There’s no doubt that for the early Christians, opposition and persecution were a fact of life. We only have to read a few chapters into the history of the early Church, as we find it in Acts and we discover Peter and John being arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin to explain why they’re proclaiming Jesus as Lord. A few chapters on we find Stephen being stoned to death. As we follow Paul on his missionary journeys, he’s subjected to beatings, stoning, gaol, arrest, he’s thrown into prison and probably ends his life in chains. So the words of Jesus, as he begins to talk about the world hating them and about persecution are brought into sharp focus by what we now know of their immediate future.
But as we move further into history, past the early centuries, we find that, in the west at least, the danger of persecution diminishes as Christianity is adopted as the official religion of the empire. And by the time we get to or own age, it seems that the prospect of harm coming to any of us in the developed world for our faith is negligible. So as we read these words the focus seems to blur a little. We ask ourselves whether these words are relevant any more.
Well, let me suggest that yes, they are still relevant. Even though we’re probably not going to be subject to physical persecution, Jesus’ statement that the world will hate us, is as true today as it was in his day. Why, because we follow Jesus, and the world takes the same attitude to Jesus today as it did back then. You see, Jesus’ death and resurrection are the climax of Jesus’ mission on earth. The Kingdom of God is about to be born. That means that there can be no more sitting on the fence. As Jesus said "From now on, you’re either for me or you’re against me." From now on there will only be two types of people in the world: those who love Jesus, and those who hate him. And those two groups of people will be at enmity with each other. He says: "If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world -- therefore the world hates you."
The picture he’s using is of us being gathered in the midst of a world that’s opposed to God, to form a new world, of those who are his followers. But we’re not physically removed from that world. Rather we’re called to live within it, to be salt and light, a purifying and enlightening influence on it. So we’re left to live in a world that’s opposed to us, just as it’s opposed to Jesus and it’s not going to be easy. In the context of first century Judaism, the opposition they’re going to face will be opposition from the Jews who saw them as undermining their Jewish faith, of denying the one true God through their claim that Jesus is God’s only begotten Son. But, he says, that’s no more than I’ve experienced. You can’t expect them to understand you or accept you any more than they’ve understood and accepted me. If you take my name you’ll be treated the same way I was. And why? Because they don’t know the one who sent me. There’s such an irony there isn’t there? The Jews thought they knew God. They thought they were doing the right thing, defending the honour of the only true God. But they didn’t know God at all. Why? Because they had rejected his only Son. Remember what Jesus said to Philip back in Jn 14:9: (John 14:9-10 NRSV) "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ’Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?" If they’d known Jesus, they would have known the one who sent him. And this failure of the Jews to know Jesus, to believe in Jesus is compounded by the fact that he’s come and lived among them, taught in their midst and done the amazing works that he did, works that no-one else has ever done.
So there are two types of people in the world. Those who know and love Jesus Christ as Lord, and those who are opposed to him, and therefore to his followers. Well, that was clearly true in the first century, but what about now? How does that dichotomy manifest itself in our situation? Where do we see Christians at odds with the world?
Andrew Bolt who’s a journalist with the Herald-Sun spoke at the Whitehorse Mayoral Breakfast the other day, and he began by listing some of the de facto religions of our day. He spoke of environmentalists and animal rights advocates who place the welfare of animals and even plants on an equal footing with that of human beings, of those who make aboriginal rights into a religion, of those who advocate sexual liberation, he spoke of new age religions, witchcraft and crystals and mother-earth religion.
But the religion that perhaps shows up this difference the most is the new religion of tolerance, what I think he called the new fundamentalism. This perhaps more than anything else is the place where Christians will find themselves opposed by those of the world. From what I’ve read, the new "Racial and Religious Tolerance Bill" that’s about to go before the State parliament, which is based on these ideas of tolerance above everything else, could mean that a Christian could be tried for making a statement about the uniqueness of Christ if it could be construed by a disaffected person as "intolerance" and offensive to their rights and beliefs. But even without a Bill like that, we’ll find ourselves looked down upon if we talk about Jesus being "way the truth and the life, no-one comes to the Father except through him." The world doesn’t want to be told that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. Nor does it want to be subject to the moral standards that God wants for his world. It wants everyone to be able to decide on their own moral standards. In 16:2 Jesus says: "an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God." Now I’m not sure that people today think of this as worship of God, but I am sure they think they’re doing a service to society, when they push tolerance at all costs. There’s nothing malicious about this you see. People who push for tolerance in all things, except intolerance of course, think they’re doing it for the good of others. But irrespective of whether they think they’re doing a good thing, they’re doing it out of ignorance of the Father and of Jesus. (v3)
It’s also true, as Jesus points out in 15:22-24, that there are many who even when they see the works that Jesus has done, refuse to believe in him. In fact, one of the sad things about that talk by Andrew Bolt, was that after listing the many positive influences and contributions that the Christian faith has made to our society, he finished by admitting that he wasn’t himself a believer. He could see what an influence the Christian faith had had on civilisation, on our nation and culture, yet he wasn’t prepared to accept the need for commitment to it’s Lord.
So how are we going to stand against the sort of opposition that the world will offer. This was obviously in the minds of the disciples. Remember they were feeling like Jesus’ going would leave them abandoned, like orphans, without anyone to support or defend them. So, again, Jesus seeks to reassure them with the promise of the Holy Spirit.
