The World Will Hate You

there’s a belief in the evangelical church today that unbelievers will like us and Jesus if we just look more like him.

My story of 911. When the Twin Towers were hit it didn’t sink in how serious this was but when the Pentagon was hit I said “we are at war”

The World Will Hate You (18-25)

Hate: greek “miseo”

Appears 8 times in this passage

Jesus is distinctly trying to set our expectations.

He wants us to know that the world will hate us.

We are told this many times, not only here

Jesus:

Matthew 5:10-12 “10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 10:16-18 “16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.”

Acts:

Acts 5:40 “40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.”

Acts 7:57-58 “57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.”

Acts 12:1-3 “1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.”

Peter:

1 Peter 4:4 “4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;”

1 Peter 4:12-13 “12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

James:

James 4:4 “4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Christians are to identify so closely with Jesus that they share in His sufferings (they will persecute you also)

Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 327.

John:

Revelation 2:10-11 “10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’” - Smyrna

Revelation 6:9-10 “9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?””

Revelation 20:4 “4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

Persecution is not the exception, it is the rule.

The world hated Jesus before it hated us

This is an encouragement

We are not alone, He understands

The world hates us because we identify with Christ

If we were of the world, the world would accept us

This has a lot to do with lifestyle, they think us weird

The world persecuting us, is the world persecuting Jesus.

They are attacking him (on account of my name)

The Helper (26-27)

One of the reasons the Spirit will come is to help us bear witness.

In spite of persecution, we are still to declare Christ.

The Spirit will help us

Acts 1:8 “8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

You Can Persevere! (16:1-4)

Jesus was trying to encourage us to not give up

Jesus is trying to set our expectations, so that in the face of persecution we will not be surprised.

We will not give up.

instead we will remember His promise that we will be persecuted