Scripture: John 15:18-27 (ESV)
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”
Mahatma Gandhi is sometimes quoted to have said "I like your Christ, but not your Christianity." I sometimes wonder about that. Can we love Jesus and all he stand for if we are not Christians? I have also often heard people say something like "Jesus drew people to himself", the idea being that Jesus had such a lovable character and charisma that people would just come to follow him because of his likeable nature. Often the church is criticised for not being more like Jesus, and the comment is often made if we were more like Jesus, churches would be full.
All of these ideas share something in common: Jesus is an inherently likable guy. But that idea doesn't hold up biblically. At least not for non-believers. In fact, if you read the story of Jesus, the main picture you get is that unless a person comes to faith, they will increasingly hate Jesus as a trouble maker, or as a threat to their authority. Jesus, himself, recognises this and as he prepares for his own death, starts preparing his disciples for their persecution and death.
And he doesn't sugarcoat things. He warns them straight out: the world will hate you. If we are serious about following Jesus, we can expect the same thing. Hatred from the world. This is a bit of a tough pill to swallow. But Jesus explains why this happens, why the world hates his followers. He says it is because we are not of this world. When we are believers, we are set apart by Jesus to be different. To be aliens and strangers in this world.
So Jesus explains that the hatred the world has for Christians today, is really just a hatred of Jesus himself. Jesus also reminds us of the principle he pointed out in the passages before this one. "A servant is not greater than his master." So if Jesus faced persecution and rejection, then so should his followers.
But how do we deal with this? How can we have hope in the face of this reality? Jesus again has the answer. He says that Holy Spirit will come. The Spirit is our comforter in the hard times. The Spirit is the one who testifies about Jesus to our own hearts, and when we share the gospel with others it is the same spirit that works through that action.
In some ways this passage feels heavy. But this is the truth for the believer. Jesus will be hated. So will his followers. But in the end we have the Holy Spirit to bring us comfort. And in that is comfort.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for preparing me for the challenges of following you. Help me to stand firm when the world’s hatred feels like it is too much. Holy Spirit, please give me the courage to be a witness for Christ, no matter the cost. Amen.
Spiritual Challenge:
Think about one way you can bear witness to Jesus today, even if it’s uncomfortable. It might be a conversation, an act of kindness, or standing firm in your faith. Trust the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen you.
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