The Jesus Manifesto: The Persecution Paradox
Matthew 5:10-12
Chenoa Baptist Church
Pastor Jefferson M. Williams
It Has Begun
It’s been fourteen months since that fateful day in September 2026. In a landmark, unprecedented seven to three vote, the Supreme Court labeled Christianity a “hate group,” and outlawed the practice of Christianity in the United States.
When we first heard the news, no one was certain what would happen. There were so many questions but they were all answered on Black Sunday. The weekend after the court decision, tensions were running high. Would churches make the decision to meet anyway? And if they did, what would happen?
Many churches defied the court ruling and gathered to worship. I’ll never forget that day. Pastors were drug out of the pulpit by the authorities. Many of the better-known pastors were executed in front of their congregations, some of them on live TV, as a warning.
After that day, chaos reigned. Anyone who claimed the name of Christ was subject to arrest. People lost their jobs. Businesses were burned. Homes were ransacked.
Prison camps popped up all over the place. They came to be called, “Doberman Camps,” because prisoners were housed in dog cages.
Closer to home, the churches in Chenoa were all burned and looted. First Baptist Chenoa was hit especially hard. Several bombs were denoted on a Sunday morning, killing many and wounding many more. Bulldozers showed up the next morning and razed the building to the ground.
Maxine was told to stop mentoring her high school girls and she refused. She is now in heaven. The boys sent my grandchildren to live with their grandfather in the new nation of Texas, which succeeded from the U.S. six months ago.
A worship pastor friend of mine has been in the Peoria camp for the last six months. A neighbor informed the authorities that he was singing worship music. He was dragged out of his house and we haven’t seen him since. His guitar was bashed to pieces and left in his front yard.
The Chenoa church, denominations are now irrelevant, meets at a house in the country at 2:00 am Sunday morning. We can’t come at the same time or that will raise suspicions, so it takes a few hours to get everyone in the basement.
Our host brings Bibles, now illegal to possess, out of a hidden compartment and passes them around. We can’t access the Bible on our smartphones because the authorities can trace that activity.
Church is different. Every one of us has lost everything we owned. Most of us have lost a loved one or had a family member inform on us. [if you have lost a love one in the last purge, please stand up] Prayers are more like groaning – whispered in the common language of suffering. We quietly sing, “Lord, I Need You,” and it is no longer just a good song that we used to hear on the radio, (Christian radio and television are no more), but a cry of hurting hearts to a listening God.
I’ve been arrested three times, beaten and tortured. They found out I was a runner and took a crowbar to my left knee. They told me if they caught me preaching again, that would be my death sentence. I struggle to my feet as this small underground church looks to me expectantly. We make the sign of fellowship to each other. What do I say to people experiencing so much suffering? Where do I turn to give them a word of hope? I open my Bible and close my eyes and thank God that we will all be home soon.
Obviously, my introduction was fictional. It hasn’t happen in our country, yet.
But it’s not fiction for millions of Christians who live in places in the world where persecution and suffering are a normal part of following Jesus. In fact, more Christians have been killed in the last 100 years for their faith than in the last 1900 combined.
Beatitudes Recap
Ten weeks ago, we began this series on a gentle sloping hill on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was surrounded my two concentric circles of people. The inner circle was comprised of His disciples and the outer circle was the crowd who were listening in on Jesus’ sermon.
The crowd was anticipating a Messiah – a political revolutionary that would rise up, overthrow Roman rule, and establish the Kingdom of Israel to its former glory.
Jesus’ words cofounded the crowds. He didn’t sound much like a revolutionary. In fact, He didn’t sound like anyone they had ever heard before.
He sits comfortably with a smile on face and opens with:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:3)
I can just see people turning to each other with looks of confusion on their faces.
Jesus continues with:
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt 5:4)
This didn’t sound like a speech to rally the faithful to arms.
Then:
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matt 5:5)
At this many in the crowd started to walk away. A little boy asked his dad why they are leaving, “He’s just not who we thought he was son.”
Jesus makes it clear that only those who are spiritually bankrupt and who understand that they bring nothing to their salvation except the sin that would nail Him to the cross would be blessed with an eternal home.
