All right, well we are continuing on through the Gospel of John.
So if you have your Bible with you, you can open it up to the Gospel of John, chapter 15.
It's the night of Jesus' betrayal.
Jesus is now with the eleven disciples.
Judas has left to put the plan into motion.
This is before they go into the Garden of Gethsemane.
And Jesus is continuing to encourage and comfort and teach these eleven men.
And this whole chapter is just Jesus speaking to them.
It's his words to them.
We're picking it up this morning in John, chapter 15, verse 18.
Jesus says to them,
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
If you belong to the world, it would love you as its own.
As it is, you do not belong to the world.
But I have chosen you out of the world.
That is why the world hates you.
Remember what I told you.
A servant is not greater than his master.
If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.
If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
They will treat you this way because of my name.
For they do not know the one who sent me.
Much of what Jesus has to say at this point in the evening is rather sobering.
These first words of verse 18 really set the tone for this section.
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
We've been hearing Jesus talk about our relationship with him.
Vine and branches and fruit.
And love and joy.
But now the subject changes and the tone gets serious.
Jesus is beginning to prepare these men for what's coming.
The world will hate you, says Jesus.
There's going to be hatred, animosity, opposition, and yes, even persecution coming your way.
Things are going to get nasty.
But as Jesus tells them this, there's some comfort in his words as well.
And it's not that kind of empty, feel-good assurance.
Don't worry, everything's going to be all right.
Instead, Jesus gives the kind of comfort, I'm going to call them anchoring truths.
Or guiding lights.
Because when things get difficult, when the storms of life hit, we sometimes find ourselves disoriented.
Wondering which way's up, which way's down.
Searching for answers.
Trying to understand what's going on and why.
Why is this happening?
And in those moments, we need something to really anchor onto and get our bearings.
We need a guiding light, a fixed point in the midst of the darkness.
And that's the kind of comfort Jesus offers them here.
The world will hate you, says Jesus.
But there is a reason.
And understanding those reasons will help you through it.
So Jesus gives his disciples at least three reasons why the world will hate them.
Reason number one, he says, the world will hate you because you do not belong to the world anymore.
Verse 19.
If you belong to the world, it would love you as its own.
As it is, you do not belong to the world.
But I have chosen you out of the world.
That is why the world hates you.
The world here generally means the people of the world.
And Jesus makes it clear that each of the disciples themselves were, at one time, part of the world.
Jesus says, I have chosen you out of the world.
Meaning, you used to be part of it.
But now Jesus does an interesting thing.
He seems to kind of draw a line in the sand between them, the disciples, and the world.
He sort of creates two groups here.
He says to the disciples, if you were literally of the world, if you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own.
But I have now chosen you out of the world.
To put it in our way of saying things, the world will hate you because you are no longer one of them.
And we can talk about that word hate.
Hate in our English language, it's a very strong word.
It's like the strongest form of dislike.
But it can also include everything below it, too.
It can include disdain.
It can include dislike.
It can include people that would insult you.
I mean, all of that's kind of lumped in under there.
The world will hate you, says Jesus, because you are no longer one of them.
And this is quite the statement.
Jesus has come into this world, and there is this separation taking place here.
There are now the followers of Jesus, and there is the world.
And Jesus seems to be suggesting you can be either one or the other.
This kind of hinges on whether or not you accept Jesus and are going to follow him or not.
And probably Jesus uses the world to describe those who are not his followers,
because it's the majority, really, who do not receive Jesus or who are opposed to Jesus.
So it's as if he's saying, you can belong to the world and be one of them,
or you can belong to me and be one of mine.
And you, my disciples, now that you are no longer one of them, one of the world,
you are mine.
For I have chosen you out of the world.
And that is why the world hates you, disdains you, despises you, does not love you.
Jesus lays it plainly before them and before us.
There is a cost to following him.
It will include a change in your allegiance,
a change in sides, a change in who you would call your people.
You, my disciples, are about to realize, if you haven't already,
that you're no longer one of them, says Jesus.
Not like you used to be.
And that's why the world hates you.
Following Jesus requires a change in your very identity,
a change in your camp, your tribe, your people.
