*John 15:17-16:4
Jesus commands his disciples to love one another and warns them that they will face persecution because of their association with him.
- Command to Love One Another:
- Jesus repeats the command for his disciples to love each other.
- Warning About the World’s Hatred:
- He warns that the world will hate them because they belong to Jesus and are no longer part of the world.
- Jesus reminds them that the world hated him first.
- He says that if they were still part of the world, the world would love them, but now it will persecute them because they follow him.
- Connection to the Persecution of Jesus:
- Jesus explains that those who persecute his disciples do so because they do not know God who sent him.
- He emphasizes that the world is guilty of sin for rejecting both his words and his miraculous works.
- Fulfillment of Prophecy:
- Jesus states that their hatred fulfills what is written in the Scriptures: “They hated me without reason.”
- Role of the Advocate:
- Jesus promises to send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will testify about him.
- He instructs his disciples to testify about him as well since they have been with him from the beginning.
- Purpose of the Warning:
- Jesus explains that he is telling them these things to prevent them from falling away when persecution comes.
- He warns that they will be expelled from synagogues and that some will even think they are serving God by killing Jesus’ followers.
- This persecution will happen because these people do not know the Father or Jesus.
- Jesus tells his disciples these things now so that when persecution occurs, they will remember that he had already forewarned them.
John 15:17–16:4 reminds us that following Jesus won’t always be easy, but we should remain strong in our faith and continue to love others. Jesus warns that the world may reject or mistreat His followers, just as it did to Him. But He encourages us to stay faithful and not be discouraged. We can apply this by standing firm in our beliefs, even when it’s unpopular or difficult. Instead of responding with anger or fear, we should keep showing love and trust that God is with us. No matter what challenges come, we can find strength in knowing we belong to Him.
John 15:17-16:4 (WEB)
15:17 “I command these things to you, that you may love one another. 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, since 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 lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates me, hates my Father also. 24 If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father. 25 But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’26 “When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. 27 You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.16:1 “I have said these things to you so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God. 3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father nor me. 4 But I have told you these things so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.