Why All The Hatred?
The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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- As I’m studying I often go through little Christian Forums. I’m looking for other
people’s thoughts about what’s happening in our world.
- A trend that I’m noticing more & more is hatred.
Q- Hatred for who?
- I would immediately list the answer as the lawbreakers, or the ungodly.
- No, overwhelmingly the answer is towards Christians.
- Some how, no matter what may be happening, the Christian is blamed.
- There is a hatred that is being fueled in our world.
Estimates by Christian research groups put the annual number of Christians killed as a direct result of their faith as high as eight thousand (Heneghan, “Christian Persecution”). Another study found 111 countries who either restrict or are hostile to Christianity (ibid.). It’s reported that more than one hundred million Christians are suffering persecution around the globe. In North Korea alone, fifty to seventy thousand Christians are being held in detention camps (Zaimov, “Over 100 Million”).
But why are Christians subjected to such persecution? Well, Jesus gives us the answer.
Let’s look at his words to his disciples on the night of His crucifixion.
“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke 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 they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin. The one who hates me also hates my Father. If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated me for no reason.
“When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God. They will do these things because they haven’t known the Father or me. But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you will remember I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.
Let’s pray!
Before we get into our points today, we must understand that up to this point, Christ was focused on forming a community of believers. We call this community the church. It is here that we see a turn in the narrative Christ is doing. He switches from the church, to the world view of the church, the persecution and suffering the church will have to endure, and how as believers we are to react to this hatred and animosity.
So let’s look at our question for today...Why all the hatred?
The Worlds Hatred Toward Jesus
There are two words we need to pay close attention two in the beginning of this et of verses.
“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you.
The two words are “if” and “world”.
When we think of if, it is not a certainty. Here when we read if, Christ is saying, “they will”.
It is a guarantee. The true if here is if you are a follower of Christ. If you follow Christ and Christ was hated, we as followers will be also.
The only if is you. If you are a follower. Are you a follower?
The other word is world.
Exalting Jesus in John The World Hates Jesus (15:18)
What does Jesus mean when he uses the word world? He’s not talking about the planet. He’s referring to all those who live in open rebellion to the Creator, which means all people. By virtue of our sin, all people have embraced this anti-God world system. Our sin has ushered us into this rebellious “world” in which we shake our fists at the heavens. Therefore, by definition, the world hates Jesus because it stands opposed to all that God is and is doing.
So what does Christ do to combat the world against His followers. He calls us out of the world and into His kingdom.
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.
He called us from rebellion into His family.
This calling isn’t because we are special, it is only out of His love and favor that we can be part of His family.
It is this change that causes this hatred the world has for the church. When we go from rebellion to the church, the world doesn’t like it.
It is because we go from looking like everyone else, to a unique set of people.
It is simple. Reject the Scriptures and look like the world or believe in God’s word and be called stupid and uneducated.
The thing that hurts my heart is that the bible warns us about this and how people will desire the world’s acceptance rather than standing on faith in Christ.
Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
The purpose of our salvation is for us to be set apart and not to fit into the world’s view of Jesus, but to follow the Scriptures that has been given to us by the Holy Spirit.
The World Hates The Cross
Here is where that if comes into play again.
If we say we follow Christ, we must be aware that we follow Him to the cross.
We can’t say we follow Christ as our Lord and Savior and not expect to carry the cross.
Remember the word I spoke 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 they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me.
We should remember this, it is not us they are attacking, but the One we serve. He is the target, we just play for His team.
It is football season.
Many of you need to come up and repent for your hatred for Alabama. The greatest college team to date.
Many of you will say you really dislike Alabama. The whole team and nothing but the team...so help you God.
But let me ask this, how many of you are Saints fans. Do you like Koolaid Mcinstry. How about Mark Ingram? Both were former Alabama players. If you say you hate Alabama, you have to say that these guys you hate also.
Why bring this up?
Many professing Christians never experience any hatred in this world because they really do not serve Jesus Christ.
They wear the uniform that has Christian written on it. They go out onto the field wearing the uniform, but they help the other team. They play for the team that the world likes, so they will not hate them.
But if you continue to do God’s word and follow Christ, the hatred of this world will come to those who don’t just wear the uniform, to them who truly live for Christ.
the world will not hate an undercover Christian.
Why All The Hatred?
It is very simple, Christ calls out the wrong that the world loves.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin. The one who hates me also hates my Father. If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated me for no reason.
Christ is hated because he makes sin visible. He exposes the ugliness of our lives.
Exalting Jesus in John Jesus Exposed the World’s Guilt (15:22–25)
H. A. Ironside told a story to illustrate this point:
Years ago, at the time of the opening up of inland Africa by missionaries, the wife of an African chief happened to visit a mission station. The missionary had a little mirror hung up on a tree outside his home, and the woman happened to glance into it. She had come straight out of her pagan environment and had never seen the hideous paintings on her face, or her hardened features. Now, gazing at her own face, she was startled. She asked the missionary, “Who is that horrible-looking person inside the tree?”
“It is not the tree,” said the missionary. “The glass is reflecting your own face.”
She could not believe it until she was holding the mirror in her hand. When she had understood she said to the missionary, “I must have the glass. How much will you sell it for?”
The missionary did not want to sell his mirror. But she insisted so strongly that in the end he thought it would be better to sell it to her and thus avoid trouble. A price was set, and she took the glass. Fiercely she said, “I will never have it making faces at me again.” She threw it down and broke it to pieces.
The Word of God is a mirror that reflects Christ. What is your mirror reflecting?
How Are We To Handle This Hatred?
What are we supposed to do about this hatred?
“When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling. They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God. They will do these things because they haven’t known the Father or me. But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you will remember I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.
We are supposed to tell the truth about Jesus Christ. We are supposed to allow the Holy Spirit to empower us to speak Christ into this dark world.
The church faces each day to minimize the impact of sin, to downplay God’s Word to fit the narrative of the world. So we can fill seats and tithe plates.
We must start being honest about our own sin so we can impress upon the world the need for a Savior and to get it to face it’s own sin.
When we are honest about our need for Christ, then we can show the world the brokenness, the weakness and the failure it is headed towards.
The hardest thing we have to do is show the world the truth about our own sin.
When we allow the Holy Spirit to show us our mirror, then we can reflect Christ into this world.
Are you willing to open up about your need for Christ or will you downplay it all to fit into this world?