And that separation is at the heart of this opposition,
this hatred, this treating you with contempt, says Jesus.
So that's the first reason that Jesus gives.
The world will hate you because you do not belong to it anymore.
The second reason Jesus gives, he says,
the world will hate you because it hates me.
We see this in verse 18.
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
And verse 20.
Remember what I told you, a servant is not greater than his master.
If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.
They will treat you this way because of my name.
So there is a deeper reason why the world will hate, despise, disdain Jesus' followers.
And it's not just because they're different.
Not just because they're separate and weird and, well, I don't like that about them.
No.
At the root of their contempt is me, says Jesus.
They will have a problem with you because they have a problem with me.
Look at how this story has gone so far.
Many have come to hate Jesus so fiercely up to this point in the story
as he's been going about and doing things and teaching.
In fact, tomorrow, the crowd will be shouting,
Crucify him!
Kill him on a cross!
And so Jesus levels with them.
Peter, James, Nathaniel.
This is to be expected.
If that's how they've been treating me,
they're going to treat you in the same way.
Because you are my followers.
If they hate the master, they will hate his servants as well.
For the servants have pledged themselves to the master's service.
If they hate the leader, they will hate his devoted followers too, says Jesus.
And again, we're seeing this truth come out that there's a cost to following Jesus.
Many people despised him.
And so Jesus says,
That contempt that they have for me,
it's coming your way.
The world will hate you
because it hates me.
The third reason Jesus gives for why the world will hate his disciples
is this.
The world will hate you because it does not know God.
We see this here in verse 21.
They will treat you this way because of my name
for they do not know the one who sent me.
This is an even deeper reason for why people reject and hate Jesus
and by extension his followers.
Jesus says it's because they don't know God.
Now this might sound a little strange to our ears.
We might think, huh?
Which comes first?
Knowing God?
Or accepting Jesus?
Believing in Jesus?
And we can easily get all tied up with this thing that Jesus said.
And I'll admit it to you.
I probably don't have the authoritative final word
on how this works and what this means.
But here's a few thoughts.
First of all, we have to watch that word, know.
What does Jesus mean when he says,
they did not know God?
One of the threads that runs through the Bible is that
to know someone,
often it means more than just to know about them.
A very literal translation of Genesis chapter 4 verse 1.
I'm looking back at the old King James.
Now Adam knew Eve, his wife,
and she conceived and bore Cain.
So knowing a person, at least in the Bible,
often refers to having a significant relationship with them,
even an intimate relationship with them.
We see this clearly again in John 17.3
where Jesus is praying and he says to the Father,
now this is eternal life,
that they know you,
the only true God.
So I don't think Jesus means to say
that the world hates him
because it's just unaware of who sent him.
This hatred towards Jesus
is not born out of ignorance.
It's not that they don't know that God sent Jesus.
And so, oops,
we made an honest mistake.
Jesus will make this even clearer in a minute
when we get to the next section.
Rather,
Jesus seems to be suggesting
that they do not have
a relationship with God
as they ought to,
as they should,
leading up to this
and Jesus coming and speaking to them.
And that's why they hate his son.
There were some in Israel
who knew God
even before Jesus came.
There was Zachariah
and Elizabeth.
There was Mary and Joseph.
There was Anna
and Simeon.
All these were people
who had real faith in Yahweh,
the God of Israel.
And there were a good number of people
who also heard
the words of John the Baptizer
out in the wilderness.
He was calling the people to repent,
to turn back to God.
And some of them responded
and they did.
They believed.
They were baptized.
And then later,
they went on to follow Jesus
as John pointed them to him.
These were the people
who knew God.
They had a relationship with God
based on faith.
Just like Abraham,
Isaac,
Jacob,
King David.
and so now that
Jesus has come,
these people that knew God,
they recognized him.
They believed him.
They loved him.
After all,
Jesus,
as John has told us
in this gospel,
was God
who had come down
and taken on human flesh
and lived among us.
But the world,
the majority,
many of them,
they weren't all too concerned
about God.
Even before John was baptizing
in the wilderness,
the sense we get
from the scriptures
is that
the Pharisees
and religious leaders,
some of them,
they were wicked hypocrites
all along.
They didn't love God.
