ESOCS Devotional 19 June 2025 – The World’s Hatred of Believers
MEMORY VERSE: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” John 15:18
TEXT: JOHN 15:18-27
“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.’
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.
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When I became a believer in Christ, I expected that those closest to me would also accept Him. Once they have the truth about Jesus, I reasoned, they will immediately open their hearts to Him. How can they not see the reasonableness of accepting Him? It didn’t happen that way. They not only didn’t open their hearts to Him, but they reacted with hostility toward me. At the time, I couldn’t understand their antagonism and, as a result, I was greatly discouraged and confused. It wasn’t until I discovered the truths laid out in John 15 and 16 that I began to understand why unbelievers often react with such hostility toward believers.
John 14-16 is commonly referred to as the “Farewell Discourse of Christ.” In these chapters, Jesus gave His disciples truths to prepare them for His departure. They were troubled by His words about leaving them (Jn. 13:33; 14:1), and Jesus gave them promise upon promise to comfort and encourage them. He related to them such things as His return for them (14:2-3), the greater works they would be able to do during the Church Age (14:12), the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (14:16-17) and their ability to bear much spiritual fruit (15:5, 16).
Jesus knew, though, that with all these wonderful promises being given to them, the disciples would get the wrong idea. They would begin to conclude that the Church Age would be a “breeze,” a “piece of cake,” without any problems or difficulties. Therefore, in order to protect His disciples from misunderstanding the nature of the Church and being disillusioned by the world’s opposition to them and their message, Jesus gave them a lesson on the world’s hatred of Christians. Just as these truths were intended to protect the apostles, so they can protect us from being blown away every time we encounter persecution for Christ’s sake. In John 15:18-27, Jesus gave three principles concerning the world’s hatred of Christians. An understanding of these principles will prepare us to face this hostility with a proper perspective rather than be intimidated. These principles include: the reality of the world’s hatred (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:1-3), the reasons for the world’s hatred (Col. 1:13; Eph. 5:8; 1 Jn. 3:12-13) and the response to the world’s hatred ((Jn. 16:7-8; Joh 3:16).
CHALLENGES
- If we endure trial patiently, we will receive the peace that only our Lord Jesus can give.
PRAYER POINT
- Lord Jesus, save and keep us safe from the world’s hatred, in Jesus name. Amen.
FURTHER READING: Ezekiel 13:1-End; 14:1-23; John 16:1-16
ESOCS Devotional 19 June 2025
