IF THE WORLD HATES YOU

John 15:18-27 / Keywords 15:19

If you belonged 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 Hates the Disciples

18:1 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged 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. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 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. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 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. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’[c]

The Work of the Holy Spirit

26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

Footnotes

b. John 15:20 John 13:16

c. John 15:25 Psalms 35:19; 69:4

 

1. Our Savior Jesus chose us out of the world to belong to him. However, being chosen by Christ does not exempt us from all difficulties in this life. In fact, we often face opposition from the world such as misunderstanding, hatred, and persecution. Jesus tells us not to be surprised when we are hated by the world, which is in rebellion against God. Since the world hated Jesus and crucified him, it is not strange for his disciples to also be hated. As the world hated Jesus because he exposed its sin, so the world will hate his disciples when they do not conform to the patterns of this world but live in obedience to the word of Jesus. Jesus’ people do not look for persecution or hostility, but they must not be afraid of persecution for Jesus. If we suffer for Jesus, we must rejoice like the apostles, for we are counted worthy of suffering disgrace for His Name (Ac 5:41). We are in the world, but not of the world. We were called out of the world to belong to our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

2. When we are hated or persecuted by the world, what should we do? We must not be afraid, but keep our identity as Jesus’ people, remembering his words (18,20). Most of all, we must make it an opportunity to witness to Jesus by depending on the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, who dwells in us.

 

Prayer Lord, thank you for calling me out of the sinful world to belong to you. Help me to live as your disciple in this hostile world as your witness.

One Word Called to belong and witness to Christ