They were corrupt
and self-interested.
They were going through
the religious motions
to benefit themselves.
They loved the praise
of other people.
They craved power.
They loved money.
And so when John came preaching,
they laughed at him.
They rejected him.
They made fun of him.
And then when Jesus came on the scene,
they rejected him also.
They already had a certain posture
of the heart towards God.
They did not know God.
They did not have
that relationship with him.
And as we'll see in a moment,
they didn't want to know God.
Through this lens,
I think it makes a little more sense,
doesn't it?
This is why they hated Jesus.
Because Jesus is the embodiment of God.
The same God that they've been ignoring
and snubbing
and pushing off all along.
And now here's Jesus
more and more
exposing the truth
about the kind of people
that they are.
About their wickedness
and corruption.
He's putting the spotlight
on their sins
and they're not repenting.
They're stubborn.
Instead, they want to get rid of Jesus.
They want to kill him.
They hated Jesus.
And Jesus says,
they will hate you also.
They will persecute you also.
For the same reason,
because they do not know God.
So these are three reasons
Jesus gives
to why the world will hate you.
Why the world will persecute you.
They will hate you
because you are not
one of them anymore.
They will hate you
because they hate me.
And they will hate you
because you do not know,
they do not know God.
And as we'll see,
they do not want to know God.
Now we come to the second section here,
verses 22 to 25.
And Jesus now shifts
away from
the world
hating his disciples
to talk now
about his relationship
to the world.
We'll hear a little more
about how the world
has hated Jesus.
And Jesus makes it clear
that God will hold them guilty
for how they have treated him.
Let's read it in verse 22.
If I had not come
and spoken to them,
they would not be guilty of sin.
But now,
they have no excuse
for their sin.
Whoever hates me,
hates my father
as well.
If I had not done
among them
the works
no one else did,
they would not be guilty
of sin.
As it is,
they have seen
and yet,
they have hated
both me
and my father.
But this is to fulfill
what is written
in their law.
They hated me
without reason.
Let's start here
in verse 22.
If I had not come
and spoken to them,
they would not be guilty
of sin.
But now,
they have no excuse
for their sin.
Now,
I know that this
raises some major questions
for some of us.
But,
let's start with
what's clear.
What is clear
that Jesus is saying here?
If I had not come
and spoken to them,
but I have.
I have come.
I have spoken to them.
And they have not listened.
They have rejected.
And so,
now they have
no excuse
for their sin.
They are guilty
for their sin.
That's what's
clear here
that Jesus is saying.
Now,
I know what some of us
are wondering
and thinking.
We're wondering,
is Jesus saying
that we wouldn't be guilty
for our sins
if he'd never come?
And if you
just read it
just like that
all by itself,
I know that
you could come
to that idea.
But I don't think
Jesus means to say
that we would all
get a free pass
to heaven
if Jesus
had never come.
This is where
we have to take care
to listen to
the whole Bible
and what Jesus
has said
all throughout
the story,
all throughout
the Gospels
about human sin
and guilt.
And it's absolutely
clear throughout
all the scriptures
that we all
are guilty
of our sins.
We stand
guilty before God
and we deserve
his punishment,
his just
punishment.
if Jesus
hadn't come,
the message
from everywhere
else in the Bible
is that we would
all have perished.
And so what
does Jesus mean
here when he says
if I had not
come and spoken
to them,
they would not
be guilty
of sin?
Well, I'll give
you the short
answer,
I don't know.
But my best
guess here
is that Jesus
is referring
to a very
specific sin.
Not that they
wouldn't be guilty
of any sins
that they've
committed,
but that they
would not be
guilty of the
very specific
sin of how
they have been
responding to
God since he
has come and
treated him.
A grievous
thing for which
they are left
with absolutely
no excuse
before God.
This is a big
perhaps,
but had
Jesus not
yet come,
there is
perhaps an
objection that
could be
raised,
a measure of
ignorance that
could be
pleaded for
why God should
forgive them
and be
merciful,
a sort of
desperate plea
perhaps that the
judge make
absolutely clear
what we're
convicted of
and give us
one last
opportunity to
repent before
he passes the
final sentence
and hand us
over to
judgment.
perhaps,
that's my
best guess,
but the main
point of
Jesus is not
so much what
would be or
could be,
but what is.
