A Disciple and the World

John 15:18-27

Why is it that Christians suffer persecution and discrimination around the world?

We serve a suffering Savior who innocently gave His life on a cross for us, what would make us think we would not be persecuted?

We are all familiar with what is taking place in Nigeria. Churches are being destroyed Christians are being slaughtered and school aged girls are being kidnapped by Islamic terrorists.

However, Christian discrimination and persecution is growing in America. During the Covid 19 pandemic we were forced to close our churches and in some places those who held service was arrested.

Under the Biden administration the DOJ began directly targeting Christians as far right domestic terrorists, and arrested Christians for praying outside abortion clinics.

Even though this was a country founded by Christians I expect it to become worse in the future, especially for those churches that hold firm the teachings of scripture.

None of this should surprise us because Jesus said this was going to happen. In our scripture tonight He tells us that if you are a disciple of Christ you will face opposition from the world. In fact, He tells us the world will hate you.

The question is how should we respond to the hatred of the world? He teaches us 3 ways.

John 15:18–27 KJV

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

Background and context

Who is speaking?

Who is He speaking too?

What is He saying?

When is He saying it?

Why is He saying it? Two reasons: 1. He is giving them instructions. From the moment this day began with the last supper, in the upper room, Jesus has been giving them instructions about how He wants them to live when He is gone.

2. He is preparing them for what is getting ready to happen. Their whole world will be flipped upside down when He is arrest put on trial and crucified for no reason. They will flee, they will be rejected and they will face persecution like they have never experienced before.

So, these final words of Jesus are instructions and preparations for what they should expect and how He wants them to live.

Last week we talked about what a blessing it is to be a friend of Jesus and how He commands us to love one another. It is a great privilege to be a friend of Christ because it makes you a friend of God.

What great news that is, but then He drops the bad news, because it also makes you something else. It makes you an enemy of the world. When we lived for sin we lived in friendship with the world but now that we live for Christ we have become the enemy of the world.

Now it is important we understand that the world is not our enemy. The world is our mission field. However, the world now views us as their enemy. How do we deal with that? How should we respond? Well, Jesus gives us three ways in this passage.

I. We should expect it Vs. 18-20

Vs. 18, “If the world hate you.”

The word “if” used here is not used to set up something conditional. It is used figuratively, and instead it means “since” the world hates you. Look at the end of Vs. 19 where He says, “Therefore, the world hates you.”

So, the word “if” here doesn’t mean they might hate you and they might not. It is clear by the rest of the passage He means they will absolutely hate you!!

The word used for “world” here is used also as a figure of speech, and is talking about people of the world who are opposed to Jesus.

John is talking about people under the influence of Satan and sin who will hate you because they are opposed to Christ.

The Pharisees in Jesus day are a great example of this. They didn’t want people to follow Jesus. They wanted to destroy Him and His followers, and there are people like this today.

You will eventually see that people who don’t know Jesus do not want other people to know Jesus and there is no rational reason for it. They do not even know why they are simply under the influence of Satan and sin.

Then notice Jesus lays out the first reason for all of this hostility. Look at the end of Vs. 18, “ ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”

Who did the world hate first?

The phrase “you know” is telling us we should consider this. You should know this. In other words, think about it, they hated Me first. There going to hate you. You should expect it!! It should not come as a surprise.

I can’t help but think how different this is from the gospel we preach. Our idea of the gospel is Jesus loves you and God has a great plan for your life, and that is great but that is only half the story.

Jesus says, you need to know “ if you follow Me you will live in opposition to the world.” They will hate you, and that is truly what we see from the world we live in.

However, this should not cause a believer to panic because Christ was victorious over the hatred of the world, even in the bitterness of death He triumphed, rose again and ascended to the Father.

Notice Vs. 19 “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

Who does the world love?

Who has been chosen out of the world?

Now we are back to using the word if as a condition. If you were like the world. In other words, opposed to the things of God. Living in and preferring sin, the world would love you, because you would be just like them.

This is where we get the saying, “a believer is in the world but not of the world.” They are separated from the world and the way the world operates and thinks in it’s own self interests. 2 Cor. 6:17-18.

I can’t help but think to myself that misery loves company, and people who hate want to be surrounded by like minded people. People want to validated, so people who love sin and depravity do not want to be in the presence of someone trying to live for God, trying to be different than the world.

