Still Happening  (John 15:26-16:4)

It was reported recently that 23 Christians were massacred by Muslims in Nigeria — another event in the ongoing persecution of Christians around the world.

Last week in Seattle … a group of Christians were worshiping and trying to minister to the needs of their community when they were infiltrated and attacked by Antifa — Anti-fascists — mostly because of the Christian’s stand of a Biblical view of sexuality. They actually threw balloons filled with urine at the Christians.

And our own Federal government has used a law passed to arrest and prosecute those in organized crime — like the Mafia — against those who protest outside abortion clinics … who are mostly Christians.

I could go on and on … and you can probably give me your own examples of persecution here in the US against those who stand for a Bible view of sex … and those who believe the life begins at conception.

And we also know that around the world there are continuing reports of Christians being arrested, thrown in jail, and even killed. 

I have already told you that more Christians were killed in the 20^th Century than in the previous 19 centuries combined simply for being Christians — and the trend … unfortunately … continues now … one-quarter of the way through the 21^st Century.

As we read through the annals of church history we would find that this is nothing new — in fact, it has happened so often that we should not be surprised when we hear about it. 

In the Gospel lesson appointed for this day … the Sunday after the ascension Day, we read beginning in John 15:26 – John 16:4: these words: … 

““But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.  They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.”’

The lesson in Chapter 15 — with Jesus telling his Apostles again that the Helper … the Holy Spirit would come. 

These words of Jesus are part of our Savior’s words to his Apostles on the last night of his earthly life. 

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Jesus had celebrated the Last Supper with his Apostles … he had identified his betrayer … now he has given them some final instructions.

In Chapter 14 he tells them about the coming of the Holy Spirit — 14:16,17: 

““And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.””

Then he tells them again here in 15  that things are going to happen to them as they bear witness to him — as they tell others about him. 

We see that Jesus tells them what the Holy Spirit will do — ““He will testify of Me.”” 

Going back to John … Chapter 14 … this is similar to what Jesus has already told them — 

““But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and BRING TO YOUR REMEMBRANCE all things that I said to you.””

The things that the Holy Spirit will testify of and bring to remembrance are the things that Jesus taught them throughout the three years he has been with them …  among other things … 

— as to why he came — that he would die for the sins of those who believe in him … that he would rise from the dead and ascend into heaven … 

— along with the many other things that Jesus taught his Apostles. 

This is the work of the Holy Spirit — as the Apostles fulfill what Jesus has told them they will do … 

— ““And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.””

You need to remember some of the last words that Jesus said to the Apostles … when he commissioned them … in Matthew 28:18-20: 

““And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”” 

Similar words were then said to the Apostles prior to his ascension recorded for us in Acts 1:8: 

““But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

As we continue in our Gospel lesson, Jesus is telling them that as they do HIS work — bearing witness — that they can expect to be persecuted … 

— look again at what he says in John 16:2:  ““They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.”” 

Jesus tells them they can expect opposition … they can expect difficulties … they can expect to thrown out of the synagogue … they can expect to be killed — so don’t be surprised when it happens. 

But notice the interesting thing that he tells them as to the attitude of those who do these things — ““yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service …”” 

Sounds exactly like Muslims killing Christians or doing suicide bombings in the name of Allah!

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Jesus tells them that the reason that they will do these things is because they don’t really know God …

— THAT GOD IS NOT THEIR FATHER.

““And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.””

I am reminded of a number of times where this is played out in the Scriptures. 

We think of the Pharisees, Scribes and the other religious leaders during the time of Christ. 

They had heard of his miracles and they had even seen some of them — the man born blind … the raising of Lazarus from the dead … the two feedings of the multitudes … 

— and yet … they would not believe … they could not believe — because God was not their Father. 

Instead they conspired — and were successful — in having Jesus put to death … all … I need to add … in the divine plan of God.

Another example is that of the Apostle Paul — before he became Paul — when he was still Saul.  

In Acts chapter 7 we read of the stoning of Stephen — who was stoned for standing for Jesus Christ. 

