WELL NO WONDER
JOHN 15:18-20
JOHN 15:18-20 NKJ
18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet 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 servant 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.
OBSERVATION:
Jesus has so many good things to share in these chapters. Chapter fifteen is one of my most underlined. Abiding in Christ. Bearing fruit. Abiding in the Father's love. Being called to bear a lot of fruit and get our prayers answered. The commandment to love one another repeated. All of this in chapter fifteen.
Then in verse eighteen, Jesus jumps to being hated by the world. Whoa, what happened to all the good stuff? Oh, it's still there alright, and it's still good, but Jesus is preparing His followers for what's coming.
Being hated by the world is talking about those in this world's system who have no relationship with Jesus. And Jesus reminds us that He was also hated. We have seen the constant conflict Jesus endured in the earlier chapters of John's gospel. Now Jesus is saying that as His representatives on the earth, there is some conflict coming our way also.
This is not because of anything we have done per se. This is because of our identification with Jesus. The world hated Him, so we get looped in. We are not of the world, just as He was not of the world. We are not aliens, but we are spiritually born from above, born of God, so we have been called out of this world's system. Jesus said the world loves its own, but because of our union with Him, we're out.
And Jesus reminds us that the servant, us, is not above his master. They persecuted Jesus, so they will persecute us. Cheered up yet?
No? Well, we must understand Jesus did not share these words to discourage us but to prepare us. He started with the good stuff, and He is not finished. There's more good coming. But we must realize all these great promises cost Him, and we'll see some heat ourselves. But He is with us and empowering us by His Spirit and blessing us with His peace. We don't have to let our hearts be troubled or afraid.
APPLICATION:
Well, no wonder the Christians are catching so much heat these days. The biggest reason is our identification with Jesus. Love them anyway. Don't be intimidated by their hate or infuriated by their scorn. But let's also make sure we love each other in the Body of Christ. If the world is hating on us, we certainly don't need to be hating on our family in the Lord.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, help me rise above the hate in the world as You did. And strengthen me to love my family in Christ.