He says,
I have come
and I have
spoken to
them and
they have
rejected me
and are
treating me
this way,
so be sure
they will be
held guilty
before my
father for
their sins.
they will
have no
excuse.
It's as
though Jesus
is saying,
I am that
final,
gracious,
and merciful
opportunity
and they
have spurned
me and
rejected me.
With the
coming of
Jesus,
no one who
has heard
what he has
to say can
plead ignorance.
Jesus has
made it clear
what we must
do to be
restored to
God and
have his
forgiveness
and be in
his kingdom.
And so
Jesus, I
think, is
acknowledging,
yes, the
world will
hate you
and yes, the
world hates
me and God
will hold the
people of the
world guilty
for this.
There is no
pleading ignorance
because I have
left them with
no excuse,
says Jesus.
I have come,
I have spoken
to them and
they have
spurned and
rejected and
hated me.
And then
Jesus makes
this incredible
statement that,
wow, verse
23, he says,
whoever hates
me hates my
father as
well.
There is no
wiggle room
here.
There is no
option to say,
well, I love
God, I love
the father but
I don't like
Jesus.
I don't want to
have anything to
do with him.
I don't want to
listen to him
or do what he
says.
No, we can't
make that
excuse.
It doesn't
work.
Jesus leaves us
no wiggle room.
And if we even
try it, we
misunderstand who
Jesus is.
He's not just
a man.
Jesus has been
claiming to be
one with the
father.
I and the
father are one,
said Jesus.
I am in
him, he is
in me.
As we
mentioned earlier,
right at the
beginning of the
gospel of John,
he said that
Jesus is the
word who was
God and became
flesh and lived
among us.
And so this
here is the
creator.
This is Yahweh
in human flesh
walking among
us.
And so there's
no option to
love God and
hate Jesus.
it can't be
done.
If you hate
me, says
Jesus, you
hate my
father also
as well.
What is
Jesus doing
here?
He seems to
be stripping
away all of
our excuses.
Now that
he's come, if
we do not
accept him for
who he is and
listen to the
things he has
said, then
there will be
no hope for
us on that
final day.
our verdict
will continue
to be guilty.
Jesus then
goes on here
in verse 24
to strip away
one final
excuse.
He says,
if I had not
done among
them the
works no one
else did,
they would
not be guilty
of sin.
As it is,
they have
seen and
yet they
have hated
both me
and my
father.
But this
is to
fulfill what
is written
in their
law.
They hated
me without
reason.
These are
sobering
words.
We might
wonder
sometimes,
but what
if they
just honestly
misunderstood
and didn't
just ended
up on the
wrong side
of things
and didn't
see that
Jesus was
really the
son of
God?
What if
they just
made a
mistake?
What if
they were
trying to
protect
God's
name from
blasphemy
and they
just ended
up accidentally,
innocently,
on the wrong
side,
condemning
this man,
Jesus?
Well,
Jesus strips
away any
chance for
honest
misunderstanding
with these
words.
If I had
not done
among them
the works
no one
else did,
they would
not be
guilty of
sin.
As it is,
they have
seen and
yet they
have hated
both me
and my
father.
Jesus did
countless
signs and
miracles,
acts of
divine power
that are
impossible for
any mere
man to
do.
And they
are the
confirmation
from God.
They are
the evidence
that Jesus
really is
the son of
God,
the Messiah.
It's not as
though God
has left it
open to
misunderstanding.
The miracles
were so
utterly
undeniable.
We've seen
this as we
went along.
Even
Jesus'
fiercest
opponents
couldn't
deny the
things that
he was
doing.
They didn't
know what
to do with
the people
that were
there healed
right in
front of
their faces.
They
couldn't
deny it.
They
admitted it.
And let's
remember the
kinds of
miracles and
signs Jesus
was doing.
We're talking
acts of
compassion.
Healing the
sick,
the lame,
blind,
the deaf,
people with
diseases,
freeing people
from demon
possession,
feeding the
masses food
when they
were hungry,
all wonderful
things,
all good
things.
