How can we survive the hurricane of persecution?
Text: Matthew 26:31-75
Hosts:
J. Kent Edwards
Vicki Hitzges
Nathan Norman
Narrator: Brian French
The CrossTalk Podcast is a production of CrossTalk Global, equipping biblical communicators, so every culture hears God’s voice. To find out more, or to support the work of this ministry please visit www.crosstalkglobal.org
Produced by Nathan James Norman/Untold Podcast Production
© 2025 CrossTalk Global
Brian: Hurricanes are the most violent storms on Earth. They form near the equator over warm ocean waters of at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit. When winds start blowing over the warm water, it begins to evaporate. As the rising water vapor cools, it condenses into large droplets, forming significant clouds and starts to move in a circular motion. The warmer the water, the faster the winds spin. When the wind speeds reach 74 miles per hour, the storm is at least 50,000ft high and around 125 miles across. That is a category one hurricane. A category five hurricane has a wind speed of at least 157 miles per hour and when it makes landfall, the damage can be catastrophic, destroying buildings, infrastructure and vegetation. Hurricanes remind me of persecution. Persecution erupts when the strong cold winds of hatred blow across the warmth of Christ's devoted followers. When these followers refuse to lose their passion for their Savior, the winds of hatred intensify. As a result, a hurricane of hate grows in strength until it poses a catastrophic threat to the people of God. As Jesus approached the end of his life, he felt the rising winds of animosity. He could see the dark clouds of a Category 5 storm gathering. No one can withstand the 157 mile per hour winds of hatred heading his way. How could he? How did he? Join Kent Edwards, Nathan Norman and Vicki Hitskiss as they explore how Christians can stand firm against the howling wind of hatred when persecution arises in Matthew, chapter 26, verse 36. And following. Welcome to Crosstalk, a Christian podcast whose goal is for us to encourage each other to not only increase our knowledge of the Bible, but but to take the next step beyond information into transformation. Our goal is to bring the Bible to life, into all our lives. I'm Brian French. Today, Dr. Kent Edwards, Vicki Hitskus and Nathan Norman continue their discussion through the Gospel of Matthew. And if you have a Bible handy, turn to Matthew, chapter 26, verse 36 to 75 as we join their discussion.
Kent: A few days ago, the Associated Press released the Year in Hate and Extremism Report. According to them, there are 1,371 hate and extremist organizations in the United States today. These include anti immigrant, anti Semitic, anti Muslim, xenophobic and far right militias. Wow, seems to be a lot of hate. Vicki Nathan, why do people hate? I mean, what causes someone to hate another person?
Vicki: Oh, you usually hear that it's out of fear. I wonder if that's so. I don't think that I've ever hated somebody without knowing them. Hate's pretty strong word, but I don't think I ever have. What do you think, Nathan?
Nathan: I think it's the unknown as well. Life is hard and it's difficult and sometimes there's no answers. Right? Sometimes it's just difficult. But if you can find a scapegoat, right, if you can find someone or something to blame and to take all of your frustrations with life and focus them in a direction, then you can justify your hatred. And it's easier if you don't know that person or people group. So I can tell you, my wife, when we were living in a rural area of the country and she was a schoolteacher, we faced more racism and she had more kids telling these horrendously racist jokes in her classroom that she had to talk about and then educate them over because the population was 99.99 Caucasian. And so it was so easy to other people and just say, oh, those people over there. And to demonize them and to blame issues on them because no one had ever met anyone from that people group. And so all my problems are because of those people that I've never met.
Kent: No, I think you're right. As one psychologist said, we fear what is different from us out of fear. We love those who look and think like us out of fear. We often harbor hatred towards those who are different from us. Different is seen as dangerous and a threat needs to be destroyed or at least marginalized. I think that's what you and your wife experienced in that context, wasn't it?
Nathan: Yeah, for sure.
Kent: In our look in the Book of Matthew, we have seen hatred building as we have traced Jesus ministry through Matthew. We've seen the animosity grow against him more and more intense, haven't we? I mean, it started off with King Herod hating Jesus at his birth. The very idea that there could be a rival king made him angry and he killed a lot of people because of it. After Jesus first recorded sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, you could tell the Pharisees were not happy because remember what he said in his sermon in chapter six, verse 20?
Nathan: Yeah.
Vicki: It was an impossible standard, it seemed. It says, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Kent: That's a pretty significant insult, isn't it?
Vicki: Yeah.
Kent: He's telling the people there, the people who think they're most religious.
Nathan: Yeah.
Kent: They're certainly not entering the kingdom of Heaven. They don't even qualify.
Nathan: Heaven don't want you.
Kent: Heaven don't want you. And in chapter nine, when Jesus healed the paralytic and said, you sins are forgiven, what did the teachers of the law say in response?
Vicki: Well, they thought he was blaspheming. I mean, who can forgive sins?
Kent: So they're insulting him, they're attacking him. And again in chapter nine, the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors, not fasting enough, and even accused him of using the power of the prince of demons to cast out evil spirits. And they did it again in chapter 12. That's kind of an insult, wouldn't you say, Nathan?
