Triumph Over Persecution; Luke 21:16-19

Delivered during the Sunday Morning Worship Service, 5/25/2025. Jesus continues to reveal to His disciples the reality of persecution in His "Discourse on Things to Come". Having warned them they will suffer at the hands of both the Jews and the Gentiles, He reveals the unnatural hatred, betrayal and persecution that will come from the intimate relationships of family and friends as well. We will analyze each aspect of this phenomenon, and probe the reason behind this hatred-- both in the physical and spiritual realms. But even though their persecution will be great, Jesus comforts His disciples (both then and now), with the assurance that even though their bodies may suffer, their souls will endure with Him for all eternity. We will ask two questions of the text: "Why the world hates Christ and His church so much, and how can we as Christians triumph over persecution"? Ultimately we will find the answer to both questions in the same conclusion-- because we are "In Christ".