And Jesus
says,
the world
has seen
those things
and yet
they have
hated me,
both me
and my
father.
And so
there's no
excuse,
says Jesus.
they will
be held
guilty for
their sins
against me.
And then
he quotes
a psalm
of David.
And the
gist of his
point there
I think is
to say
something like
this.
Just like
there were
wicked people
in King
David's
day who
hated him
without
reason,
unjustifiably
for no
fault of
David's in
the same
way.
That's
what's
happening
now in
an even
greater sense.
in an
ultimate
sense.
I am
God's
anointed
chosen
king
for his
people
and they
are totally
unjustified
in their
treatment
of me.
God
will hold
guilty
all
who
spurn
and hate
and reject
Jesus
and God
will hold
guilty
all who
do the
same
to his
beloved
followers.
Now
this is
not the
end of
the comfort
that Jesus
is bringing
he's going
to say
more in
the sections
ahead to
lift their
spirits and
to encourage
them and to
fill them with
joy and
hope as
they face
what's coming.
But we're
nearly out of
time for this
morning so we're
going to pick
this conversation
up again next
Sunday.
But I want to
take a couple
minutes here to
just apply what
we've heard so
far.
Sometimes it
might be difficult
to know what
to do with
these words of
Jesus.
We tend to
read these
words as if
Jesus is
speaking directly
to us.
But I want
to encourage
you.
We do well
here to
think first
of how
these words
applied to
the eleven
men that
Jesus is
with that
night.
What are
they about
to go
through here?
Think about
it.
They're about
to watch
Jesus be
ripped away
from them,
ridiculed,
mocked,
falsely
accused,
slandered,
beaten
brutally,
and violently
put to
death.
These are
going to be
some of the
hardest days
of their
lives.
Days in
which they're
going to be
wondering which
way's up and
which way's
down and
what's just
happened here.
And now here
we are in
the midst
of all
this.
Jesus,
most well-known
disciples,
most loyal,
devoted
followers,
and they've
hated him so
much that they
killed him.
Are we next?
What's going to
happen to us?
What do we
do?
That's why
Jesus has
given these
words.
First and
foremost,
they're to the
eleven men
with him that
night.
he's telling
them in
advance what
will happen.
Yes,
they will
hate you.
And he's
telling them
why.
Because you're
not one of
them anymore.
They will
hate you
because you
are a
follower of
me and
they hate
me.
That's the
underlying
reason.
And they
will hate
you,
my followers,
for they
do not
know God.
But because
I have
come and
spoken to
them and
done the
signs and
miracles I
did among
them,
they are
without
excuse and
they will
be held
guilty for
the rejection
and persecution
of me and
for their
hatred and
persecution of
you.
I think we
need to pause
and just
appreciate how
these words
would have
been helpful
to the
eleven men
with Jesus
that night.
Yes,
there is
a measure
in which
these words
are for
all of us,
all followers
of Jesus,
you and
me,
but probably
these eleven
men had it
far worse
than most
followers of
Christ ever
did in the
centuries that
followed.
These men
became the
pillars of
the church
of Jesus
Christ,
Paul's words,
not mine.
They had
bigger targets
on their
backs than
most would
ever have
because they
were the
eyewitnesses
of Jesus.
And so
many of
them were
brutally
persecuted
and killed
as well.
Now it
is true,
there have
been Christians
all through
the centuries
who have
suffered
and been
killed
because of
their faith
in Jesus'
name.
And I
think these
words are
for them
too,
in a
special way.
Those who
are suffering,
those who
have suffered,
I know
these words
are probably
very precious.
But for us
here in this
room today,
these truths,
let's be honest,
they probably
hit us a
little differently.
Some of us
might even
say,
well I've
never really
been hated
because I'm
a Christian.
And if
that's you,
praise God.
Isn't that
wonderful?
If we have
freedom to
worship Jesus
and openly
claim the
name of
Christ
for a
season
in a
certain place
of the
world and
nobody is
upset with
us or
after us,
that's a
good thing.
That's a
gift of God.
In fact,
Paul even
encouraged us
to pray and
ask for that
in 1 Timothy
2,
verse 1
to 3.
