The Cost of Following Christ

All right, well we are continuing on through the Gospel of John.

So if you have your Bible with you, you can open it up to the Gospel of John, chapter 15.

John 15 · chapter mention

It's the night of Jesus' betrayal.

Jesus is now with the eleven disciples.

Judas has left to put the plan into motion.

This is before they go into the Garden of Gethsemane.

And Jesus is continuing to encourage and comfort and teach these eleven men.

And this whole chapter is just Jesus speaking to them.

It's his words to them.

We're picking it up this morning in John, chapter 15, verse 18.

John 15:18

Jesus says to them,

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.

If you belong 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.

Remember what I told you.

A servant is not greater than his master.

If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.

If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

They will treat you this way because of my name.

For they do not know the one who sent me.

Much of what Jesus has to say at this point in the evening is rather sobering.

These first words of verse 18 really set the tone for this section.

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.

We've been hearing Jesus talk about our relationship with him.

Vine and branches and fruit.

And love and joy.

But now the subject changes and the tone gets serious.

Jesus is beginning to prepare these men for what's coming.

The world will hate you, says Jesus.

There's going to be hatred, animosity, opposition, and yes, even persecution coming your way.

Things are going to get nasty.

But as Jesus tells them this, there's some comfort in his words as well.

And it's not that kind of empty, feel-good assurance.

Don't worry, everything's going to be all right.

Instead, Jesus gives the kind of comfort, I'm going to call them anchoring truths.

Or guiding lights.

Because when things get difficult, when the storms of life hit, we sometimes find ourselves disoriented.

Wondering which way's up, which way's down.

Searching for answers.

Trying to understand what's going on and why.

Why is this happening?

And in those moments, we need something to really anchor onto and get our bearings.

We need a guiding light, a fixed point in the midst of the darkness.

And that's the kind of comfort Jesus offers them here.

The world will hate you, says Jesus.

But there is a reason.

And understanding those reasons will help you through it.

So Jesus gives his disciples at least three reasons why the world will hate them.

Reason number one, he says, the world will hate you because you do not belong to the world anymore.

Verse 19.

If you belong 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.

The world here generally means the people of the world.

And Jesus makes it clear that each of the disciples themselves were, at one time, part of the world.

Jesus says, I have chosen you out of the world.

Meaning, you used to be part of it.

But now Jesus does an interesting thing.

He seems to kind of draw a line in the sand between them, the disciples, and the world.

He sort of creates two groups here.

He says to the disciples, if you were literally of the world, if you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own.

But I have now chosen you out of the world.

To put it in our way of saying things, the world will hate you because you are no longer one of them.

And we can talk about that word hate.

Hate in our English language, it's a very strong word.

It's like the strongest form of dislike.

But it can also include everything below it, too.

It can include disdain.

It can include dislike.

It can include people that would insult you.

I mean, all of that's kind of lumped in under there.

The world will hate you, says Jesus, because you are no longer one of them.

And this is quite the statement.

Jesus has come into this world, and there is this separation taking place here.

There are now the followers of Jesus, and there is the world.

And Jesus seems to be suggesting you can be either one or the other.

This kind of hinges on whether or not you accept Jesus and are going to follow him or not.

And probably Jesus uses the world to describe those who are not his followers,

because it's the majority, really, who do not receive Jesus or who are opposed to Jesus.

So it's as if he's saying, you can belong to the world and be one of them,

or you can belong to me and be one of mine.

And you, my disciples, now that you are no longer one of them, one of the world,

you are mine.

For I have chosen you out of the world.

And that is why the world hates you, disdains you, despises you, does not love you.

Jesus lays it plainly before them and before us.

There is a cost to following him.

It will include a change in your allegiance,

a change in sides, a change in who you would call your people.

You, my disciples, are about to realize, if you haven't already,

that you're no longer one of them, says Jesus.

Not like you used to be.

And that's why the world hates you.

Following Jesus requires a change in your very identity,

a change in your camp, your tribe, your people.

And that separation is at the heart of this opposition,

this hatred, this treating you with contempt, says Jesus.

So that's the first reason that Jesus gives.

The world will hate you because you do not belong to it anymore.

