They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. John 16:2
You read that right, Jesus just said "when" not "if" they kill you. Talk about courageously living the Gospel! Jesus is straight up telling his followers that they will be killed for their belief in him. And they kept following! We know the early church wasn't having an easy time of it while spreading the Gospel message. Yet they courageously persisted.
I honestly don't think you or I have to seriously worry about losing our physical life for the sake of the Gospel in America today. But what about our spiritual lives? How quickly does our faith fade when things get tough? Worse yet how quickly do we forget our faith when things are going great? Jesus is reminding us that following him was never meant to be easy. But he bookended these two verses by reminding us to be steadfast in our faith. No matter what life is throwing at you right now, pain or prosperity, remember that Jesus is with you.
God grant me the strength to persevere in my faith no matter what hardship comes my way.