(I wasn’t invited to Superbowl party)

So, the world will hate you because you are not of the world. In other words, you are different from them. Why? Because you have been chosen to be different.

Vs. 19 says, “but I have chosen you out of the world.” Jesus has chosen to set you apart. What I find interesting is how He allows some of us to be exposed and to live in the degeneration of the world long enough to know, “we never want to go back.” I never want to be that person again.

I believe He does that for two reasons. 1. The testimony of the change in our life brings Him glory and reveals His power. 2. So that we can minister to people who have gone through some of the things we have gone through. 2 Cor. 5:17.

Vs. 19 comes with a conclusion, “therefore the world hateth you.” In other words, because you are different, because I have chosen you the world will hate you.

We should expect it. We can count on it. We should not be surprised when it happens. Consider the context the disciples were getting ready to face, not only at the crucifixion of Jesus, but the persecution of the church and Jesus wants to prepare them and us today.

Notice the beginning of Vs. 20, “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.”

What does Jesus tell them to remember?

Jesus is reminding them of what He said to them in John 13:16 However, the circumstances there were much different. There He was teaching them to be a servant by washing their feet and telling them “A servant is not greater than their Master.” If I have done this to you, you should do this for each other.”

Here He is giving them another example to follow, only this is an example of acceptance and suffering. The world will be hostile toward you. Be prepared for it.

Look at how they have treated Me, and remember the worst of that was still to come. They were going to witness the most horrible act of murder of an innocent man on the next day, and what He is saying is: that is how you can expect to be treated.

Look at the rest of Vs. 20, “If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”

The word “if” here is sarcastic, knowing what we know today- Jesus would absolutely be persecuted, hung on a cross the next day. But remember the disciples didn’t know that yet in the story.

The rest of Vs. 20 establishes a contrast between believers and unbelievers, between the world and His disciples. Those who persecute Me will persecute you, those who keep my saying (which means word or message) will keep yours also. And to keep means to live by or abide in.

So, it is not all negative, there us some positive news here. But it just speaks to how important it is to obey the command of Vs. 12: “To love one another.”

Other believers will be the only ones who truly love us and understand us because we share a common world view: Sin is the root of all the problems of the world and Christ is the only solution.

Imagine two people looking at the same beautiful sunset. One sees God's handiwork, the vibrant colors that reflect His glory, while the other only sees a chemical reaction in the atmosphere. That is the difference between the way a believer and an unbeliever see the world. The unbeliever doesn’t understand the way you see the world, and they will hate you for it.

So, How should we respond to the hostility of the world? Well, Jesus says we should expect it.

The second way He tells us we should respond to the hostility of the world is:

II. We should understand it Vs. 21-25

Look at Vs. 21, “But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.”

Why will all these things they will do unto you?

The word “but” here sets up a contrast. Because He really wants His disciples and us today to understand all of this hostility, where it comes from and why.

“All of these things they will do unto you.” is talking about the hatred and persecution that was coming. It took place then and it is taking place today and there are two main reasons given for it.

Because of the name sake of Jesus and 2. because they, speaking of the world, do not know God, or the One who sent Me.”

By His name sake Jesus means His character and what His name represents. It represents the truth and righteousness of God in the world.

This is the same figurative language He used in John 15:16, when He said whatever you ask in My name, will be given to you.”

By His name He means His character. So, what He is saying here is: they will persecute you because they hate what I stand for. They hate My character and by associating with me you are identifying with that character.

The second reason was because they don’t know God. They do not believe in Him or accept Jesus as their Savior. They have not been chosen.

The worlds idea of God is that He is the great grand father in the sky. who looks down on their sin and loves them anyway, and no matter what they do He will find them acceptable in the end, but that isn’t based on anything other than their sin.

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Who is the word of the cross foolishness to? Who is it the power of God unto salvation?

But it is important we realize there is something more taking place in the world than just unbelief. This is a spiritual battle because if they just didn’t believe or know God, why would they seek to destroy Him and those who believe in Him.

So, Satan lies behind the opposition of the world, and most of the people who are under his influence do not even know it.

I will give you an example. I have a nephew Billy who is a self proclaimed atheist. A smart kid who has an undergrad from Michigan and a graduate of Columbia. But he spends all of his time trying to disprove a God he doesn’t believe in. Why? Because He hates Jesus and loves his sin.

So, it is important to Christ we understand this hostility from the world and He continues to unpack what is behind it all,

and in Vs. 22-24 He gets down to the root cause of it all. Jesus has exposed their sin.