The second reason Jesus gives, he says,

the world will hate you because it hates me.

We see this in verse 18.

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.

And verse 20.

Remember what I told you, a servant is not greater than his master.

If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.

They will treat you this way because of my name.

So there is a deeper reason why the world will hate, despise, disdain Jesus' followers.

And it's not just because they're different.

Not just because they're separate and weird and, well, I don't like that about them.

No.

At the root of their contempt is me, says Jesus.

They will have a problem with you because they have a problem with me.

Look at how this story has gone so far.

Many have come to hate Jesus so fiercely up to this point in the story

as he's been going about and doing things and teaching.

In fact, tomorrow, the crowd will be shouting,

Crucify him!

Kill him on a cross!

And so Jesus levels with them.

Peter, James, Nathaniel.

This is to be expected.

If that's how they've been treating me,

they're going to treat you in the same way.

Because you are my followers.

If they hate the master, they will hate his servants as well.

For the servants have pledged themselves to the master's service.

If they hate the leader, they will hate his devoted followers too, says Jesus.

And again, we're seeing this truth come out that there's a cost to following Jesus.

Many people despised him.

And so Jesus says,

That contempt that they have for me,

it's coming your way.

The world will hate you

because it hates me.

The third reason Jesus gives for why the world will hate his disciples

is this.

The world will hate you because it does not know God.

We see this here in verse 21.

They will treat you this way because of my name

for they do not know the one who sent me.

This is an even deeper reason for why people reject and hate Jesus

and by extension his followers.

Jesus says it's because they don't know God.

Now this might sound a little strange to our ears.

We might think, huh?

Which comes first?

Knowing God?

Or accepting Jesus?

Believing in Jesus?

And we can easily get all tied up with this thing that Jesus said.

And I'll admit it to you.

I probably don't have the authoritative final word

on how this works and what this means.

But here's a few thoughts.

First of all, we have to watch that word, know.

What does Jesus mean when he says,

they did not know God?

One of the threads that runs through the Bible is that

to know someone,

often it means more than just to know about them.

A very literal translation of Genesis chapter 4 verse 1.

Genesis 4:1

I'm looking back at the old King James.

Now Adam knew Eve, his wife,

and she conceived and bore Cain.

So knowing a person, at least in the Bible,

often refers to having a significant relationship with them,

even an intimate relationship with them.

We see this clearly again in John 17.3

where Jesus is praying and he says to the Father,

now this is eternal life,

that they know you,

the only true God.

So I don't think Jesus means to say

that the world hates him

because it's just unaware of who sent him.

This hatred towards Jesus

is not born out of ignorance.

It's not that they don't know that God sent Jesus.

And so, oops,

we made an honest mistake.

Jesus will make this even clearer in a minute

when we get to the next section.

Rather,

Jesus seems to be suggesting

that they do not have

a relationship with God

as they ought to,

as they should,

leading up to this

and Jesus coming and speaking to them.

And that's why they hate his son.

There were some in Israel

who knew God

even before Jesus came.

There was Zachariah

and Elizabeth.

There was Mary and Joseph.

There was Anna

and Simeon.

All these were people

who had real faith in Yahweh,

the God of Israel.

And there were a good number of people

who also heard

the words of John the Baptizer

out in the wilderness.

He was calling the people to repent,

to turn back to God.

And some of them responded

and they did.

They believed.

They were baptized.

And then later,

they went on to follow Jesus

as John pointed them to him.

These were the people

who knew God.

They had a relationship with God

based on faith.

Just like Abraham,

Isaac,

Jacob,

King David.

and so now that

Jesus has come,

these people that knew God,

they recognized him.

They believed him.

They loved him.

After all,

Jesus,

as John has told us

in this gospel,

was God

who had come down

and taken on human flesh

and lived among us.

But the world,

the majority,

many of them,

they weren't all too concerned

about God.

Even before John was baptizing

in the wilderness,

the sense we get

from the scriptures

is that

the Pharisees

and religious leaders,

some of them,

they were wicked hypocrites

all along.

They didn't love God.

They were corrupt

and self-interested.

They were going through

the religious motions

to benefit themselves.

