“Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions” ( Hebrews 10:32-34 )

Jesus said in Mark 4 that persecution will come after someone receives the Word of God ( Mark 4:17 ). The intent is to choke the seed from taking root and growing. If the seed can be snuffed out in the early stages then no crop will grow and flourish as result. However, Jesus also said in the Parable of the Sower of the Seed that when the Word is understood taking root, it will grow and the yield is thirty, sixty, one hundred times what was sown ( Matthew 13:23 , Mark 4:20, Luke 8:8 ).

Once the truth of God’s Word is rooted in your life then persecution has a reverse effect. We can see this from our example of the early church. They were publicly exposed to insults and abuse. They were mistreated, laughed at and even killed. They were stripped of their property, their jobs and their means of support and yet they stood their ground in the face of such hardship. Not only is this so, but others joined them, to stand side by side with those who were being so treated. Persecution merely served as a catalyst for their faith.

The reason these believers rejoiced was because they understood their reward and lasting possessions were vastly different than anything the world offers. The things they valued started changing as they saw the glory of God through suffering and hardship. James gives us this promise which we can cling to when trials come our way, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” ( James 1:2-4 ). We will always come through the fiery trails as pure gold.

The other reason these men and women could rejoice was that they bore the name of Christ. Peter tells us, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 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 4:12-16 ). Persecution and suffering happens because of the Word and because of trusting in God, so when it comes, rejoice; because you know that it is not on your account, but on the account of God that you bear the glorious name of Jesus.

We are the recipients of such faith. We enjoy the benefits of the men and women who gave their lives to pass the Word of God to us. The centuries are riddled with stories of martyrdom and suffering. These great men and women now enjoy their very great rewards and lasting possessions in the heavenly places. Paul told the church at Corinth that they not only participated in his suffering but they also shared in the comfort he received as a result ( II Corinthians 1:3-7 ). True to this idea, we also have received immeasurable comfort and joy that has come as a result of the suffering and persecution that the early church faced and we are so very thankful for their sacrifice.

“Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” ( Hebrews 10:28-31 )

I’ve only seen the movie The Passion of the Christ once. When the film was released I went to the theatre and I watched the horrific portrayal of the crucifixion of Jesus. It was a somber day. But in reality, I know the images of this movie, which are burned into my mind, do not even come close to what Jesus actually experienced; dying a criminal’s death on the cross to redeem me. We cannot even begin to imagine what Jesus went through that day. Isaiah tells us; “his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness” ( Isaiah 52:14 ). It is hard to comprehend the intense suffering our Savior endured.

Isaiah went on to tell us, in perhaps one of the most beautiful passages in scripture, that it was God’s will that Jesus suffer so intensely because the result was the justification of many ( Isaiah 53:10-12 ). He describes what Jesus went through that day. He was pierced, He was stricken and smitten by God, He was oppressed, He was afflicted, He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, He was cut off from the land of the living and He was assigned a grave with the wicked ( Isaiah 53 ) and yet in spite of all these things “He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” ( Isaiah 53:12 ). Jesus went through with this because it meant restoration for us.

In fact, Jesus died for everyone, for those who accept His grace and for those who willingly reject it. He eliminated any barrier in bringing us to God dying for all. Because of this, Jesus has inherited a name that far exceeds any name in existence and He owns a position for eternity far above any other (Philippians 2:9-11, Colossians 1:18, Hebrews 1:4; 2:8). So, imagine how dreadful it is to reject the name and person of Jesus Christ.

We see examples from the Law, anyone who rejected the law died without mercy. How much more severe is rejecting everything the law pointed to. Jesus’ blood was given to cleanse mankind of sin and the guilt associated with it. How dreadful and unforgivable it is to spurn and consider this blood unholy. How outrageous it is to reject the only One who can save. It is a public humiliation of Jesus; it is like crucifying Him over and over again.

The Holy Spirit imparts grace to mankind on behalf of God because of Jesus. He is the one to speak these truths to our hearts and to invite and draw mankind toward this grace. Repeatedly rejecting and denying this grace is an insult in the face of Jesus. How dreadful it will be for those who reject Jesus and trample the Son of God underfoot.

This is why paying attention to the message of Jesus is so very important. He took the punishment reserved for us upon Himself and bore the marks we deserve on His body. He became sin so we could become righteous (II Corinthians 5:21). If there is only one thing in life that matters, it is this; to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. By doing so, not only do we escape the wrath of rejecting Jesus, but we gain so much more. We gain eternal life wrapped up securely in our Savior. We experience mercy, grace and love in an endless and wonderful way. We experience restoration at the hand of Jesus in all things. He speaks peace and love over us and there is no fear in death. “In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (I John 4:17-18).