Look at Vs. 22, “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.”

What did Jesus do unto them?

In other words, His message convicts the world of sin, it strips away the cloak of si. Jesus preaches and teaches righteousness, therefore, His message exposes the sins of the people.

It is important we understand the phrase, “then they had not sin.” does not mean they were sinless before Jesus came.

That is not what this is saying. But it means their sin was not exposed until Jesus came and spoke to them.

Notice the contrast, “But,” they have no cloke or covering for their sin. In other words, they can’t hide it anymore. It has been exposed.

When Jesus came in to the world He made it known to us what sin is and where forgiveness is found.

But instead of repentance seeking forgiveness the world, the people He is referring to, choose hatred. Why? John 3:19–21 ““This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.””

What had come into the world?

What did men love?

Why do they love it?

Look at John 15. Vs. 23, “He that hateth me hateth my Father also.”

What Jesus is saying here is the one who hates Me hates God because He sent Me and gave Me the words to say, and the Words I speak that expose your sin are the very truth of God!!

Then we see that not only did Jesus expose the sin of man with the words He spoke, but by the works He did.

His miracles proved His origin was from heaven and that He was God!!

Look at Vs. 24, “If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.”

What do Jesus do among them?

The miracles Jesus performed proved who He was and reinforced the words He spoke. And just exposed their sin all the more.

No one else had ever done the things Jesus did and no one would ever do them again.

Because He was the incarnate God who came in the flesh, lived for righteousness, died for grace, saved those who belong to Him, and exposed those who didn’t. And that created the hostility and hatred for God in the world.

Vs. 25 is a warning for the disciples and for us today, and speaks of just how irrational the world is.

It says, “But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.”

Jesus is warning the disciple that what is about to happen has been predicted in scripture, and it is a warning for us today of just how irrational the hatred of the world is; “they hated Him without cause.”

We try to make sense of the way people treat Christians, and there really is no explanation for it. Without cause they will hate you just like they hated Jesus.

But Jesus isn’t the only one to warn us of this. God the Father told us back in Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.””

So, Jesus has taught us we are to expect the hatred of the world and that He wants us to understand i.

Now look at how He wants us to respond to it. He tells us:

III. To Embrace It Vs. 26-27.

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.”

The word “But” again establishes a contrast and what this means is: even though you are suffering persecution and hostility from the world, when the comforter comes, embrace it, own your identity in Me. Do not back down!!

The “comforter here we know is referring to the Holy Spirit and He empowers us, Convicts us and matures us. He is the Spirit of Truth.

The “PARACLETOS” the one who come along side of us and helps us to live for God.

Notice He is sent by Jesus and yet proceeds out from the Father. This is describing His relationship with the Trinity. He is in essence God Himself sent into the world to us so that we do not face the world alone.

Notice what the Comforter does and what He causes us to do. “he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness.”

In other words we are to embrace the role we have been given. In the same way the words and the works of Jesus exposed the sin of the world we continue that today by proclaiming His words and His righteousness. We call men to repent of their sin and to trust in the Lord.

Look at the foundation of our testimony. Look at the end of Vs. 27, “because ye have been with me from the beginning.”

Now this is speaking specifically of the Apostles, who were with Jesus from the beginning of His ministry. Their testimony of Christ is what all the hostility is built on and we continue that testimony today.

Our testimony is built on the apostolic creed we continue to proclaim the message that began with them.

Conclusion

The disciple of Christ will live in opposition to the world. We should expect it. They hated Jesus and hung Him on the cross, and they will hate us because we represent Him.

We should understand it. The world, speaking of unbelievers do not know God and because Jesus came and exposed their sin, by the words He spoke, and the works He did, anyone associated with Him, is hated and persecuted without cause, for no rational logical reason.

Finally, we should embrace it. Jesus doubles down and says, I am going to send you help in dealing with the opposition of the world. The Holy Spirit will come and testify of Me, and you will testify about Me, and let the world hate you, because you are exposing their sin.

I have chosen you to be separated from the world. I have chosen you to be a sheep and not a goat. To be a wheat and not a tare. To walk the narrow road that leads to life and to stay away from the road that leads to destruction.

Also, we need to remember that Just because the world has made us their enemy, we do not make the world our enemy. The world is our mission field. But the only way we will ever reach the world is to embrace the ministry and mission of Jesus.