Nathan: Yeah, if somebody calls me a demon from hell, yep, I take that pretty negatively.
Kent: Animosity, hatred is rising against Jesus. In chapter 22, we saw the Pharisees lay a series of verbal traps in a detent attempt to destroy Jesus reputation. And in chapter 23, do you remember how you respond? Jesus responded with seven woes. What are woes, Nathan?
Nathan: You're going to hell. This is why you're going to hell.
Kent: Do you think there's animosity? You bet it.
Nathan: There's some slight tension.
Kent: In chapter 24, Jesus says the hatred they had for him would spill over to his followers.
Vicki: He said, you'll be handed over to be persecuted and put to death. Imagine wanting to stay on this club. And you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.
Kent: So Jesus, because he was so different, was being hated by others. And he's saying to his followers, if you follow me, you will be different as well. And you will face what I have faced and what I will face, the hatred of others. It was hatred that was taking Christ to the cross. Hatred and persecution is really part of the Christian life because we are different from the rest and people hate those who are different. The question is not will we be hated? But how will we respond? Will we stand firm when a Category 5 hurricane of hate hits us? It's fascinating that as we come to the end of the book of Matthew, Jesus didn't think the disciples would stand firm. In fact, he said to them in Matthew 26:31.
Nathan: Then Jesus told them, this very night, you will all fall away on account of me. For it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.
Kent: Ah, Peter, of course, objected. What did he say?
Vicki: Oh, Peter, even if all fall away on account of you, I never will. Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you. And all the other disciples said the same.
Kent: Isn't that interesting.
Vicki: Yeah, I think he was the first to go.
Kent: No, I mean, Jesus is not convinced that they will be able to stand firm in the midst of persecution. And they have an unrealistic expectation of their strength. But look what actually happened. As Jesus words come true.
Nathan: In the garden of Gethsemane in 2647, it says Judas arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now, the betrayer had arranged a signal with them. The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him. Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, greetings, Rabbi, and kissed him. Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Kent: They all fled. As soon as the winds of persecution came. Despite their promises, they all fled. And Peter, who made such a bold statement, what happened with him?
Vicki: It says a servant girl came to him. You were with Jesus of Galilee, she said. But he denied it. I don't know what you're talking about, he said. And another servant girl saw him and said to the people, this fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth. And he denied it again with an oath. I don't know the man. After a while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, surely you are one of them. Your accent gives you away. And he began to call down curses, and he swore at them. I don't know the man.
Kent: And this is what Peter did, despite all of his good intentions and his promises. In the first moment of persecution, Peter the rock collapsed like a burnt marshmallow. They all did. Why? What is the secret to survival under persecution? Persecution will come our way. And when it does, how can we stand firm? The secret to survival under persecution is really found in verses 36 to 46. Let's walk through that text scene by scene. In verse 36, we read, Jesus went.
Nathan: With his disciples to Gethsemane. And he said to them, sit here while I go over there and pray. And Jesus began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.
Kent: What is Jesus asking his disciples to do when he says, stay here and keep watch with me? What's he asking?
Nathan: Pray.
Kent: He's asking them to pray. I need you to join me in prayer. And what happened?
Vicki: Well, Jesus was understandably troubled. It says, going a little further, he fell with his face to the ground. And he prayed and he said, my Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me yet not as I will, but as you will.
Kent: Why does Matthew tell us that he fell with his face to the ground. Why is that detail included here?
Nathan: He's desperate. He is in absolute, complete and utter agony. Yeah, I don't want this to happen.
Kent: And we can understand why, right? Why would he not want this to happen?
Nathan: Who wants to be crucified?
Vicki: Oh, it's supposed to be the most painful death there is. And he knew it was coming.
Nathan: Right. And publicly humiliated. Well, and according to all of scriptures, they focus most on the humiliation aspect of it. They're like, yeah, it hurt, but man, it was really humiliating. And by and large, most of us don't live in a shame based culture, so we don't understand the depth of humiliation that he would have experienced. But he did, and it was incredible.
Kent: Any of us would have found that difficult to face. But for Jesus to face that. Think of the glory, think of the honor, think of the respect he is due. Think of the utter humiliation that the, the Lord of the universe is about to face. That's why he is praying. If it's possible, take this cup from me, Lord, please take it. But we read in verse 40, so.
Vicki: He goes back to the disciples and it says in verse 40, he returned to the disciples and he found them sleeping. And he says, couldn't you men keep watch for an hour? He asked Peter and he says, watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Kent: So what is Jesus telling them to do?
Vicki: Stay awake. Pray with me.
Kent: Pray. And pray for him. Right, right.
Nathan: And pray for themselves.
Kent: And pray for themselves.
Nathan: Pray that God will strengthen you because he just made, they all made this bold proclamation, we will die with you. Right. And Jesus said, yeah, the Spirit's willing. Yeah. Part of, on the inside, the social media part of you is really easy to type that out. But when they come to your door, when you're seeing the issue face to face, you don't have the ability.
