Hated
Have you ever been hated without knowing why?
Jesus said to his disciples, “I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world-- therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘Servants are not greater than their master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. It was to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’ “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.” - John 15:17-27
Jesus talks about being hated without a cause. And he tells his disciples that whoever hates him hates the Father who sent him.
He's angry, right?
He tells us that not knowing him, one may not know they have sin, but once they know him and choose not to listen to him, they now know their sin and own it.
So, in Christ's coming we are brought knowledge of our sin, and given a choice. Do we follow and redeem ourselves or do we ignore him and stay with the sin we have?
No wonder they hated him. He brought them to a point where they had to make a decision about their salvation, a decision they didn't want to make.
But there is a second chance here.
The Holy Spirit will come and be an advocate, showing us the truth. Then we can see that Jesus was telling the truth and that there is hope for us, even in our disobedience.
That is the good news of the Gospel.
Now, instead of focus on being hated, we should know that we are loved.
More to come...