Despised and Rejected by Man

John 15:18-27

The World's Hatred

18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, They hated Me without a cause.'

The Coming Rejection

26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

Jesus Christ the Messiah was told to be despised and rejected as we read in Isaiah 53:3 by the people He came to deliver from sin and deliver spiritual healing (Isaiah 53:5-6) to the wandering sheep of His pasture.  Even so, the world has hated Him and all who follow this Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20) of our souls who have the testimony of Jesus Christ which our enemy wars  against until the Lord’s return.  Because we are no longer of this world, the hate towards us by those still in the world is great and unrelenting.  He chose us and called us out of this world and that is the reason for the hate as Jesus told the disciples here; those who have not been chosen are vessels of wrath for destruction (Romans 9:22-23) and therefore are envious in a sense of those chosen as vessels of mercy and grace, but more so just at odds with us as they serve the evil one set on our destruction as they were on His as they pursued Jesus to death on the cursed tree.  These persecuted our Lord and so will persecute and pursue all who follow Him, but those sheep of His pasture who are called to Himself will hear and keep our word testifying to the truth of the gospel because it is His word.  These who are set against God’s chosen think that they do God service because they serve a set of religious beliefs and philosophies but do not know God personally through Jesus Christ whom he sent to gather us to Himself.  Since He did come our sin is exposed and we are all held accountable with only trust in the Son through repentance and faith as our escape from certain judgment.  The works Jesus did while among us prove these things and reveal the hidden sin of our hearts which lead to the hate of Him and we who follow.  The hope we have to understand these words and the strength we need to follow come from His very own Spirit sent to inhabit each of His chosen children of whom we are who have believed and received the Son and His work (John 1:12, 6:29, 17:8, Galatians 2:16, 1 John 4:16) for us. He is truth who resounds the identity and presence of Christ in us, the hope of glory!  Therefore we also bear witness of these truths of God the Father in the Son by the understanding and enabling power of His Holy Spirit leading and guiding us for His name’s sake.  Though Jesus was despised and rejected by the world, we follow with acceptance and devotion in loving response to all Je has done for us.