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John 15:18-21

November 2, 2014
To properly interpret anything from John 13-17 weve got to keep the whole section in
mind. The focus in these four chapters is surprisingly narrow as John works toward his
stated goal: these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;
and that believing ye might have life through his name (20:31). Everything before chapter
13 describes how God became flesh, came to earth, and performed miracles to prove
himself. He turned water into wine, healed the sick, cast out demons, and even raised the
dead.
Most people were amazed and followed him until he revealed his true identity, and then
he was largely abandoned and abused. There were, however, several who believed and
continued with him, and some of these are present in chapters 13-17. What they dont
know is that the hatred against their master is so complete that the Jewish leaders
intend to crucify him the next day. The disciples hang their hopes on him as Gods
Messiah, and they believe hell establish his kingdom on the earth and restore Davids
rule, so theyre going to feel particularly defeated and alone when things dont go as
planned.
Jesus knows this, and he wants to prepare them and give them confidence, so he brings
them into this private guest chamber and begins to explain some of the things they
havent been able to understand. He wants them to know that his death is both planned
and necessary. He wants them to know that it doesnt mean failure and to see that its
just one step in the plan. Theres much more to follow, and the result is their salvation; if
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I
am, there ye may be also (14:3).
This salvation is his purpose in coming, but he has to find a way to tell them how its
achieved. He has to take them past earthly things and help them see the spiritual.
To do this he takes off his robes and washes their feet.
That might sound strange; how will this help them? What spiritual truth is revealed in
foot-washing? Consider what he says immediately after: Ye call me Master and Lord: and
ye say well; for so I am. 14If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought
to wash one anothers feet (13:13-14). In his example Christ defines a divine principle:
servants follow their masters. In another part of the book he teaches the same thing to
the Pharisees:
Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have
one Father, even God. 42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I
proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43Why do ye not
understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44Ye are of your father the
devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and

abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh
of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me
not (Jn. 8:41-45).
Slaves follow their masters, and children follow their fathers. The Pharisees wanted to
murder and they hated truth because that was their nature and what they received from
their father and master. The disciples, however, have a different father, so their desires
are different. Their master loves Gods children so much that he would come and lay
down his life for them. He would turn the whole slave and master paradigm on its head
and wash their feet saying, the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve (Mt.
20:28). His example will be followed by his disciples because its our nature to do so.
How does this explain him as the source of spiritual life? How does it comfort the
disciples and teach them about salvation? Look at 13:20: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that
sent me. Well read in chapter 17 about the unity that exists between God and his
disciples. That unity is so complete that Christ can say, If youve seen me, youve seen
the Father, and Anyone who accepts you also accepts the Son and the Father by default.
Go on a little further into the next chapter: Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love
me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make
our abode with him (14:23). The world wont perceive the risen Christ, but his disciples
will because he and the Father live inside of them! How much more unified can we be
with him if he lives inside of us?
Then we come to chapter 15 with the imagery of the vine and the branches. These arent
to be read alone; they build on everything thats already been said. Christ came, preached
the good news, set the example, and now his disciples hear and obey what hes said
because hes in them. This is like a vine bearing fruit through branches, and what comfort
it is to those who wait on Christ!
He is in the Father, and we are in him, so we have life, righteousness, and godliness, and
we love the brethren as he has loved us. Weve partaken of his divine nature just as a
branch partakes of the nature of its vine.
Now we come to verse 18 where he starts talking about persecution, and we need to see
that the topic hasnt changed. This is still comfort for the disciples because of their union
with him. They will love because they are in the vine, and they will be hated for the same
reason:
18

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19If ye were of the
world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20Remember the word
that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted
me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

