John 15:18-16:4

Read John 15:18-16:4a If the world hates you, it is because it hates Jesus

[When we refer to verse 4a, we mean the first half of verse 4.  Most translations of the Bible have a paragraph break or section break in the middle of verse 4 because the scholars think that more accurately reflects the organization of what John has written.]

Verse 18 says that the world hates Jesus.  Why does the world hate Jesus?

Jesus says that the world might hate us.  Why might the world hate us?

In verse 19, Jesus tells us what we might be able to do to make the world love us.  What could we do?

If we belong to the world or are “of” the world, the world will love us.

What does it mean to “belong to the world” or be “of” the world (verse 19)?

We belong to the world or are of the world when we act as those who do not believe in Jesus act, think as they think, live according to the patterns of their worldviews.  Jesus is not telling us to reject being involved with the world – we can be “in the world but not of the world,” as Jesus was.  Who we “belong” to is a matter of who we take direction from.  If we have given our lives to Jesus and belong to him, then we will not follow the ways and thinking of the world.

What are some of the signs that followers of Jesus are not “of” the world and do not “belong to” the world?  What are some of the things they might do, or do differently, or not do, because they belong to Jesus and not to the world?

Are there times when the non-Christian society around you recognizes that you are not one of them?  Does this ever cause problems for you?  If so, what do you do about it?

Near the end of verse 19, Jesus says, “I chose you out of the world.”  Why is this important?

What does the fact that you have been chosen out of the world by Jesus tell you about your relationship with him?

How can you respond more fully to Jesus in response to his having chosen you out of the world to belong to him?

In verse 20, Jesus says, “No slave is greater than his master.”  He used that statement in John 13:16 when he washed the disciples’ feet and then called them to serve one another, but here, that phrase has a different meaning.  What does he mean here when he says that no slave is greater than his master?

In verse 21, Jesus explains why his followers will be persecuted: “because they do not know him who sent me.”  Is this the root of the problems in the world: that people do not know God (the one who sent Jesus)?  In what ways does this explain some of the evil and trouble we see in our world today?

In verses 22-24, Jesus says that if he had not come and spoken to them and done the works he did in their midst, people would have no sin; but since he lived among them and did the works he did, they have no excuse.  He is referring to the Jews of his time.  Do you think this is also true of the non-believers of today have?  Explain.

In verse 25, Jesus quotes a statement that he says can be found in the law: “They hated me without cause.”  In the New Testament, he “law” often refers to the Law of Moses (the Torah or first 5 books of the Old Testament), but here Jesus is referring to the entire Hebrew Scripture (our Old Testament) because the verse he is quoting from is Psalm 69:4 [69:5 in the NABRE].  For John, this is an important psalm for understanding who Jesus is: he also alludes to Psalm 69 in 2:17 and 19:29.

Before we look at verses 26-27, let’s look at 16:1-4a.  In 16:1, Jesus says he is telling them in advance that they will be persecuted so that they won’t fall away or stumble in their faith when it happens.  In 16:4, he underscores that he wants them to remember this.  Why is this so important to him?

In 16:2, Jesus says that some of them will even be killed, signaling a greater persecution than just being expelled from the synagogues.  The early Christian community did at times encounter opponents who were willing to murder Christians, not just kick them out of the synagogues.  Does the Christian community face this level of opposition in your society?  How does opposition to Jesus manifest itself in your time?

Should we be surprised if we encounter opposition because we are Christians?  How should we respond?

Now come back to verses 26-27.

Re-read John 15:26-27 The Holy Spirit will testify to Jesus

In 15:26 and again in 16:7, Jesus says that he (Jesus) will send the Holy Spirit.  In 14:16 and 14:26, he says that the Father will send the Holy Spirit.  Some people try to claim that this is a contradiction.  Others wander off the path by trying to build entire theological doctrines out of only one set or the other of these verses.  We need to remember that Jesus is God and is one with the Father, so both ways of saying it are correct, even if we might emphasize one or the other at various times.

Specifically in verse 26, who does Jesus say will testify to him?  And specifically in verse 27, who does Jesus say will testify to him?

How did the Holy Spirit testify to Jesus in the days of the early church, and how does the Holy Spirit testify to Jesus today?

In verse 27, Jesus tells the disciples that they will testify to him (or bear witness), and other parts of the New Testament make it clear that he also expects us to testify to him – i.e., to tell others about what we have experienced of him.  Witnesses tell what they have seen and experienced.  What do you think we should be telling others about Jesus?

In the Western world today, most Christians do not face the kind of intense opposition that Christians have experienced in other times and still experience today in other parts of the world.  Yet most Christians are reluctant to talk about their faith with people who do not believe.  What are some of the reasons why we hold back?

In 14:17, Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit will abide in us.  How does the Holy Spirit help us tell others about Jesus?

How can you become more vocal and comfortable talking about your faith with non-believers?

If you are studying in a small group, discuss this:

What could this group do to help you be what Jesus is calling you do be?

Pray for each other.  (Prayer is one of the ways we can love each other as Jesus loves us – John 15:12.)

Take a step back and consider this:

Chapter 15 is filled with encouragement: Abide in me as I abide in you (15:4).  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you (15:9).  I have told you these things so that . . . your joy may be complete (15:11).  I no longer call you slaves . . . I have called you friends (15:15).  I chose you (15:16, 19).

In almost the same breath, Jesus says we will be hated and persecuted (15:18, 20; 16:2).

And interspersed in the same place is a series of directives of what we should be doing: Keep my commandments (15:10).  Love one another (15:12).  Go and bear fruit that will last (15:16).  Bear witness (to me) (15:27).

Do you think it is intentional that these very different messages appear together?  Why are they all here together in chapter 15, side by side?

At this particular time in your life, what do you find most encouraging in this chapter?

What do you find most challenging for you personally in this chapter?

At this particular time in your life, what is Jesus calling you to do in response to chapter 15?