“Why Would God Beat Up His Bride Before the Wedding?”

The question surprised me the first time I heard it, but it kept coming, so I added it here.

Persecution for following Christ is not from God—it’s from our enemy, the devil.

Revelation 12:10-12 (NKJV)
10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

We should not be surprised to be a recipient of the devil’s wrath.

Luke 6:22-23 (NKJV)
22 Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

John 15:18-21 (NKJV)
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

God does love us, but that doesn’t mean He will shield us from the devil’s wrath.

We would do well to remember what the Lord told Ananias concerning Paul, “I will show how him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Ac 8:16). As part of spreading the gospel to Jews and Gentiles, Paul suffered derision, whippings, stoning, beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, hunger, thirst, sickness, cold, etc. (2 Cor 2:23-30). Church history tells us he was beheaded three miles outside of Rome.

Also, let us recall the conversation Jesus had with Peter about his death.

John 21:18-23 (NKV)
18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”

History tells us Peter crucified in accordance with Jesus’ prophecy.

Peter understandably wasn’t thrilled with the news, but he loved Jesus, so he followed Him.

It reminds me of an earlier conversation exchange Peter had with Jesus.

John 6:67-69 (NKJV)
67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Let’s follow Him, too.