John 15:18-16:4 AMPNT

18 If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you.

19 If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you.

20 Remember that I told you, A servant is not greater than his master [is not superior to him]. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word and obeyed My teachings, they will also keep and obey yours.

21 But they will do all this to you [inflict all this suffering on you] because of [your bearing] My name and on My account, for they do not know or understand the One Who sent Me.

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin [would be blameless]; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

23 Whoever hates Me also hates My Father.

24 If I had not done (accomplished) among them the works which no one else ever did, they would not be guilty of sin. But [the fact is] now they have both seen [these works] and have hated both Me and My Father.

25 But [this is so] that the word written in their Law might be fulfilled, They hated Me without a cause.

26 But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself] will testify regarding Me.

27 But you also will testify and be My witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

16:1 I HAVE told you all these things, so that you should not be offended (taken unawares and falter, or be caused to stumble and fall away). [I told you to keep you from being scandalized and repelled.]

2 They will put you out of (expel you from) the synagogues; but an hour is coming when whoever kills you will think and claim that he has offered service to God.

3 And they will do this because they have not known the Father or Me.

4 But I have told you these things now, so that when they occur you will remember that I told you of them. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

In this passage Jesus answers several important questions about life and the future for his disciples…

Why the world hates.
Why people who do evil, believe they are serving God.
Why we should follow Him.
Why people will respond to the Gospel message.
How He will get us through difficulties.
What we are to do until He comes.
How to deal with the future.

Don’t forget what Jesus said!

The world hates what it does not own…
The world thinks it is serving God…
The world will persecute you, because they do not know Christ…
The fact that the world hates the Father…
The reality that the world is not guiltless…

We are told to remember all He said:

So we would not be taken unaware and give up (16:1)
So we would know His teachings can be obeyed. And though few will follow, remember some will!

APPLICATION

Know Christ involves a relationship that deepens as the days pass.

Have righteousness. Look ahead, but being concerned about moral transformation now.
As Christians, we are to experience a holiness, rooted not in the do’s and don’ts approach of Law, but in a goodness that only the filling of the Holy Spirit can bring.
Exercise Forgiveness (Phil 3:12-14) “Forget the past…strain for the future”

Forgiveness is not automatic, it must be exercised! There must be movement to implement it!
The future also is not automatically lived—God has a plan, the question is always whether we will participate?

"If you don't live it, you don't believe it."