INTRO TO THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, Sarah Barry
WHEN THE WORLD HATES YOU
Passage: John 15:18~27  
Key verse: 19
The World Hates the Disciples
18 “If the world hates you,(A) keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If 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(B) out of the world. That is why the world hates you.(C) 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[a](D) If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.(E) If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name,(F) for they do not know the one who sent me.(G) 22 If I had not come and spoken to them,(H) they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.(I) 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did,(J) they would not be guilty of sin.(K) As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law:(L) ‘They hated me without reason.’[b](M)
The Work of the Holy Spirit
26 “When the Advocate(N) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father(O)—the Spirit of truth(P) who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.(Q) 27 And you also must testify,(R) for you have been with me from the beginning.(S)
Footnotes
- John 15:20 John 13:16
- John 15:25 Psalms 35:19; 69:4
Cross references
- John 15:18 : Isa 66:5; Jn 7:7; 1Jn 3:13
- John 15:19 : ver 16
- John 15:19 : Jn 17:14
- John 15:20 : S Jn 13:16
- John 15:20 : 2Ti 3:12
- John 15:21 : Isa 66:5; Mt 5:10, 11; 10:22; Lk 6:22; Ac 5:41; 1Pe 4:14; Rev 2:3
- John 15:21 : Jn 16:3
- John 15:22 : Eze 2:5; 3:7
- John 15:22 : Jn 9:41; Ro 1:20; 2:1
- John 15:24 : Jn 5:36
- John 15:24 : Jn 9:41
- John 15:25 : S Jn 10:34
- John 15:25 : Ps 35:19; 69:4; 109:3
- John 15:26 : Jn 14:16
- John 15:26 : Jn 14:26; 16:7
- John 15:26 : S Jn 14:17
- John 15:26 : 1Jn 5:7
- John 15:27 : S Lk 24:48; Jn 21:24; 1Jn 1:2; 4:14
- John 15:27 : S Lk 1:2
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. Jesus chose us out of the world (18-25)
As Jesus' disciples, we do not belong to the world. Jesus chose us out of the world. We belong to God, not this world. As such, the world does not love us. In fact, sometimes, it seems the world hates us. The reason is that the world hates Jesus. Jesus was crucified for no other reason than its hatred of him. When we read Acts, we see how much the world hated the apostles as well. They were persecuted severely! The world hates Jesus because he testifies to God and His sovereignty. But the world's hatred fulfills Scripture (Ps 35:19).
2. The Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus (26,27)
Even though we are hated by the world, Jesus gives us the mission to testify about him. Jesus promised to send us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, to help us. Jesus never stopped testifying to the truth even when the world hated him. We should do likewise.
Prayer: Lord, help us to testify to Jesus, even when we are confronted by those who hate Him and us.
One Word: Testify about Jesus