They loved the praise

of other people.

They craved power.

They loved money.

And so when John came preaching,

they laughed at him.

They rejected him.

They made fun of him.

And then when Jesus came on the scene,

they rejected him also.

They already had a certain posture

of the heart towards God.

They did not know God.

They did not have

that relationship with him.

And as we'll see in a moment,

they didn't want to know God.

Through this lens,

I think it makes a little more sense,

doesn't it?

This is why they hated Jesus.

Because Jesus is the embodiment of God.

The same God that they've been ignoring

and snubbing

and pushing off all along.

And now here's Jesus

more and more

exposing the truth

about the kind of people

that they are.

About their wickedness

and corruption.

He's putting the spotlight

on their sins

and they're not repenting.

They're stubborn.

Instead, they want to get rid of Jesus.

They want to kill him.

They hated Jesus.

And Jesus says,

they will hate you also.

They will persecute you also.

For the same reason,

because they do not know God.

So these are three reasons

Jesus gives

to why the world will hate you.

Why the world will persecute you.

They will hate you

because you are not

one of them anymore.

They will hate you

because they hate me.

And they will hate you

because you do not know,

they do not know God.

And as we'll see,

they do not want to know God.

Now we come to the second section here,

verses 22 to 25.

And Jesus now shifts

away from

the world

hating his disciples

to talk now

about his relationship

to the world.

We'll hear a little more

about how the world

has hated Jesus.

And Jesus makes it clear

that God will hold them guilty

for how they have treated him.

Let's read it in verse 22.

If I had not come

and spoken to them,

they would not be guilty of sin.

But now,

they have no excuse

for their sin.

Whoever hates me,

hates my father

as well.

If I had not done

among them

the works

no one else did,

they would not be guilty

of sin.

As it is,

they have seen

and yet,

they have hated

both me

and my father.

But this is to fulfill

what is written

in their law.

They hated me

without reason.

Let's start here

in verse 22.

If I had not come

and spoken to them,

they would not be guilty

of sin.

But now,

they have no excuse

for their sin.

Now,

I know that this

raises some major questions

for some of us.

But,

let's start with

what's clear.

What is clear

that Jesus is saying here?

If I had not come

and spoken to them,

but I have.

I have come.

I have spoken to them.

And they have not listened.

They have rejected.

And so,

now they have

no excuse

for their sin.

They are guilty

for their sin.

That's what's

clear here

that Jesus is saying.

Now,

I know what some of us

are wondering

and thinking.

We're wondering,

is Jesus saying

that we wouldn't be guilty

for our sins

if he'd never come?

And if you

just read it

just like that

all by itself,

I know that

you could come

to that idea.

But I don't think

Jesus means to say

that we would all

get a free pass

to heaven

if Jesus

had never come.

This is where

we have to take care

to listen to

the whole Bible

and what Jesus

has said

all throughout

the story,

all throughout

the Gospels

about human sin

and guilt.

And it's absolutely

clear throughout

all the scriptures

that we all

are guilty

of our sins.

We stand

guilty before God

and we deserve

his punishment,

his just

punishment.

if Jesus

hadn't come,

the message

from everywhere

else in the Bible

is that we would

all have perished.

And so what

does Jesus mean

here when he says

if I had not

come and spoken

to them,

they would not

be guilty

of sin?

Well, I'll give

you the short

answer,

I don't know.

But my best

guess here

is that Jesus

is referring

to a very

specific sin.

Not that they

wouldn't be guilty

of any sins

that they've

committed,

but that they

would not be

guilty of the

very specific

sin of how

they have been

responding to

God since he

has come and

treated him.

A grievous

thing for which

they are left

with absolutely

no excuse

before God.

This is a big

perhaps,

perhaps,

but had

Jesus not

yet come,

there is

perhaps an

objection that

could be

raised,

a measure of

ignorance that

could be

pleaded for

why God should

forgive them

and be

merciful,

a sort of

desperate plea

perhaps that the

judge make

absolutely clear

what we're

convicted of

and give us

one last

opportunity to

repent before

he passes the

final sentence

and hand us

over to

judgment.

perhaps,

that's my

best guess,

but the main

point of

Jesus is not

so much what

would be or

could be,

but what is.

