Do you really realize today, how much this world hates Jesus? And that it even hates any testimony of Him? And that it hates those who testify? Well if you, as a Believer, have never thought of yourself in those terms, that's the testimony of Jesus here in the last paragraphs of John chapt. 15.
Last time, we finished with a spin-off from that second-greatest of commandments related by our Lord for would be, true disciples, "...Love one another, as I have loved you!" And He had been teaching them of the critical nature of the love relationship between Him and God-the-Father, between Him and His Church, and between brothers and sisters of like-faith...Vine-speak!
Now, beginning in vs. 18, Jesus begins to focus on His enemies. He had testified of His love for the remaining faithful, but now He begins to focus on His enemies...upon the world's hatred...quite a contrast with vs. 13! This is the reason that Believers need to unite and to be united, with one mind, in Christ...because we, along with Jesus, have a common enemy. So here the Lord is preparing His students for the difficulties to come. And we can see from John's first letter, ch 3.13, that the lesson was well-learned... "Marvel not, my brothers, that the world hate you...". There was a storm coming, and anyone close to Jesus would be swept away in the very vortex! They had been given the mission, and they had heard the message, and they had been given miraculous powers, but none of that would keep them from certain, and bitter disappointment. And so, this short primer on the only help available...for them, and for us as well, when the world would have its way with us.
Now up to this point in our study, there has been no evidence of persecution against the disciples of Jesus; in fact, quite the opposite. When the seventy were sent out, they came back rejoicing..."...even the demons were subject to us, in the Name of Jesus!" And when the religionists were offended because of their eating with unwashed hands, or picking grain to eat on the Sabbath, it was Jesus who had to bear their anger. And when the Lord was arrested in the Garden, He asked that His men be allowed to leave, unmolested. But He knew that after His resurrection and ascension, the spotlight would be directly upon them.
But do you know what? We fail today, to train new Believers in the fact that life will not be easy on the outside, and as a result, when they face persecution from their families or friends or fellow employees, they think that they are to be blamed...that they all-of-a-sudden, have a mark on their foreheads!
So be warned that Jesus is not teaching us that humility and Christlikeness will prevent us from experiencing the hatred of the world toward Believers...in fact, the opposite is true. The more obviously we are His, the more likely we are to be antagonized and shunned. In fact, we read of Him as being, "...despised and rejected of men". Now, when the purest of love and the most righteous of goodness brought about such a respnse, why should "the Jesus people" expect to be admired and respected in the world? When, of course, they are truly faithful to their faith. Remember that we have been, "...chosen out of the world...because of the world's hatred".
Remember that James, in Holy Spirit wisdom, recognized the truth of the principle, "...whoever would be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God"! Are you looking for certain confirmation of your salvation? Well that would be it! The apostle Paul would say, "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed...", Romans 12.2. And, "Be kindly affectioned to one another." Or, "...keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Or, "...love one another with a pure heart, fervently." And, "...forgive one another, as Christ forgave you."
But, see what The Saviour shares in vs. 18, "If the world hates you, it hated Me first"! That they would suffer, and their suffering would be a reflection of Jesus' own; that He had not only suffered conflict here on earth, during His earthly lifetime, but when you think of it...really, from the time of the uprising of Satan; from the time of his original infection of mankind. And He goes on to state that Satan's hatred of Him is just a reflection of the hatred he has for the entire Godhead! And this had to be, as He states, "...to fulfill the word of the Law, that, they hated Me without cause." Faithfulness to the Lord guarantess us life eternal, but also...and don't forget this...also a life of conflict and suffering...for genuine Believers. And that's not my own personal opinion; it's truth from the lips of Our Lord.
You know, there's a song, "I walked today where Jesus walked...", and I often think and speak of walking in the way and the will of the Lord. And the scriptures speak of "the path of Life", and that "path" will take us in the same directions and through the same conditions as Jesus Himself, for better and for worse. And that sometimes places us in the midst of adversity, but always remember, it's not just the fact that we belong to Jesus, but because of Jesus, Himself! That's the world's nature, to hate the God-nature. But as Jesus is quoted in vs. 19, remember that we are not of the world, and that's a truth that we should cling-to!
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