Why Are Christians Hated By The World? Series

WHAT DOES THE WORLD THINK OF JESUS? It hates Him.

- John 15:18, 21, 22, 23, 24.

1. It’s easy to think of Jesus as a Mr. Rogers’ kind of guy and not think about the fact that they killed Him. He was not eminently likeable.

- He called His enemies “vipers” and the “blind leading the blind.”

- He overturned tables in the Temple.

- He refused to obey their meticulous Sabbath rules.

- He wouldn’t give the religious leaders the respect they demanded.

- He loved the outcasts and the sinners.

- They hated Him.

2. What do we mean when we talk about “the world”?

- It’s the system of this natural world.

- 1 John 2:15-16 – Do not love the world.

- But John 3:16 – For God so loved the world.

- Definition: humanistic system at odds with God (1 John 4:5; Matthew 18:7). But there are other definitions, like the earth and physical universe.

- This world system belongs to Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4).

- Friendship with the world is enmity with God ( James 4:4).

- We are to be in the world but not of the world (John 17:14-15).

3. Why did they hate Jesus when He was here?

a. He convicts them of sin.

- John 15:22, 24.

b. He threatened their power.

- John 11:48.

4. It hates His Father as well.

- John 15:23, 24.

5. They hated Jesus without reason.

- John 15:25.

- This doesn’t mean that they didn’t have reasons for hating Him. It means that their reasons didn’t have any validity.

- They hated Him even though He did what was right. They hated Him even though He miraculously healed people. They hated Him even though He perfectly represented God’s love and truth.

- He did not give them a legitimate excuse to hate Him, but they did it anyway.

WHY ARE CHRISTIANS HATED BY THE WORLD? Because of our connection to Jesus.

- John 15:18, 19, 20, 21.

1. Our connection to Jesus brings the hatred.

- John 15:21.

- It ultimately goes back to who we represent. It is our association with Jesus and His Father that brings the negative our way.

2. We are not of the world.

- John 15:19.

- We are to be in the world but not of the world (John 17:14-15).

- This is an important point because many of us have become very comfortable in this world. We need to remember that we are supposed to strangers and pilgrims here (Hebrews 11:13).

3. We have been chosen out of it.

- John 15:19.

- We are been picked by Jesus. He wants us.

4. This doesn’t mean everyone rejects Jesus – it’s a mixed bag.

- John 15:20b.

- We’ve been focused a lot on the rejection by the world, but we need to note that within this world there are also some who embrace the truth. That’s what the second half of v. 20 points us to. Was Jesus persecuted? Yes, by some. Was Jesus obeyed? Yes, by some. So it will be for us.

HOW DO WE RESPOND TO BEING HATED? Being hated doesn’t give us the right to be hateful.

- John 15:17, 20b.

- We love our brothers and sisters in Christ (v. 17) and we love those around us, knowing some will become our brothers and sisters in Christ (v. 20b).

- And beyond that, we are called to love our enemies and those who persecute us.

- It is worth remembering on this point that it is our grace and kindness in the face of hatred and rudeness that shines bright as a stellar witness. We are to be people overflowing in love. Indeed, our community of believers is to be defined by it (v. 17). We should expect to be opposed and misunderstood. That’s ok. We will outlove them.