He says,

I have come

and I have

spoken to

them and

they have

rejected me

and are

treating me

this way,

so be sure

they will be

held guilty

before my

father for

their sins.

they will

have no

excuse.

It's as

though Jesus

is saying,

I am that

final,

gracious,

and merciful

opportunity

and they

have spurned

me and

rejected me.

With the

coming of

Jesus,

no one who

has heard

what he has

to say can

plead ignorance.

Jesus has

made it clear

what we must

do to be

restored to

God and

have his

forgiveness

and be in

his kingdom.

And so

Jesus, I

think, is

acknowledging,

yes, the

world will

hate you

and yes, the

world hates

me and God

will hold the

people of the

world guilty

for this.

There is no

pleading ignorance

because I have

left them with

no excuse,

says Jesus.

I have come,

I have spoken

to them and

they have

spurned and

rejected and

hated me.

And then

Jesus makes

this incredible

statement that,

wow, verse

23, he says,

whoever hates

me hates my

father as

well.

There is no

wiggle room

here.

There is no

option to say,

well, I love

God, I love

the father but

I don't like

Jesus.

I don't want to

have anything to

do with him.

I don't want to

listen to him

or do what he

says.

No, we can't

make that

excuse.

It doesn't

work.

Jesus leaves us

no wiggle room.

And if we even

try it, we

misunderstand who

Jesus is.

He's not just

a man.

Jesus has been

claiming to be

one with the

father.

I and the

father are one,

said Jesus.

I am in

him, he is

in me.

As we

mentioned earlier,

right at the

beginning of the

gospel of John,

he said that

Jesus is the

word who was

God and became

flesh and lived

among us.

And so this

here is the

creator.

This is Yahweh

in human flesh

walking among

us.

And so there's

no option to

love God and

hate Jesus.

it can't be

done.

If you hate

me, says

Jesus, you

hate my

father also

as well.

What is

Jesus doing

here?

He seems to

be stripping

away all of

our excuses.

Now that

he's come, if

we do not

accept him for

who he is and

listen to the

things he has

said, then

there will be

no hope for

us on that

final day.

our verdict

will continue

to be guilty.

Jesus then

goes on here

in verse 24

to strip away

one final

excuse.

He says,

if I had not

done among

them the

works no one

else did,

they would

not be guilty

of sin.

As it is,

they have

seen and

yet they

have hated

both me

and my

father.

father.

But this

is to

fulfill what

is written

in their

law.

They hated

me without

reason.

These are

sobering

words.

We might

wonder

sometimes,

but what

if they

just honestly

misunderstood

and didn't

just ended

up on the

wrong side

of things

and didn't

see that

Jesus was

really the

son of

God?

What if

they just

made a

mistake?

What if

they were

trying to

protect

God's

name from

blasphemy

and they

just ended

up accidentally,

innocently,

on the wrong

side,

condemning

this man,

Jesus?

Well,

Jesus strips

away any

chance for

honest

misunderstanding

with these

words.

If I had

not done

among them

the works

no one

else did,

they would

not be

guilty of

sin.

As it is,

they have

seen and

yet they

have hated

both me

and my

father.

Jesus did

countless

signs and

miracles,

acts of

divine power

that are

impossible for

any mere

man to

do.

And they

are the

confirmation

from God.

They are

the evidence

that Jesus

really is

the son of

God,

the Messiah.

It's not as

though God

has left it

open to

misunderstanding.

The miracles

were so

utterly

undeniable.

We've seen

this as we

went along.

Even

Jesus'

fiercest

opponents

couldn't

deny the

things that

he was

doing.

They didn't

know what

to do with

the people

that were

there healed

right in

front of

their faces.

They

couldn't

deny it.

They

admitted it.

And let's

remember the

kinds of

miracles and

signs Jesus

was doing.

We're talking

acts of

compassion.

Healing the

sick,

the lame,

blind,

the deaf,

people with

diseases,

freeing people

from demon

possession,

feeding the

masses food

when they

were hungry,

all wonderful

things,

all good

things.

And Jesus

says,

the world

has seen

those things

and yet

they have

hated me,

both me

and my

father.

