We continue our study of the Gospel of John. Picking up at verse 18, of chapter 15, The Apostle continues to quote Jesus. He said,
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. 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. 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 as well. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent Me. 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.’ (John 15: 18 -25)
For those of us who know, and love Jesus, it is difficult to understand why anyone would hate Him, or hate anyone who loves Him. Jesus is Love Personified. Our Abba Father is Love, and so is our Savior, Christ Jesus. He and The Father are One. (John 10:30) The Word says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7) Why would anyone want to hate a person whose entire being is made up of this?
The answer is the evil one. He is the prince of this fallen world, (John 14:30) and uses everything he can to bring about harm to God’s children. One of his most destructive weapons is “religion”. Jesus called the very religious Pharisees, hypocrites. They used religion to benefit themselves while proclaiming God’s name. They saw the authenticity of Christ, but because of their position, and not wanting to lose it, and because they operated from the flesh instead of the Spirit, and because they were blinded because they would not see, they refused to allow people to even speak His name. They hated Jesus, which led to the hate of the Father since they are One. They hated and persecuted those who spoke the name of Christ, and this is what Christ was telling His disciples. He wanted them prepared, but He also wanted them to know help was on the way. The Holy Spirit was coming, and would testify that Jesus was indeed the Christ. The Savior of mankind. Jesus said, “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. And you also must testify, for you have been with Me from the beginning.” (John 15: 26-27)
Let us be ready at all times to testify of His wonderful, life changing, unconditional Love. It is a light to the fallen world that hates Him, and us, but we walk above that hate in His Love, in His kingdom.