Persecution Before Resurrection

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Theme: The Road to the Cross

“Persecution Before Resurrection”

📖 Main Text: Isaiah 53:3–7 - 3. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

📖 Focus Thought: You cannot get to resurrection power without first going through persecution pressure.

🎯 INTRODUCTION

Before there was an empty tomb…
Before there was a rolled-away stone…
Before there was a “He is Risen”…

👉 There was suffering.
There was rejection.
There was persecution.

Jesus didn’t just die…
He went through something to get there.
If you want resurrection in your life, you must understand the road that leads to it.

🔑 KEY POINT 1:

He Was Betrayed by a Friend

📖 Luke 22:47–48

“Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?”

🧠 Truth:

The first pain Jesus felt was not physical—it was relational.

🪶 Illustration:

A handshake that hides betrayal.

📚 Short Story:

A man gave his best friend a job in his company. Years later, that same friend stole clients and started a competing business.
He said, “I could handle losing money—but losing trust broke me.”

👉 Punch:
Sometimes your greatest pain comes from the people closest to you

🔑 KEY POINT 2:

He Was Abandoned by His Disciples

📖 Matthew 26:56

“Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.”

🧠 Truth:

People who shouted with you may not suffer with you.

🪶 Illustration:

Cheering fans disappear when the team starts losing.

📚 Short Story:

A young athlete had many friends when he was winning—but after an injury, nobody called.
He learned: loyalty is revealed in hardship.

👉 Punch:
Don’t be surprised when your circle gets smaller on the road to purpose.

🔑 KEY POINT 3:

He Was Denied by Peter

📖 Luke 22:61

🧠 Truth:

Even strong believers can fail under pressure.

🪶 Illustration:

A strong bridge collapsing under unexpected weight.

📚 Short Story:

A man boldly declared he would never quit his faith—but when faced with ridicule at work, he stayed silent. Later he wept and repented.

👉 Punch:
Failure is not final when God still has purpose for you.

🔑 KEY POINT 4:

He Was Mocked and Humiliated

📖 Luke 22:63–65

They mocked Him… blindfolded Him… struck Him.

🧠 Truth:

The enemy will try to shame you before God elevates you.

🪶 Illustration:

A king forced to wear rags before his coronation.

📚 Short Story:

A young preacher was laughed at for his calling. Years later, those same people came to hear him preach.

👉 Punch:
Don’t let mockery make you quit yo

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