Jesus' Heads-Up: The World Will Hate You (John 16:1-33) Series

Let's start this morning by rereading John 15:18-16:4. In these verses, Jesus describes our relationship to the world:

(18) If the world, you, it hates, know that me, before you, it has hated.

(19) If of/from the world, you were, the world would love its own.

Now, because of/from the world you are not,

but I picked you out from/of the world,-- for this reason the world hates you.

(20) Remember the word that I spoke to you: 'A slave isn't greater than his lord/master.'

If, me, they persecuted, also you, they will persecute. ["me" is focused]

If my word they kept/obeyed, also yours they will keep/obey, ["my word" is focused]

but all these things they will do to you

because they don't know The One Sending me.

(22) If I hadn't come and spoken to them, sin they wouldn't have.

Now, an excuse/pretext they now don't have concerning their sin. ["an excuse" is focused]

(23) The one hating me, also hates my Father.

(24) If the works I hadn't done among them that no other did, sin they wouldn't have. ["the works" is focused]

Now, they have now seen and they have hated both me and my Father,

(25) but [this happened] in order that the word would be fulfilled-- the one in their law being written--

'They hated me without cause.'

(26) When the Advocate/Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father-- the Spirit of truth, who from the Father comes out-- that one will testify concerning me.

Now, also you will testify,

because from the beginning, with me, you are. ["with me" is focused]

(16:1) These things I have said to you,

in order that you wouldn't be caused to sin/fall away.

Expelled from the synagogue, they will make you, ["expelled from the synagogue" is focused]

but an hour is coming,

when each one killing you will consider [it] a service to offer to God,

and these things they will do because they don't know the Father or me,

but these things I have said to you,

that when their hour comes, you shall remember them,

because I told you.

Jesus says, the hour is coming when the world will hate you, and persecute you. The world does this because it doesn't know the Father, or the Son.

However, in the midst of this hatred, Jesus has a job for you. Your job, verse 26, is to testify on Jesus' behalf (John 15:26). You are like John the Baptist. You point people to Jesus, and to the truth, and light, and life that he offers. And when you do this, you are not alone. The Holy Spirit also testifies to the world about Jesus. The Spirit works with us to testify about Jesus.

How does this happen? What does this look like?

Our passage continues this week, John 16:4:

Verses 4-7:

(4) Now, these things to you from the beginning, I didn't say, ["from the beginning" is focused]

because with you, I was. ["with you" is focused]

(5) Now, I am going now toward The One Sending me,

and no one from you asks me,

"Where are you going?",

(6) but because these things I have said to you, grief/sorrow has filled your heart,

(7) but I, the truth, I say to you, it is better for you that I go away. ["the truth" is focused]

For if I don't go away, the Advocate/Helper, will absolutely not come toward you.

Now, if I go, I will send him toward you,

Jesus is trying to prepare his disciples for the time after he is gone. They have an "hour" coming of suffering, and Jesus wants to make them ready for it. But all they can do, is grieve. They can't even function. Husbands, imagine that your wife is dying, leaving you with all the kids. Your wife knows that this is "her hour." She knows she's leaving you and the kids. She knows this is going to be rough for you. She knows there are lots of things that she has to explain to you. But you find yourself unable to really hear any of it. All you can think about is losing your wife.

That's basically where the disciples are at. There are things they need to hear. There are questions they ought to ask. But all they can hear, is that Jesus is leaving them. And this fills them with so much sorrow, that they can't function.

The truth, though, verse 7, is that they are better off if Jesus leaves. And the main reason that's true, is because the Advocate/Helper can't come, until/unless Jesus "goes away."

When you hear this, you should find yourselves asking two questions (make sure these are on the outline):

(1) When Jesus talks about "going away," what is he talking about?