If the world hated Jesus, surely Christians can suffer as well. Jesus did so much good while here on earth, amazing things — yet he was hated by His enemies. Jesus Himself said because He was persecuted, believers would be also. Suffering persecution consists of being mistreated by others because of being a genuine disciple of Christ. This can include being falsely accused, unjustly condemned or imprisoned, ridiculed, scorned, rejected and various forms of personal injury. Persecution is not suffering for doing wrong toward others or for disobeying rightful authority. It is because evil exists. We live in a fallen world and those who are anti-Christian will always try to hurt believers, regardless of the charitable things they do. The devil uses lost unsaved people to work against Christians to try to thwart God’s plans.
“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave 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. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me” (John 15:18-21).