John 15:18-27
The World Hates the Disciples
18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'
26"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
Jesus in the previous verse seventeen, tells us "This is my command: Love one another."...He also teaches us to love our enemies...It maybe easy to love our family and friends, but it is harder to love someone you know little or nothing about...It is very hard to love you enemies, because one generally has a reason or reasons for their dislike of their enemies...This is why they are your enemies... Nonetheless, we are to love our enemies...
This is why I find irony here in St. John's chapter fifteen...Jesus talks about loving one another, and now He tells us about how the world will hate the disciples...He teaches the we are to love one another, yet others will hate those who follow Him or try follow Him...Jesus knew the early church and His teachings would be challenged and faced persecution...He is preparing His disciples for this future challenge...He is preparing them for this persecution...Their is love and hate in this world...The disciples are to be aware of the hate, and to spread His love...
Jesus tells us that since He did come and did speak to His opposition, then they are guilty of sin...They have no excuse for their sin...He who hates me hates My Father...Jesus in this verse is not talking about people who have not read about Him or have not heard about Him...He specifically says the Jews who have seen and heard Him are without excuse and are guilty of sin...(St. Paul addresses the issue of Gentiles who have not heard of Jesus, but it is not perfectly clear to me (Romans 2:14-16))...God is perfectly just...
Jesus tells the disciples that He will send the Counselor, whom He will send from the Father...The Counselor is the Spirit of Truth who goes out from the Father...The Counselor will testify about Him to the disciples...But Jesus tells us that the Counselor's testimony will not be enough...More testimony will be needed...Jesus tells His disciples, that you must also testify about Me, for you have been with Me from the beginning...
Like the disciples, our purpose on earth maybe as simple as to testify for Him...Jesus does not tell us that this is our purpose in life but He does tell His disciples that His Great Commission is to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to obey everything I have commanded you...And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20)...And although this may not be our purpose, we are reminded that He told us He is the way, the truth, and the life...No one comes to the Father, except through Me (John 14:6)...