Small Group Lesson Plan for May 27th: John 15:18-25
John 15:18-25
The World Hates the Disciples
Jesus warns his disciples in this third section of John that they should expect the world’s hatred because the world has hated Him first. This is a big shift from the theme of abiding, being fruitful and living life full of love and joy. I believe Jesus is giving his disciples a sober warning of what to expect when they abandon their traditional way of life and follow Him.
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it (the world) would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” John 15:18-20
That’s a pretty harsh warning from Christ, especially when you remember that his disciples had no clue that he would be crucified in the coming weeks. The Greek word (miseo) used in this context by the author John implies an active ill will, not just mild dislike. He normalizes hatred so that his disciples are not surprised when they are facing trails for following Him. We can take this warning in stride because Jesus Christ chose us to spread his gospel. We are designed on purpose, for a purpose. That might mean that we are not widely accepted by everyone or that might mean that we are hated by all.
Christ’s life and example he set made a lot of the traditional religious leaders very upset because he didn’t follow the “box checking” that the Jewish religion had established for “righteous” living. Examples include healing on the sabbath, overturning the tables of the money changers, claiming to be the Messiah, and calling out the Pharisees and Sadducees on their whitewashed hearts. If society hated Christ back then, we can expect our society to hate us when we live counterculturally.
I will jump ahead to John 16 because there is a very importat message related to the world rejecting Jesus and his followers:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! For I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Keep in mind that Christ calls us to “remain” (abide) in the Father for all our needs. This is a direct contrast to conforming with the ways of popular culture in order to be accepted. Yes, our separation from the world may cause us to be outcast and at times, hated;but we are branches of a vine that is connected to the Father, whom graciously and faithfully provides for all our needs.
“They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.” John 15:21-25
Why do people hate Christians? Jesus states here in these verses that people hate him because they do not know “the one who sent me.” If they knew the Father, then they would not hate Jesus but love him instead. Christ came and performed miracles and healed on the sabbath and died for our sins so that we could get to know the true character of God the Father.
The root cause of the hatred the world has is a result of Spiritual Ignorance of God the Father. Because we as Christ followers represent Him to the world, be weary of the same hatred from those spiritually ignorant.
So what’s the takeaway from these verses and how does it apply to my life as a firefighter at OCFA?
If we are living in the world but not of this word, we will likely have friction and be outcast from the mainstream. Remember that your identity is in Christ and not in the worldly treasures like popularity, favoritism and acceptance. This may likely come at a cost of a promotion, acceptance as part of a crew, being in the “in crowd,” or “one of the guys.” The closer we stay to the Father by abiding in his presence, the less it will matter what the world thinks of us.
Reflections:
1. Do you feel hated or rejected at times? If so, what does having your identity rooted in Christ do for you when you feel this way?
2. If you don’t feel hated or rejected by this world, do you think that you are living a life that is aligned with what Christ teaches?
3. Do you think it is possible to straddle the line of being accepted by secular culture and still live a life that glorifies Christ?