sin and to offer us salvation through our faith and belief in Him as the Christ and our Lord.  He came and overcame the world so that we might have eternal life.  But we know that for now, Satan has the run of the earth.  He is doing all he can to destroy our Lord’s church, through deceit, through temptations, through persecution.  His agents are everywhere, making this life difficult for believers, hoping to break our faith.  Father, please forgive us those times we let our faith slip and weaken.  Please strengthen us and keep reminding us of what You have in store for us once this life is finished and the next begins.  And please help us do a better job of sharing our Lord Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and Jesus’ sacrifice.  

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your word, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, shortly after Your birth, Herod ordered the slaughter of innocent boys in an attempt to kill You and end the supposed threat of a new King of the Jews.  This was the first time You and Your earthly family faced persecution.  And it didn’t end there.  Throughout Your mortal life, the powers that be tried to have You silenced, tried to destroy You and then Your church.  Thank You, Jesus for showing us how to face persecution and trials.  Thank You for reminding us of what awaits us in heaven if we just keep hold of our faith, no matter what befalls us.  Please strengthen us and encourage us to keep pressing forward with our mission of teaching others about You.  Help us reach out to the non-believing world, sharing the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Holy Spirit, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this world might offer.  All this we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.