But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus." And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. Acts 17:5-9
Jesus told the disciples that as the world hated Him, the world will also hate His people. Why such hatred of believers? Jesus’ words make it clear that the world’s hatred of believers is actually hatred of Christ Himself.
Those who do not love Jesus hate Him (Romans 1:30). He is an affront to their supposed personal sovereignty. All people know that there is a God and that all people will be judged by Him (Romans 1:18-32). People do not like this and therefore want to get rid of God so they can escape His judgment (as if they could). One of the preferred ways the Christ-hating world attempts to get rid of God is to get rid of His people (as if they could).
The world’s hatred comes from two fronts: religious and secular. In this passage the hatred of Christ aimed at His people was religious. Ironically, it was from those in the Jewish religion—the very people Jesus came to first! Religious persecution of Christians is a revelation of how different Christianity is to all other religions. All other religions are about what people do to commend themselves to God. Christianity, alone, is about what God (in God the Son, Jesus) has already done for us to make us accepted in Him (Romans 5:6-8 & Ephesians 1:6).
The religious who are lost will hate God the most on Judgment Day, objecting that God would not accept them on the basis of their religious works and rituals. Religious persecution of Christians by those from other religions only validates God’s rejection of their Christless religion.
Secular persecution of Christians tomorrow…