And so

there's no

excuse,

says Jesus.

they will

be held

guilty for

their sins

against me.

And then

he quotes

a psalm

of David.

And the

gist of his

point there

I think is

to say

something like

this.

Just like

there were

wicked people

in King

David's

day who

hated him

without

reason,

unjustifiably

for no

fault of

David's in

the same

way.

That's

what's

happening

now in

an even

greater sense.

in an

ultimate

sense.

I am

God's

anointed

chosen

king

for his

people

and they

are totally

unjustified

in their

treatment

of me.

God

will hold

guilty

all

who

spurn

and hate

and reject

Jesus

and God

will hold

guilty

all who

do the

same

to his

beloved

followers.

Now

this is

not the

end of

the comfort

that Jesus

is bringing

he's going

to say

more in

the sections

ahead to

lift their

spirits and

to encourage

them and to

fill them with

joy and

hope as

they face

what's coming.

But we're

nearly out of

time for this

morning so we're

going to pick

this conversation

up again next

Sunday.

But I want to

take a couple

minutes here to

just apply what

we've heard so

far.

Sometimes it

might be difficult

to know what

to do with

these words of

Jesus.

We tend to

read these

words as if

Jesus is

speaking directly

to us.

But I want

to encourage

you.

We do well

here to

think first

of how

these words

applied to

the eleven

men that

Jesus is

with that

night.

What are

they about

to go

through here?

Think about

it.

They're about

to watch

Jesus be

ripped away

from them,

ridiculed,

mocked,

falsely

accused,

slandered,

beaten

brutally,

and violently

put to

death.

These are

going to be

some of the

hardest days

of their

lives.

Days in

which they're

going to be

wondering which

way's up and

which way's

down and

what's just

happened here.

And now here

we are in

the midst

of all

this.

Jesus,

most well-known

disciples,

most loyal,

devoted

followers,

and they've

hated him so

much that they

killed him.

Are we next?

What's going to

happen to us?

What do we

do?

That's why

Jesus has

given these

words.

First and

foremost,

they're to the

eleven men

with him that

night.

he's telling

them in

advance what

will happen.

Yes,

they will

hate you.

And he's

telling them

why.

Because you're

not one of

them anymore.

They will

hate you

because you

are a

follower of

me and

they hate

me.

That's the

underlying

reason.

And they

will hate

you,

my followers,

for they

do not

know God.

But because

I have

come and

spoken to

them and

done the

signs and

miracles I

did among

them,

they are

without

excuse and

they will

be held

guilty for

the rejection

and persecution

of me and

for their

hatred and

persecution of

you.

I think we

need to pause

and just

appreciate how

these words

would have

been helpful

to the

eleven men

with Jesus

that night.

Yes,

there is

a measure

in which

these words

are for

all of us,

all followers

of Jesus,

you and

me,

but probably

these eleven

men had it

far worse

than most

followers of

Christ ever

did in the

centuries that

followed.

These men

became the

pillars of

the church

of Jesus

Christ,

Paul's words,

not mine.

They had

bigger targets

on their

backs than

most would

ever have

because they

were the

eyewitnesses

of Jesus.

And so

many of

them were

brutally

persecuted

and killed

as well.

Now it

is true,

there have

been Christians

all through

the centuries

who have

suffered

and been

killed

because of

their faith

in Jesus'

name.

And I

think these

words are

for them

too,

in a

special way.

Those who

are suffering,

those who

have suffered,

I know

these words

are probably

very precious.

But for us

here in this

room today,

these truths,

let's be honest,

they probably

hit us a

little differently.

Some of us

might even

say,

well I've

never really

been hated

because I'm

a Christian.

And if

that's you,

praise God.

Isn't that

wonderful?

If we have

freedom to

worship Jesus

and openly

claim the

name of

Christ

for a

season

in a

certain place

of the

world and

nobody is

upset with

us or

after us,

that's a

good thing.

That's a

gift of God.

In fact,

Paul even

encouraged us

to pray and

ask for that

in 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 2:1–3

2,

verse 1

to 3.