Only those who feel deep sorrow over their sin and confess and repent will be comforted with the gift of forgiveness.
Then our posture of heart will be one of humility, authenticity, and grace that Jesus calls meekness.
The disciples of Jesus find themselves empty of self and pride. Jesus continues:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matt 5:6)
Filled with what? The character of Christ:
“Blessed are the merciful, they shall obtain mercy.” (Matt 5:7)
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt 5:8)
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matt 5:9)
This is how a follower of Jesus lives out their faith in a lost and dying world. But Jesus wasn’t done. Remember that it isn’t a “to do list” it is more a “to be list.” He had one more beatitude and this one would be the blessing that no one asked for!
The Persecution Paradox
Let’s read this together:
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12)
I can imagine even the disciples shaking their heads at this beatitude. If Jesus is trying to start a political revolution, this is a very strange way to do it.
But if He has another kingdom in mind, this is the beginning of something big.
Ray Pritchard lists six reasons why we can’t ignore this instruction:
1. This last beatitude serves as a test for all the others. Enduring persecution is as normal as being merciful or making peace.
2. This is the longest beatitude and the hardest to embrace.
3. It’s the only beatitude with a command, “Rejoice and be glad!”
4. It’s the only beatitude with an explanation.
5. It’s the only one repeated twice. Jesus is saying we are “doubly blessed” when persecution comes our way.
6. This beatitude is addressed directed to you and I.
Let’s walk through these verses together and see what God will teach us this morning.
This lost and dying world will bring the persecution. It’s not a matter of “if” but when.
Not “If” but “When”
If you were to flip through the religious programming on TV or the web, you would find a lot of the preachers hawking what we call the “prosperity Gospel.” In this false Gospel, God is a cosmic vending machine that bows to your every whim and want. His main desire is to make you happy, healthy and wealthy. If you just do the right things in the right way, which usually requires you to send them money, then a Lexus will drop out of the sky and your apple tree will start growing $50 bills. If you just have enough faith you will never be poor, or sick, or have anyone mistreat you.
The Bible just doesn’t teach this. Contained in the pages of Scripture is actually a very different gospel than that – the Gospel of persecution.
Jesus said, “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20)
Let me give you just three sections of Scripture that makes this clear.
Paul wrote to his young preaching protégé Timothy:
“In fact, everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…” (2 Tim 3:12)
Peter agreed:
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (I Peter 4:12-13)
To the church at Philippi, Paul wrote:
“I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him…” (Philippians 1:27-29)
The Disciples Led the Way
Jesus told the disciples that, “they would be handed over to be persecuted and be put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me.” (Matthew 24:9)
After Jesus ascended, the disciples didn’t go on book tours, or build their dream mansion, or ask for seed money to buy a new Mercedes Benz camel.
James was beheaded. It is said that on his way to be martyred, his accuser was so impressed by his courage and conviction that he repented of his sin, committed himself to Christ, and was then beheaded along with James.
Phillip was scourged, thrown into prison, and then crucified.
Matthew was slain with a sword.
James the Less was stoned to death.
Matthias was stoned and then beheaded.
Andrew was crucified and then left hanging on the cross for three days.
Peter was crucified upside down at his own request because he did not feel worthy enough to be crucified in the same manner as the Lord.
Jude (Thaddeus) was crucified.
Bartholomew was beaten with clubs and then crucified.
Thomas was speared to death.
Simon the Zealot was crucified.
John was exiled to an island called Patmos where he died as a prisoner.
These men were willing to die for what they believed in. They died with Jesus’ words echoing in their ears:
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (Matt 16:25)
Because of Me
Let’s focus on two phrases in these verses – “because of righteousness” and “because of me.”
Jesus qualifies the blessing and narrows it down to persecution brought on by a Christ-Follower’s allegiance to Him and His Kingdom.
If you do not wear deodorant and people don’t want to sit beside you, that is not persecution.
If you eat onions and try to kiss your wife and she says no, she is not persecuting you.
If someone “unfriends” you on FaceBook because you are being obnoxious, that’s not persecution.
