A Hateful World
John 15:18-27
Remember back to chapter 12 when Jesus said, “Anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life?” (John 12:25). It turns out that when we hate our life in this world, it will hate us back.
10 of the 12 apostles of Jesus were martyred for following Jesus. As followers of Jesus, we cannot expect to be loved by the world or the people around us. We can expect a lack of belonging, hate, and potential persecution.
According to Open Doors International, an organization committed to helping persecuted Christians all over the globe, 1 in 7 Christians are persecuted worldwide. The US does not rank within the top 50 most persecuted nations, but many of our siblings in Christ are encountering violence by their governments in other countries. Jesus faced violence and murder by the state. If He says, “‘A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also,” we can be saddened but not surprised at the violence endured by Christians worldwide.
The world does not know Jesus, and is persecuting Christians just as Jesus foretold.
This is a dismal reality, but the news gets worse. The reason persecution exists is because people are sinful and they do not know God. (John 15:22-24)
This creates quite the paradox for Jesus’ followers:
The world hates them because people are sinful and do not know God.
Yet, the only way to restore the world is to proclaim the gospel so people might know Jesus, turn from their sins, and be reconciled to God.
This is why people in persecuted nations meet in secret churches.
This is why missionaries are going to dangerous places.
This is why we plant churches in places with fierce opposition to Jesus.
With this paradox of persecution in mind, Jesus makes a promise and a command to His Disciples:
The Holy Spirit will come to testify to a broken world about Him (John 15:26).
His disciples “must also testify” about Jesus (John 15:27).
We will be hated. But a time is coming when all will be restored to love at Jesus’ return. Until then, we have the opportunity to push forward His kingdom of light to the darkness around us by our testimony of Jesus’ death and resurrection and the power of the Holy Spirit.
