John 16:1-4a, The Hour Is Coming

16:1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”

Jesus speaks these difficult words to his disciples for one primary reason: to keep them from falling away. Following Jesus will not be easy, especially in the early days for his Jewish followers because they will be ostracized by their own, even thrown out of their places of worship. Like Saul of Tarsus, these Jews will think they are obeying God and persecute Christians to honor God and protect his name. Radical Islamic fundamentalists are doing the same thing to Christians today in an even more horrific way. These Christians need to hear these same words of Jesus to keep from falling away, and we should be praying for them daily as they come under demonic assault.

These persecutors are enemies of Jesus, who do not know the Father, and will not come into a right relationship with God until they, like Saul, experience the mercy of God in Jesus. Toward the end of his life the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “Formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:13-16)

Too many Christians seem more interested in judging others than being prayerfully devoted for their conversion to a right relationship with God in Christ. The world is going to judge people harshly. But we Christians should be praying for the mercy and grace of Jesus to overflow upon all sinners, that like Paul, they may have their own Damascus Road experience. Jesus tells all of us that his followers will be persecuted. He also tells us to pray for our persecutors and for all who are lost.

Lord Jesus, change the hearts, minds, and the very souls of those who do not know you, especially those who persecute your Bride, the Church. Pour out your mercy and love upon them, that they may see the error of their ways and realize that they are actually persecuting you. Bring them to repentance and true faith for the sake of your kingdom on earth. Amen.