But maybe

there are

some of you

here this

morning who

have experienced

some kind

of resentment

or disdain

or poor

treatment from

someone because

of your faith

in Jesus.

Maybe you've

got the cold

shoulder at

work or

someone has

made fun of

your faith or

mocked you or

insulted you or

just been unkind

to you.

And if that's

happened to

you, then

yes, I

believe that

these words

are for you.

They are for

all of us for

when those

times of

opposition and

mistreatment

come because

of our faith

in Jesus.

Jesus wants

you too to

be able to

get your

bearings in

the midst of

that when

those feelings

are welling up

inside of you

and you're on

the defensive

feeling what

is going on

here.

There are

reasons why

we come

under fire,

why we are

treated in

this way.

Number one,

if you belong

to Christ,

you are not

one of them

anymore.

Number two,

their bad

attitude or

treatment of

you may

reflect not

so much a

problem with

you, but a

problem that

they have with

Jesus, the

one that you

identify with.

we might not

know what's

going on in

their thoughts,

in their

minds, but

perhaps every

time they are

reminded of

Jesus, they

feel convicted

of the sins

that they are

hanging on to

in their

lives.

And then they

see you, they

bump into you,

and you are

that living,

breathing reminder

of where they

stand before

God, before

Christ.

Christ.

And number

three, if they

treat you poorly

and disdain you

for being a

Christian, we

have to remember

it's because they

don't know God.

There is a

spiritual reality

that runs deeply

here.

There's an

aversion to God

bound up in the

human heart

because of sin.

And so what

should we do in

those relationships

with those

people in our

lives?

I want to

encourage you

this morning to

have the same

attitude that

Jesus had.

What did he

pray while they

were killing him

on the cross?

Father, forgive

them, for they

don't know what

they're doing.

Yes, Jesus

says that the

persecutors are

guilty of their

sins.

He has come,

He has spoken,

He has done the

miracles, and

they have rejected

Him.

But God is so

patient, so

merciful.

Yes, they are

guilty, but even

at this point in

the story, the

persecutors, it's

not too late for

them.

In fact, after

Jesus is crucified

and rises from the

dead, He ascends

to heaven, the

Spirit comes down

at Pentecost, Peter

preaches his

sermon in front

of many of the

Jews, probably

some of them who

witnessed the

crucifixion of

Jesus.

He says, let all

Israel be assured

of this.

God has made this

Jesus whom you

crucified, both

Lord and Messiah.

And when the

people heard this,

they were cut to

the heart.

Many repented

after and

believed.

They were forgiven

and they were added

to the number of

Jesus' followers.

Paul said this to

Timothy, 2 Timothy

2.25, he said,

opponents must be

gently instructed in

the hope that God

will grant them

repentance, leading

them to a knowledge

of the truth.

Jesus said it this

way, but I tell you,

love your enemies

and pray for those

who persecute you.

And then you

will be sons,

children of your

Father in heaven

who is gracious

and kind and

loving even to

those who don't

deserve it, both the

righteous and the

unrighteous.

There is at times a

cost to following

Jesus, especially

when it comes to

our relationships

with other people

in the world.

But rest assured,

no matter how

badly we are

treated, we

belong to

Christ Jesus,

the King.

And there is

nothing more

valuable than

that in this

world.

Let's pray.

Father in heaven,

we thank you for

your word.

As we hear

these things and

reflect on your

words, we

especially turn our

hearts' attention to

those who are

suffering intensely

in our world

today, in other

places in the

world, countries

that are very

difficult to be a

Christian.

And we pray and

ask that you

would be gracious

to them, that you

would strengthen

them, that you

would encourage

them in the face

of the opposition

that they are

going through.

We ask that you

would help them

to hold fast to

the hope that you

have given, the

promises that

you've made, and

that they would

even find that

power inside of

them to love.

And to keep

treating those who

are doing these

things with

kindness.

forgiveness.

Lord, for us in

our relationships,

help us, help us

not to give up on

those who seem

cold or who have

said unkind things

to us, but give us

a fresh strength and

love for each of

those people in our

lives.

May they know that

we are Christians

and that you are a

God who loves them

through us.

We ask this in

Jesus' name, for

his glory.

Amen.