Just read Acts 7 and see how the Holy Spirit moved Stephen to give an account of Israel’s history — to bear witness to Jesus — finally telling them this in Acts 7:51-52: 

“”You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers …”” 

It was after this that the people stoned him … and Saul … soon to be Paul was there … watching their clothes!

Then at the beginning of the Acts 8:1-3 we read: 

““Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.””

Let me read that again … ““As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.””

We see that Saul … a Pharisee … was very zealous — thinking that he was pleasing God in what he was doing — persecuting what he perceived to be the Christian heresy. 

And just prior to his vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, we read in Acts 9:1, 2: ““Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.””

This was who Paul WAS!!!  BEFORE CHRIST revealed himself to him!

Then … listen how Paul describes himself in Philippians 3:4-6: 

““If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.””

And in 1 Corinthians 15:8,9, in describing the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus he says: ““Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.””

In the name of God he persecuted the church of God … he had people put to death because of their faith in Christ as Savior and Lord.

You might have seen the meme on Facebook which pops up occasionally …  saying that those who Paul had killed welcomed him into heaven … and some people could NOT believe that this was exactly what happened!

Those that objected DO NOT understand Salvation by grace through faith alone! 

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There are many today that persecute the Christians — and in many different ways. 

I’ve already mentioned those who stand against the killing of pre-born children.

And there is persecution to those who want to honor the Lord’s Day by worshiping and resting. 

There was a news story about a man — a Christian — who was fired from his job because he refused to call someone by their “preferred pronouns.”

There are a variety of other reasons why people persecute Christians — thinking that they are pleasing God in one way or the other — you can possibly think of some. 

But we find that Jesus says — don’t be surprised. 

They do these things because … as Jesus said: ““they have not known the Father nor Me.”” 

AND if God is NOT their Father — then we know that Satan is their father. 

This is exactly what Jesus told the Pharisees and Scribes. 

In John 8:42-44 we read: ““Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.””

WOW! Jesus certainly pulled no punches … and really laid into them for who they were.

This … my friends … is the foundation of why there is persecution — because those who are not Christians have the devil as their father … 

— and these are THE ONLY TWO OPTIONS that we find in the Scriptures!

We either belong to God through the Lord Jesus Christ or we belong to Satan. 

THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND … THERE IS NO NEUTRAL POSITION!

And if we belong to God … we can expect persecution. 

As we bear witness to God … people will be against us — individually and as a church. 

We can count on it.

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Other than the fact that Jesus said that it would happen … and the fact that it happened it him … and the fact that it has happened to millions and will continue … 

— in my mind … which you’ve probably heard me say before … I believe that one of the most convincing reasons for persecution against us is found in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16: 

““Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?””

This is such a POWERFUL PASSAGE and the image that it presents is remarkable:   

— it says that we … as Christians … have an aroma — to other Christians we have THE AROMA OF LIFE LEADING TO LIFE.  

Did you ever meet an stranger … and say there is something different about them … and then you find out that they are Christians … THIS IS WHY …

…. we have THIS AROMA OF LIFE LEADING TO LIFE. 

But to the non-Christian we have THE AROMA OF DEATH LEADING TO DEATH. 

Here it is in a nutshell — this is why there is persecution of the Christian by the non-Christian … 

— because we have the aroma of their death around us — THEIR SPIRITUAL DEATH.

And so we have to see the connection — If we are proclaiming AND living the gospel then we will be persecuted — Jesus says: 

““But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.””

If we are being faithful witnesses to the Lord Jesus Christ … then we can expect persecution in one way or another. 

If we say that there are only two sexes … we will be persecuted.

If we say that alternate lifestyles are sinful … we will be persecuted.

If we say that Jesus is the only way of salvation … we will be persecuted.

All I can say … is be prepared … because true Christianity … and living a life faithful to God and the Scriptures … is NOT for the faint of heart.

So … let us be faithful witnesses to the gospel of Jesus Christ … and if persecution comes … know that it was promised to us by our Savior … 

AND it means that we are his children and we belong to him … that we have been adopted into his family!