He says: "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning." The solution to our dilemma is twofold. You see, the picture is in fact bigger than we first thought. There aren’t just 2 types of people involved. There’s actually a third party who has a significant effect on the other two. The Spirit of Truth is sent to speak to those who are opposed to Jesus. We’ll see more of how he does that in a moment. But first notice that we’re called to testify on Jesus’ behalf. Actually it’s the disciples in the first instance who are to testify of what they’ve seen and heard. Back in 14:26 they’re told that the Spirit will remind them of all that Jesus has said to them. In 16:13-15 they’re told that the Spirit will guide them into all truth, that he’ll reveal what’s yet to come and that he’ll make known to them what Jesus wants them to know. But the Spirit is given to us as well to remind us of what we’ve learnt of Jesus. To bring back to us the things we’ve read in God’s word. To give us words to speak, so we can be witnesses to Jesus Christ, witnesses of the gospel.
So we have a part to play, but in a sense it’s a secondary part. Or at least it’s a role that we play as a partner with the Holy Spirit. Jesus goes on in vs5-11 to speak about the way the Holy Spirit helps us in facing opposition from the world. In fact, he says, it’s far better for us that Jesus has left, than if he’d stayed. Far more will be achieved by the presence of the Holy Spirit with the disciples, than ever would have been if Jesus had remained with them. When Jesus was with them, their number maybe reached a couple of hundred at it’s peak, and even then, most gave up after a while, leaving a mere handful of followers. But think about what happened with the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. 3,000 were converted the first time the gospel was preached, and then we’re told the Lord added to their number daily, those who were being saved. A few days later there are 5,000. So what does the Spirit do that makes such a difference?
Well, he says: "If I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned." The word Advocate, or Counsellor as you’ll find it in some translations, is the word that was used for someone who was called in to assist you, particularly in a legal proceeding. So he might be a witness in your defence, or he might be your lawyer.
So when Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit in this context as being the Advocate, that’s the idea he has in mind. The Spirit acts as defence counsel on our behalf. And what does he do?
He says: "He will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment." That is, he’ll act like a defence counsel, cross-examining the witness to show up the error of their testimony. And how will he do it?
He’ll prove them wrong about sin, first of all, because they do not believe in Jesus. You see, there’s a new focus for the definition of sin here. Sin is no longer centred in the transgression of God’s law. Nor can sin be seen as a mere snicker word. ("I’m such a sinner! Said jokingly.) No, sin, now, is centred in the rejection of Jesus as Lord. In the end it’s the failure to believe in Jesus that defines sin, that leads to judgement. That’s why it’s so important for us to be proclaiming Jesus as Lord when we preach the gospel, not just a new set of rules.
Secondly, he’ll prove them wrong about righteousness, because Jesus is going to the Father and they will see him no longer. Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, his exaltation to the right hand of the Father, not only vindicates his righteousness, but in fact it guarantees the triumph of goodness in the world. I think lots of people ask whether it’s possible to find lasting goodness in this fallen world? When everywhere we look we see good things spoilt and polluted it’s easy to wonder whether that’s the inevitable end for everything. But no, in Jesus we discover a lifestyle, an obedience to God, that lasts. And he rises as the first fruits of those that love God. What’s more, Jesus shows them to be wrong about the means to righteousness. The only way we’ll achieve righteousness before God is through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Only through faith in his righteousness will we be made righteous.
Thirdly, he’ll prove them wrong about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. If they think that the idea of judgement is old hat; if they think God isn’t going to judge, they’ve got it wrong. In Jesus’ death, Satan has been overthrown. Satan has done his worst and Jesus has triumphed. You see, Satan thought that he had Jesus where he wanted him. If Jesus was willing to take on himself the judgement of the world, then so be it. Let Jesus die. But Jesus didn’t stay dead, did he? He came back to life, and in so doing he defeated death. He removed for all time the fear of condemnation and in so doing, he took away Satan’s power. In rising to new life, he showed that God was right, that Jesus was the righteous Son of God and that Satan had it wrong. So Jesus’ death and resurrection is like an acted out judgement on Satan. Jesus’ resurrection and ascension is the sign that the Kingdom is here. The time has come to decide one way or the other which side you’re on. The work of the Spirit is to inject that imperative for decision making into our consciousness.
So yes, we will find ourselves at odds with the world, faced with opposition as Christians, witnessing to a hostile audience. But when that happens we’re not on our own. We can take great heart from the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is there with us, convicting people of their sin, showing them the way to righteousness before God and warning them of the judgement to come.
I don’t know about you, but I find that a great encouragement when I’m talking to people about Jesus. I was talking to someone this week who’d been rung up by a local newspaper who were doing an article on the meaning of Easter. After the reporter had finished asking her questions, she said, "I think I should get out a bible and read it for myself." That’s the work of the Holy Spirit, prompting her to take it further.
It’s also a great encouragement when I come each week to prepare my sermon, to know that it’s the Holy Spirit who works through my words to convict people of the truth of the gospel. It’s the Holy Spirit who will move in people’s hearts to accept the word of God, to change their lives, to accept the need to decide for Jesus. My words on their own aren’t going to convince people of anything. But as I testify about Jesus, the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father joins with me in testifying of Jesus.
Let’s pray that that would be true for each one of us as we proclaim the risen Lord to those around us.
For other sermons from this source go to /www.sttheos.org.au/ .