I worked with a student who was very outspoken about his faith. He would sit at the cafeteria table at lunch with a composition book that he kept his “cussing chart.” He would write down all the cuss words that his tablemates would say and then tell the teachers after lunch.
He asked me once, “When I try to share the Gospel with them, they make fun of me. Why?” I had to explain to him that he wasn’t being persecuted. He was being jerk!
When Maxine and I lived in Ft. Meyers, we would walk the beach right by a large hotel where college kids stay during spring break.
A group of Christians would set up on the beach right in front of this hotel. They carried signs that read, “Fornicators go to hell” and “Drunkenness is a sin.” The leader stood on a box with a bullhorn and yelled at the hundreds of college kids lounging in the sand.
When the students would mock him, he claimed that he was being persecuted for the sake of Jesus.
Maxine can attest that I almost burst into tears listening to him. I wanted to tackle him, hold him down, and say, “You are not being persecuted for righteousness sake. You are being obnoxious, arrogant, graceless, and rude.”
“If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” (I Peter 4:15-16)
The blessings come to those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. What does that look like?
Jesus Freak
Let’s look at verse eleven to see three kind of persecution that we will experience because of our relationship with Jesus.
A. When people Insult you
This word means to unbraid, chide, taunt, defame, or called names.
Peter, who knew his share of persecution, wrote:
“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” (I Peter 4:14)
In Antioch, there were a people called “The Way,” it was a weird sect of Jews that claim to follow a dead Messiah. They people mocked them and labeled them, “Christians,” which means “little Christs.” It was an insult. But it stuck and there are now more than 2 billion little Christs in the world.
A Nobel Prize laureate wrote the words to a song called, “Property of Jesus.”
Go head and talk about him because he makes you doubt / because he has denied himself the things you can’t live without / laugh at him behind his back just like the others do / remind him of what he used to be when he comes walking through / He’s the property of Jesus / resent him to the bone / You’ve got something better / you’ve got a heart of stone
A few decades later, three guys from Liberty University put it this way,
What will people think / When they hear that I'm a Jesus freak??What will people do when they find that it's true??I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak?There ain't no disguising the truth
Followers of Jesus will be verbally abused. It happens all over the world. You may be called a “bigot,” or a “hate-monger.” Maxine and I have been called “Bible-thumpers.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.” (Luke 6:22)
B. When people persecute you
This Greek verb means to “chase away or pursue with hostile intent.” This is exactly what Paul (then known as Saul) was doing before he met Jesus. He went from town to town hunting Christians like he was on a safari. He collected the coats for the men that stoned Stephen. He was on a mission to rid the earth of these little Christs. But then he met the Christ on a road to Damascus and his life was never the same. In fact, the Christian hunter became the hunted. The one that inflicted so much suffering, now would suffer for Jesus willingly:
“I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked…in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.” (I Cor 11
After being imprisoned, flogged, and ordered not to speak the name Jesus anymore:
“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” (Acts 5:41)
The writer of Hebrews gives us this description of what happens to those who stand for their faith:
“There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them.” (Hebrews 11:35-38)
There are more than sixty countries in which Christians are routinely bullied, physically attacked, tortured, imprisoned, and murdered. Nearly two thirds of the Christians in the world face this kind of persecution.
I heard this story as a brand new Christian and it made such an impact on me that I have never forgotten it.
A Chinese house church was meeting and they were not registered with the government. Armed soldiers with machine guns came inside and interrupted the service. They said that they would let people go if they would simply renounce Jesus and spit on the Bible on the altar. One by one, people started to line up to spit on the Bible and were allowed to leave.
A twelve-year-old girl with long black hair made her way to the front of the church. She took the Bible off the altar and placed it on the floor. She knelt and began to wipe the spit on its pages with her hair. The rest of the congregation watched in horror as a young soldier put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger. The world was not worthy of that young woman!
It’s been said that the “blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” The church in China has exploded in the last decades, in part, because of the courage of people like this girl.
Just this past week, China cracked down on churches. They took the crosses off the buildings, took the pews or chairs out and burned them, and physically attacked anyone who would get in their way.