21

But all these things will they do unto you for my names sake, because they know not
him that sent me.
Jesus was genuinely hated during his lifetime. The Pharisees were against him nearly his
whole ministry, and they spent plenty of time trying to trap and kill him. At one point
Jesus rebukes them for it, calling them children of the devil (Jn. 8:44). He is their father,
he says, and the lusts of their father they will do. I think I told you then that the Greek
word for will isnt just a prediction for what will happen in the future; it means to have
desire. Hes saying, You hate the truth and want to do what your father does; he is a
murderer and the truth is not in him.
John tells us in another place that men hate the light and wont come near it because it
exposes their evil deeds (Jn. 3:20), and the disciples did indeed suffer the same
persecutions because of it. Whenever Stephen preached and warned against being stiff
necked, the people not only failed to repent but gnashed their teeth and executed him on
the spot (Acts 7:54). On that day they filled up to the measure of their fathers in killing
the prophets (Mt. 23:32), but there were plenty more days to follow. There are stories
and traditions that have been passed down to us to tell what became of all the disciples,
and most of them were murdered or exiled until death. John himself was exiled to the
island of Patmos, and Paul was subjected to beatings and stonings, and all kinds of
persecution.
They were hated because they were lights in the world, and men hate the light. This
condition is a present reality for many Christians all over the world. Just look at the
Voice of the Martyrs or Prisoner Alert and see where Christians are detained and
tortured for crimes like corrupting the earth with the Gospel.
What about us in south Alabama, USA? How can we say were hated when none of us fear
meeting in public or confessing that we believe in Christ? Is this verse just as true for us
here today as it is for believers in the rest of the world? Well, the degree is drastically
different, but the nature is the same. Our culture tolerates God in a civic-religion kind of
way, but try to rebuke someones sin and see if youre not rejected. Theyre not likely to
throw rocks, but they will almost certainly gnash their teeth if they arent Christs
brothers. Speak on abortion; call it murder and watch the insults fly. Say that
homosexuality is unnatural and immoral and find out that youre a homophobe. Tell
atheists that evolution is questionable at best and youll be buried in a torrent of hate.
We dont have to stick with just college campuses or internet chat rooms, though. Go
down the road a little ways and tell the people in the building with the steeple that God
is sovereign over salvation, and watch the fruit blossom. Ive never seen fruit cultivated
so fast as when I so much as mentioned the word predestination from the pulpit. Youve
seen it, and you know what I mean. Were not persecuted to the same degree as many
others, but the nature is still there: they hate the light with everything inside them, and
when it shines on their filthy-rag self-righteousness, they howl in rage.

But there are a few good sides to this, and it ought to be comforting. First of all, wolves
are exposed when they bear their teeth. Sheep love the light. Theyll come to it and want
to stay near it, but wolves flash their teeth and growl, and its good to know which is
which. Youll find out with the light.
Second, persecution keeps us separate from the world. Lets just use our church as an
example. A large majority of us were in fellowships that really weren't gospel oriented,
werent we? I was in one that had all the programs, an education wing, shuttles, a huge
sound board, and all the utilities that are common to churches today, but for all that they
were as worldly and unspiritual as some guy at a NASCAR race. Sure, they sang hymns
and held Bible studies, but they (as a whole) knew nothing of spiritual fruit. And thats
how I came to be here, and what a difference its made for me! At the time I was
distressed; my name was mud and I was so full of despair, but the Lord had been working
for several years to gather together several of his elect children into one place, and the
fellowship here is sweet!
Peter says, Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves
likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2That
he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of
God. 3For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles,
when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and
abominable idolatries: 4Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same
excess of riot, speaking evil of you (1 Pt. 4:1-4).
Look at that: he that has suffered has ceased from sin. Its not a command for fear and
guilt; this is an exhortation to help believers see the natural fruit of being in Christ and
the consequences that come with it. Our vine suffered, and well suffer too because the
world is bewildered by spiritual fruit and it resents the light shining on them. I think of
Lot in Sodom; he was vexed every day by all the terrible things he saw, and when he
finally spoke up about it they threatened to treat him worse than the men they planned
to rape. But God was ready, and the two men blinded the city and destroyed everyone in
it.
The difference is in the two natures: one is chosen out of the world and comes to the
light to prove that he is Gods handiwork. They keep the disciples saying because
theyve kept Christs. They love each other, but the other nature hates the light and will
not come because of exposure of wicked deeds. They persecute those who speak in
Christs name because they hate Christ, and that separates us from the world.
Finally, this promised persecution is comforting because its proof that were Gods
friends; friendship with the world is enmity with God (Jas. 4:4) because the world hates
God. The nations rage and plot and will do anything to overthrow his rule, so when were
hated its evidence that we share in Christs sufferings and in his reward!

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips
that they speak no guile: 11Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but
the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 13And who is he that will harm you, if ye be
followers of that which is good? 14But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye:
and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15But sanctify the Lord God in your
hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the
hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16Having a good conscience; that, whereas they
speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good
conversation in Christ. 17For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing,
than for evil doing. 18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he
might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit (1 Pt.
3:10-18).
If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God
resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified (1 Pt.
4:14).
Let us be comforted when we suffer for doing good because we know our Lord suffered
the same, and great is his reward!
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