The end of the 15th chapter of John deals with this antagonism of the world toward Jesus and His disciples. Jesus had spent much time in chapters 13 through 16 reassuring the disciples of His love for them, but be did not fail to warn them of the fact that the world will hate them.
No matter one’s eschatology, all theologians agree that church will face persecution and tribulation in this world, indeed, from this world. And it is important for believers to be reminded that this is part of God’s plan. In fact, it is common for disciples, when they are experiencing difficulties in the Christian life, to wonder if they really are in harmony with the will of God in their experience. So Jesus tells us in advance that His disciples will face rejection.
Now lets notice the reasons that Jesus gives us for why the world will hate us.
I. YOU WILL BE HATED BY THE WORLD BECAUSE CHRISTIANS ARE NOT OF THE WORLD (John 15:18-19). The world hates believers because they aren’t a part of the world’s system, the world’s philosophies, the world-view of unbelievers.
As Cain was indicted by the righteousness of Abel, so the world is indicted by our righteousness as we stand apart from it. That’s why the world hates the true believer — Christians are a condemnation to their evil works.
But according to John 15:19, Christians are different because Jesus has chosen them “out of the world.” The verb translated “chosen” in that verse appears in the middle (reflexive) voice in Greek and implies that Jesus chose His disciples for Himself. Satan and his world hates the righteous as much as they hates God, because they identify with the One whose power he is attempting to usurp.
But we must remember: Even though Christians are not of the world, we are in the world and have a Responsibility to the world. God has called Christians to live apart from the system and stand for Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:15; Ephesians 5:11).
The world loves its own (John 15:19). The world finds its unity among the lowest common denominators: carousing, immorality, lying, and cheating. The more wicked people are, the better the world likes it.
II. YOU WILL BE HATED BY THE WORLD BECAUSE THE WORLD HATED JESUS (John 15:20). We as servants do as our master does. We follow Jesus. So, it is very simple to understand that as long as the world hates Christ the world will hate Christians. I am often surprised by those who think that the world’s affections can be won for Christianity. If that were true then the end of the Book of Revelation is just completely wrong. And since the Word of God is not wrong, then why do so many churches get caught up in the futile attempts to become appealing to the world?
This world should hate you as much as it hated Christ — AND FOR THE SAME REASONS!
III. THE WORLD WILL HATES YOU BECAUSE IN ITS IGNORANCE THE WORLD DOESN’T KNOW GOD (John 15:21-25). The inner cause of all hate is the absence of a knowledge of God. The hardest fact for the world to swallow is that it doesn’t really know God. Do not think that just because the world has many religions that it knows God. It does not, nor or they tolerant of your belief about your God.
Even advocates of theological liberalism and modernism claim to be Christian, yet deny the virgin birth and deity of Christ and the verbal inspiration of Scripture. They don’t love God; they hate Him. According to Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, if the world (even the religious world of Judaism) had known God they would not have crucified Jesus. I believe therefore if an individual has never invited Jesus Christ into his life and received Him as personal Savior he has no knowledge of God at all.
So when people hate Christians they reveal their hatred of God. Christians are inhabited by the Holy Spirit of God; they constitute the spiritual body of Christ. Therefore, to hate the Church is to hate Christ is to hate God.
On a final note…
In verse 17, Jesus makes a transition from describing His love for them to describing the world’s hate by saying, “These things I command you, that ye love one another.” He is encouraging them to love each other sacrificially and devotedly, just like He has loved them, because they would need each other desperately. The love they had for each other would be all the love they would know because the world was going to hate them with a passion. Therefore, if you’re going to count the cost and be a disciple of Jesus Christ, you’re going to find out that true discipleship necessitates a willingness to suffer the hatred of the world. And if you’re not willing to suffer the hatred of the world, then you’re not really willing to be the disciple that Jesus wants you to be. Persecution is a part of true Christianity.
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Jason Robertson is a husband and a father and a pastor. He is dedicated to leading and equipping his the Church with God’s word and biblical theology for life ministry, using a combination of pastoral, church planting and evangelism experience. He holds a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is experienced in church planting, evangelism, missions, and the training of pastors and Bible teachers.
Jason has been preaching the gospel since 1985, serving the first ten years of ministry as a Southern Baptist itinerant evangelist out of Milldale Baptist Church in Zachary, LA which ordained him in 1993. He has preached in hundreds of churches in over 30 States and 4 countries. He planted churches in Siberia, Russia in the summers of 1993 and 1994. He founded Murrieta Valley Church in California, which he planted in cooperation with the SBC NAMB in 2001. He also teaches ministry students at California Baptist University.
You can hear his sermons and read his manuscripts on sermonaudio.com. Just follow the link to "sermons" at the top of this page.
The hatred of the world towards Christians is so great that even when a backsliding Christian finds himself among the world he is still hated and rejected by them having once been affiliated with holiness. Now that’s hatred!
Thank you. I needed this post.