Hated By The World
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18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.
22 “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
23 “He who hates Me hates My Father also.
24 “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.
25 “But they have done this in order that the word may be fulfilled that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’
Speaking to His disciples only hours before He is to be nailed to a cross, Jesus say, “these things I have spoken to you, that My joy may REMAIN in you, and that your joy may be full.” The joy is within and not without. We live in a world that is not joyful but is condemned. As a world that is condemned, their is no real and lasting joy to be found. The ONLY true and lasting joy that will endure, in spite of all suffering, affliction, persecution, and disappointments, is the joy given by the Spirit of God. Jesus wanted His disciples to remain joyful even in His departure, as He returned to and now joyfully sits at the right hand of the Father, with His former glory restored for all of eternity.
Jesus knew full well what the disciples would face in His absence. I spite of the hate toward them as followers of Christ, He wanted them to remain in the fullness of His joy.
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
This passage of scripture gives us much to consider regarding our exchange with the world or with all of fallen humanity.
The world loves its own, but they hate God and those who would be chosen to follow Him.
As a condition of following Christ, the world hates you.
Back in chapter 7, Jesus’ brothers, who were NOT believing in Him, challenged Him to perform His miracles openly on the grand stage that Jerusalem would provide during the Feast of Tabernacles. They wanted Jesus to be self promoting by displaying miracles for all in Jerusalem to see. But Jesus knew that He would be hated rather than loved. Jesus knew that the Jewish leaders wanted Him dead. So Jesus told His brothers, in essence, “you all go ahead…i’m not going to the Feast of Tabernacles.
Jesus says to them in...
7 “The world cannot hate you; but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.
The world could not hate Jesus’ brothers, why? Because they were part of it.
As long as one is open and accepting of the wicked ways of the world, the world will be your companion, the world loves its own.
But as soon as you are NOT OF THE WORLD, the world will hate you.
As soon as our eyes are open to the truth, when you are were no longer in agreement with the world, the world will hate you.
Jesus testimony exposes the evil deeds of the world, and the world hates it.
Pointing out or exposing the evil deeds that people are doing will not win you any friendships among the lost in the world.
Preaching and teaching the full counsel of God, will not gain favor with a world that stands condemned and in opposition to Christ.
The light of Christ exposes the evil and holds men accountable. They cannot legitimately claim ignorance when they stand before God in judgment. The truth is, the world prefers evil over good, darkness over light.
The people “OF” the world, love the darkness that hides their evil. Their love for evil is made evident by the demands that they make in the name of freedom.
In verse 16 of chapter 15 in Johns Gospel, Jesus said, “you did NOT choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should bear fruit.”
Here in verse 19 Jesus says...
you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this…the world hates you.
This is not very reassuring to those who are not authentically follower of His, is it?
Those who are lovers of the world want nothing to do with this kind of treatment. Most want to fit in, most want to be included and most wish to be accepted by the world, NOT hated by it!
22 “And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
When we profess to be followers of Him, we must be ready for the world to look on us with disdain.
Jesus forewarned His disciples of the heavy price they would pay as followers of His...
9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name.
Still again…this announcement sounds nothing like the prosperity gospel, does it?
Knowing that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father but by Him, are you prepared to suffer, if need be, on account of His name?
Jesus stated to His disciples...
20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
The Jews hated Jesus, they wanted Him dead. Hostility toward the redeemed is not only to be anticipated, but to be expected.
Do not expect to better treatment from the world than the Lord received from the world.
This truth strait from the words of Christ, run in complete opposition to the prosperity gospel. The new age gospel that promises you all the things in life that you want is not the gospel at all. It is false!
Jesus assures His disciples, “if they persecuted Me, the will also persecute you.”
When we, as believers, identify with Jesus Christ, we will most certainly identify with Him in the “fellowship of His sufferings.” Like the Apostle Paul, do you count it all joy to be persecuted for His names sake?
Despite the persecution, Paul affirms the abundance of comfort to the saints in Corinth, through Jesus...
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
A Christians life will have an abundance of sufferings and afflictions, while at the same time, there is no greater comfort that can be found, than that which is abundant through Christ.
Jesus says in...
11 “Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.
Suffering for the name of Jesus Christ is a repeated New Testament theme.
21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.
Why do they not know God, you might ask?
Because their foolish hearts are darkened.
Because they are spiritually dead.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
Still, all people are responsible for their sin, God made it evident to them...
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
The world, the unregenerate humanity, have a hate for Jesus and His followers, ultimately, because they do not know God the Father, who sent Jesus, the true Messiah, to the world.
The bible says that they are “alienated and hostile in mind, darkened in their understanding.” They are hard hearted. That is the condition of man away from God.
All people are sinners by nature, born into a state of rebellion against God.
Those who heard the truth and saw the works of Jesus, yet rejected Him, proved them to be an enemy of God the Father.
Look at…
22 “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
This doesn’t mean that humanity would not be guilty of sin if Jesus had not come. What it means is that since He has come, God has been revealed to men.
23 “He who hates Me hates My Father also.
Those who don’t genuinely love Jesus the only begotten Son of God, do not genuinely love God the Father.
Those who wished to kill Jesus, were enemies of the God.
Any religion that claims to follow YHWY, yet reject the Messiah as His only begotten Son, is a false and demonic religion.
The LORD continues....
24 “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.
The Pharisees heard Him speak, His works were made known to them, yet hated Him and by hating Him, they proved to hate the Father as well.
In the face of full revelation, the Pharisees committed the most serious sin of all, that is, they willfully rejected the Son of God.
!In fact, they committed the unforgivable sin, that of blasphemy... against the Holy Spirit, when they attributed Jesus’ miraculous works to Satan instead of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus pronounced their sin to be unforgivable as a result!
The hostility toward Jesus by the world, was not outside of God’s sovereign plan however...
In fact Jesus says here in...
25 “But they have done this in order that the word may be fulfilled that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’
A thief hates to be caught in the act.
A liar hates to be exposed.
A rebellious child hates to be reprimanded.
Likewise, the world hates to be exposed of their sin and confronted. This is precisely what Jesus did and the world vehemently hates Him for exposing their sin.
God put on flesh and dwelt among men, and men rejected Him.
To this very day, the world continues in the vileness of sin, and will do so until it’s destruction, which is imminent.
There is no cause to hate Jesus. He came that men might have life, and have it abundantly.
To stand in opposition to Jesus, is to stand in opposition to the God and Creator.
Christians, the Lord would have you to remain joyful in spite of your life’s circumstances. Rest in His enduring love and great faithfulness.
If you are NOT a follower of Christ, if you find yourself standing in opposition to Him, I urge you today, submit to His Lordship.
He said, come unto Me all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Don’t that sound wonderful? It is! It certainly is!
Call upon Him while He is near, bow before Him, Repent of your sin. Ask Him to forgive you and cleans you of all unrighteousness. Ask Him to save you of your sin. Be baptised! And by His empower you with the indwelling Holy Spirit, live a dedicated, set apart life unto God.
Live for God, He will not disappoint you!