We are not persecuted when we can’t pray before a football game or if the Target clerk says, “Happy Holidays” to us. To call what we experience persecution is an affront to the Chinese pastors who have been in prison for years, to the North Korean Christians in labor camps, and to Nigerian children abducted by Boko Haram.
C. When they falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me
The last form of persecution Jesus lists is incredibly insidious. This phrase means to lie about, spread slander and gossip, or misrepresent or misquote someone intentionally.
We learned the little saying wrong when we were kids. “Sticks and stones may break your bones but words, especially these kind of words, can break your heart.”
Pastors in Turkey are increasing being arrested and charged with spying and treason. The charges are a sham and everyone, including the courts, knows it. But many are facing prison or even the death penalty.
You may be lied about at work. You may have a rumor spread about you at school. You are misquoted by a neighbor.
What are we to do when this happens? You won’t believe what Jesus commands us to do.
Jumping for Joy
Look at verse twelve. Rejoice and be glad. This phrase is a command and literally means to “jump for joy.”
James, the half brother of Jesus, actually begins his book in the Bible with these words:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3)
Bill Prater lists four reasons why we can jump for joy when persecution comes:
1. Persecution confirms our relationship with Jesus. It’s been said that satan only shoots at moving targets. If you are experiencing persecution, it’s actually a good sign.
2. Persecution makes us rely on Jesus more. Paul, in the section of 2 Corinthians where he talks about his “thorn in the flesh,” writes:
“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:10)
3. Persecution cultivates in us righteousness:
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (I Peter 5:10)
4. Persecution helps us to look ahead to our reward. Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven. In fact, that’s the promise that goes with this beatitude, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Tim 4:18)
Polycarp was the bishop of the town Smyrna, which means he oversaw all the pastors in that area. We know the story of his death from a letter from an eyewitness. It’s the first mention of Christian martyrdom outside the New Testament.
Polycarp had been trained by John and by the time of his death was eighty-six years old.
The Jews became enraged and demanded that the authorities seize the “atheist” Polycarp. He had gone to another village and while in prayer for the church, he had a vision that his pillow caught on fire. He said to one of his helpers, “So that it is. I will be burned alive.”
When the Romans soldiers came to arrest him, he offered them a meal and asked if he could pray for an hour. After praying for nearly two hours, he told them he was ready to go. Many of the guards reported being ashamed of arresting such a noble man.
The proconsul told him to have respect for his old age and “swear by the fortune of Caesar and say, “down with the atheists.” Polycarp turned the crowd that was shouting for his death, pointed at them and “down with the atheists.” This enraged the proconsul.
He said, “Reproach Christ and I will set you free.” Polycarp then uttered these now famous words:
“86 years have I have served him,” Polycarp declared, “and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”
They attempted to burn Polycarp alive but eyewitnesses reported the flames did not consume him. He was finally stabbed to death as people cheered.
Polycarp’s faithfulness set fire to a whole new generation of Christians in Smyrna. He saw the big picture. Or as fellow martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal:
“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
The Applause of Heaven
Stephen was the first martyr in the church era. After giving a powerful sermon about the history of Israel’s stubbornness and pride, he was stoned to death.
While we was being stoned,
“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:55-56)
Do you notice anything different about that verse? Where is Jesus right now? At the right hand of the Father…sitting. But Stephen sees Him standing. Max Lucado makes an educated stab at what is happening. Jesus, seeing Stephen stand boldly and proclaim the Gospel and being murdered for it, stands to His feet and maybe, just maybe, applauds and says, “Way to go. That’s my guy. Hang on Stephen. I’ll see you very soon.”
Are you N
In Mosel, Iraq, Christians homes and marked with the Arabic letter “N.” This symbol stands for Nazara, the Arabic word for Christian. ISIS puts this symbol on a house was meant tell the family that they will be put to death unless they convert to Islam or pay a huge fine which no one can afford.
Just as the word Christian was originally meant as an insult, this symbol has been co-opted by Christians all over the world.
It’s easy to die for Jesus. The real question is, “Are you N?” Will you live for Him?
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