Second Verse: “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.” (John 15:20-21)

The Lord Jesus said these words in His farewell to His disciples the night before crucifixion. In these words He emphasized on what he had said to them earlier which is that there is no servant greater than his master. He also wanted to emphasize that like Him being rejected, persecuted, and falsely accused, the too as a church will be rejected, persecuted, and will be also falsely accused. Moreover, He mentioned to them in a more direct way, “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…” (John 16:2-3). We have seen this from many extremists throughout history and until today. Some of them thought while killing Christians that they are striving for the sake of God… These are the words of Christ being fulfilled to the letter.

What is important is that the Lord Jesus wants us to remember these words and always place them before our eyes, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” Why does He want us to remember this painful situation? There is no doubt that there is a great benefit for us, let’s find out together why the Lord said these words to us?  

First: The Lord Jesus draws our attention that since the servant is not greater than his master, he must walk in the same path as his master.  Meaning that we ought to walk in the same narrow path that the Lord Jesus walked through, the path of the cross, we bear it and bear its suffering. As to he who seeks comfort, luxury in this world, he lost the correct path and deviated from his master’s footsteps. The Lord also emphasized to those who mourned Him while He was on the way to Calvary, “For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?” (Luke 23:31). This is also what St John the beloved said in his first Epistle, “Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.” (1 John 3:13).

These words should not trouble us, but rather they should make us calm and prepared to face such situations. We should never be shaken no matter how much persecution we face because Christ our God has passed through this suffering before us and defeated all the powers of evil. He passed over them and triumphed and He assures us that “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”” (John 16:33).

Second: The commandment of Christ always calls us to follow Him in the narrow path because it is the path that leads to life and eternal glory as the lord himself said, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” (John 12:26). If we suffer like our Lord, we will enjoy the glory with Him. That’s to say that if we suffer unjustly, without wrong doing but while living in righteousness like our Lord and Savior, our suffering will be counted as a fellowship of His sufferings.  Consequently, it qualifies us to be glorified with Him as the Bible reveals to us, “If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together…The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:17-18)

“If we died with Him, we shall also live with him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.” (2 Timothy 2:11-12). Therefore, we must never forget that the road that leads to glory starts with humility, commitment to follow the commandment, being prepared to accept suffering, and being patient to the end.

Third: Those who persecute us and cause us trouble are in fact living in darkness and ignorance. They don’t know what they are doing and they neither know the Father nor His love. We shouldn’t be intimidated by them, nor should we judge them, but rather we should love them and pray for them so they may change, they are ill and their medicine is love and prayer.

Fourth: We are chosen and beloved [To our Lord] this is an honor and comfort for us in the midst of our suffering. Even if the devil envies us and stirs up people against us, he will never take away our son-ship to God, His love towards us, or the glory of everlasting life.

Fifth: What do we expect form a world that is immersed in evil?  As the Lord Jesus clarified to us, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19), and in His farewell prayer, the Lord Jesus asks the Father on our behalf, “ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). Therefore, we trust that no matter how much the forces of evil are mounting against us, the grace of God will protect us and our faith will not be shaken. And we will never give up our commitment to the Biblical principles.

(To be continued.)