But maybe
there are
some of you
here this
morning who
have experienced
some kind
of resentment
or disdain
or poor
treatment from
someone because
of your faith
in Jesus.
Maybe you've
got the cold
shoulder at
work or
someone has
made fun of
your faith or
mocked you or
insulted you or
just been unkind
to you.
And if that's
happened to
you, then
yes, I
believe that
these words
are for you.
They are for
all of us for
when those
times of
opposition and
mistreatment
come because
of our faith
in Jesus.
Jesus wants
you too to
be able to
get your
bearings in
the midst of
that when
those feelings
are welling up
inside of you
and you're on
the defensive
feeling what
is going on
here.
There are
reasons why
we come
under fire,
why we are
treated in
this way.
Number one,
if you belong
to Christ,
you are not
one of them
anymore.
Number two,
their bad
attitude or
treatment of
you may
reflect not
so much a
problem with
you, but a
problem that
they have with
Jesus, the
one that you
identify with.
we might not
know what's
going on in
their thoughts,
in their
minds, but
perhaps every
time they are
reminded of
Jesus, they
feel convicted
of the sins
that they are
hanging on to
in their
lives.
And then they
see you, they
bump into you,
and you are
that living,
breathing reminder
of where they
stand before
God, before
Christ.
And number
three, if they
treat you poorly
and disdain you
for being a
Christian, we
have to remember
it's because they
don't know God.
There is a
spiritual reality
that runs deeply
here.
There's an
aversion to God
bound up in the
human heart
because of sin.
And so what
should we do in
those relationships
with those
people in our
lives?
I want to
encourage you
this morning to
have the same
attitude that
Jesus had.
What did he
pray while they
were killing him
on the cross?
Father, forgive
them, for they
don't know what
they're doing.
Yes, Jesus
says that the
persecutors are
guilty of their
sins.
He has come,
He has spoken,
He has done the
miracles, and
they have rejected
Him.
But God is so
patient, so
merciful.
Yes, they are
guilty, but even
at this point in
the story, the
persecutors, it's
not too late for
them.
In fact, after
Jesus is crucified
and rises from the
dead, He ascends
to heaven, the
Spirit comes down
at Pentecost, Peter
preaches his
sermon in front
of many of the
Jews, probably
some of them who
witnessed the
crucifixion of
Jesus.
He says, let all
Israel be assured
of this.
God has made this
Jesus whom you
crucified, both
Lord and Messiah.
And when the
people heard this,
they were cut to
the heart.
Many repented
after and
believed.
They were forgiven
and they were added
to the number of
Jesus' followers.
Paul said this to
Timothy, 2 Timothy
2.25, he said,
opponents must be
gently instructed in
the hope that God
will grant them
repentance, leading
them to a knowledge
of the truth.
Jesus said it this
way, but I tell you,
love your enemies
and pray for those
who persecute you.
And then you
will be sons,
children of your
Father in heaven
who is gracious
and kind and
loving even to
those who don't
deserve it, both the
righteous and the
unrighteous.
There is at times a
cost to following
Jesus, especially
when it comes to
our relationships
with other people
in the world.
But rest assured,
no matter how
badly we are
treated, we
belong to
Christ Jesus,
the King.
And there is
nothing more
valuable than
that in this
world.
Let's pray.
Father in heaven,
we thank you for
your word.
As we hear
these things and
reflect on your
words, we
especially turn our
hearts' attention to
those who are
suffering intensely
in our world
today, in other
places in the
world, countries
that are very
difficult to be a
Christian.
And we pray and
ask that you
would be gracious
to them, that you
would strengthen
them, that you
would encourage
them in the face
of the opposition
that they are
going through.
We ask that you
would help them
to hold fast to
the hope that you
have given, the
promises that
you've made, and
that they would
even find that
power inside of
them to love.
And to keep
treating those who
are doing these
things with
kindness.
forgiveness.
Lord, for us in
our relationships,
help us, help us
not to give up on
those who seem
cold or who have
said unkind things
to us, but give us
a fresh strength and
love for each of
those people in our
lives.
May they know that
we are Christians
and that you are a
God who loves them
through us.
We ask this in
Jesus' name, for
his glory.
Amen.