How can I be certain we will all face persecution? First and foremost, I know because Jesus told us we would face it (John 16:33). We need no other proof. Jesus speaks only the truth. He cannot lie and is never wrong. What you may have never considered, though, is the “why” behind Jesus’s proclamation. Jesus established the foundation here. He said the world would hate us because it first hated Him (John 15:18).
They didn’t just hate Jesus for who He said He was, they hated everything He did. The fact many were following Him incensed them even further. So whether it is Jesus or a follower of His, the hatred of the world will burn hot. But there is still a deeper “why” behind such hatred that if we understand, I think it will help us deal more effectively with the persecution that is sure to come.