Kent: Yeah, pray that you will not fall into temptation. And what is the temptation they're going.
Vicki: To face to deny him right, to.
Nathan: Run from him, deny him with their feet.
Kent: They need to pray. But yet in verse 42, we read.
Vicki: Well, he says he went away a second time and he prayed, my Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.
Kent: How does this prayer change just slightly from his first prayer to the Father?
Vicki: Well, it's pretty darn similar, but it seems like he's resigned to the fact that it's not going to be taken away. So he's just reiterating, may your will be done.
Kent: Now he's saying that in spite of the cost, in spite of the pain, in spite of the humiliation, if this is the only way for humanity to be saved, may your will be done. And notice that came about only after prayer. He stopped fighting and now he's agreeing in verse 43. This drama continues again.
Nathan: When he came back, he again found them sleeping because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time saying the same thing.
Kent: Why is this significant?
Nathan: Well, three is the number of perfection in the Bible, right? You have the Trinity, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. And he prays this same prayer three times to fully surrender himself to the will of God.
Kent: Yeah, it was only possible for him because he's a man. God, but he's a man. You fully man. It took three times of significant prayer for him to come to grips with the role that God the Father was saying he had to fulfill. I'm Vicki. When I read this passage, I can't forget what your father, Haddon Robinson said about this passage on one occasion.
Vicki: What's that?
Kent: He pointed out, when you look at this passage, it looks like the disciples are the heroes. I mean, they're the ones who got it all together. They are confident, they're ready to face the challenges ahead, and they know maybe that it's important to get a good night's sleep before a busy day. So they look like heroes. Jesus, he looks like he's coming apart at the seams. The guy looks like he's having a nervous breakdown. Goodness gracious. Come on, man, pull yourself together. Get ready for the big day. But as your dad pointed out, look what happened when the crowd armed with swords and clubs showed up. They ran, the disciples ran and Jesus stood firm. What made the difference? Why did the disciples fold like a house of cards and Jesus walked triumphantly to the death that was necessary for salvation, for us to enjoy salvation.
Vicki: Well, I don't think this is the total answer, but he spent the evening praying.
Kent: I think he did.
Vicki: And he committed himself to God's will, not his own.
Kent: The strength we need in times of persecution doesn't come from ourself. It comes from him. We need to draw on his strength to stand firm. We need to remember this because persecution is an unavoidable path for the follower of Christ. Do you remember the sermon that he began? He preached the Sermon on the Mount. Do you remember the eighth Beatitude?
Vicki: It says, blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Kent: You are blessed if you're persecuted because it's evidence that you are different. It is evident that you do not accept the standards, the morals, the behavior of the people of this world because you want to be holy as God is holy. And darkness hates light. Evil people hate the followers of Jesus. What do we need to do when we see persecution on the horizon? We need to learn from the disciples mistake. We need to recognize that if we rely on our resources, we will fail. We lack the strength we need to stand firm for our Savior. And if we try, we'll follow in Peter's footsteps, deny our Savior and ruin our testimony. Now I think we'd be wise to prepare today because the Bible tells us that prayer makes a difference, doesn't it?
Nathan: Yeah, it sure does. It absolutely does. Many times when I am in distress, if I choose to pray first, there is a work that God does in my heart. Maybe the situation doesn't change, but my response to it does. I can remember my wife's grandmother who passed away about five years ago. @ her funeral, her kids were sharing that when she would face these difficulties. And she had a rough, rough, rough life. But whenever she would face difficulties, she would get a hymn book and she would go off somewhere and she would start singing the hymns until she felt better.
Kent: Paul wrote to the Philippians, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. Because the psalmist is right. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth, when we need it the most, God will give us the strength we need. So friends, when the hurricane of persecution arrives and a will, you will need God's help. If you ask, he will respond. He will help you. He did for Jesus, and he will for you.
Brian: When we are faced with persecution because of our faith, should we rely on the natural strength God gave us? The answer is no. Our strength will fail us instead when we are persecuted for our faith. And we will be. We need to ask God for His help. Because on our own we will falter and fail. I trust that today's discussion of God's Word has been helpful and served as an encouragement to not just be hearers of the Word, but doers together. Let's bring God's word to life to our lives. This week, the crosstalk podcast is a production of crosstalk Global, equipping biblical communicators so every culture hears God's voice. To find out more or to support the work of this ministry, please visit www.crosstalkglobal.org. this summer, we're training biblical communicators in India and Kenya. Help us train the next generation by clicking Donate in the show notes and making a donation of any size. You can also support this show by sharing it on social media and telling your friends. Tune in next Friday as we continue our discussion through the Gospel of Matthew. Be sure to join us.
Nathan: My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me. I don't know why I'm saying sorrowful like I'm Canadian. Sorrowful. I'm spending too much time with you. Okay, I'm sorry.
Kent: We learn from our masters. Oh, God.
Nathan: Sorry.
Kent: I apologize.