Jay Sekulow,  ACLJ.org

Jesus was arrested and crucified for who He is, because the authorities of the day feared He was a threat to their power over the people. Luke 23 tells us:

2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”

3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” 5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

Today, more than 2,000 years later, Christians are still being arrested on baseless charges, abused, persecuted, and even killed for their faith.

As we celebrate Easter this weekend, we must remember those unjustly persecuted Christians all across the world, as we at the ACLJ are working tirelessly to save them.

Pastor John Cao – a U.S. permanent resident from North Carolina – has spent the last two years in a prison cell in China after a life devoted to serving the poor of China and Burma (Myanmar). Now he has been sentenced to 7 years in prison simply for living out his Christian faith.

Pastor Cao’s health is suffering as he spends his days in a crowded cell with nearly a dozen other inmates and a concrete slab for a bed. He has been denied contact with his family. And his appeal hearing was recently delayed for the fifth time.

But what he does have is his steadfast faith. He has chosen to spend his time behind bars serving others, teaching younger prisoners to read and write.

In a recent letter Pastor Cao said: “Tell everyone, I am very grateful to everyone for their dedication. Please continue praying for me. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

More testimonies of our persecuted brothers here.