SEPTEMBER 2, 2018
THE HATRED OF THE WORLD
INTRODUCTION:
1. In our last lesson, Jesus pressed it upon His disciples to love one another and to continue in the close communion that had been their comfort all the while that they had been together, knowing that they would be tempted to grow strange one to another after He was gone from them. (Verses 9-17)
2. In this lesson they are reminded of yet another important reason why they must abide in His love and continue in close communion with one another, namely, the hatred of the world. The love of the brethren is especially sweet when the world is spewing out its hatred toward us.
3. Here Jesus discourses concerning hatred, which is the character and disposition of the devil’s kingdom; as love, which distinguishes and characterizes the kingdom of Christ.
4. Christ will speak first about the hateful opposition which His church and His Gospel and those who preach it shall meet with in the world. He will then speak of the effectual provision that was made for their comfort and support, namely, the Holy Spirit.
I. FIRST HE SPEAKS OF THE HATRED OF THE WORLD AND THOSE WHO ARE TARGETS OF ITS HATRED. (VERSES 18-25)
A. WHO THEY ARE IN WHOM THIS HATRED IS FOUND. (VERSE 18)
1. The world; the children of the world are contrasted with the children of God.
2. Those who are in the interest of the god of this world, whose image they bear, and whose will they are subject to. (John 8:44)
3. All, whether Jews or Gentiles, who would not harken to His call and come into His church, thus separating themselves from the world.
4. Their number are many, an overwhelming majority of mankind, who are untied against Christ. (Psa. 83:5)
5. They are “men of the world,” wholly devoted to this world and the things of it, and not thinking of another world.
6. They are haters of Christians, but they are not hated by Christians. (Matt. 5:44)
B. WHO THEY ARE AGAINST WHOM THIS HATRED IS LEVELED. (VERSES 19-25)
1. The world hates Christ’s disciples. “The world hateth you.” (Verse 19)
a) This hatred was to be expected. (Verse 18; I John 3:13)
b) Observe the contiguity of this with His recent kind words.
(1) He had appointed them their work, but here tells them of the hardships they must be prepared for.
(2) He charged them to love one another, for surely the world would hate them.
c) Observe what this hatred includes. (Verse 20)
(1) Enmity, for sake of Christ.
(2) Persecution. (II Tim. 3:12)
(3) Rejection of their message.
d) Observe the cause of the world’s hatred.
(1) They do not belong to it. (Verse 19)
(2) They do belong to Christ. (Verse 21; I Pet. 4:14)
(3) The world’s ignorance of God. “Because they know not Him that sent me.”
a) They know not God.
b) They know not His Gospel purpose. “…Him that sent me.”
c) See Psa. 14:4)
2. The world hates Christ Himself. (Verse 18)
a) This He inserts to mitigate the trouble of His followers, and to make it less strange and less grievous.
(1) This may be read as expressing his superiority. “You know that it hated me your first,” (your chief, your captain).
(2) If the Master, the founder of our religion met with so much hatred and opposition and suffering, His loyal followers should expect no better. (Verse 20; Matt. 10:24)
(3) Jesus predicts their persecution based on His own, because, if His sayings drew the world’s hatred, they would be also saying the same thing.
(4) He then adds a word respecting those who would “keep their sayings.” Though they would be few, yet there would be some who would believe.
(5) Some give another sense to this, making it to mean, if they have lain in wait for My sayings, with a design to ensnare Me, they will likewise lie in wait for your sayings in order to entangle you.
b) To aggravate the wickedness of this unbelieving world, He adds two of the greatest reasons imaginable why they should love Him.
(1) First, His words were such as merited their love. (Verse 22)
a) Had He not spoken such sweet words of love, and invited them to receive pardon and life everlasting, they would not have had occasion to demonstrate such unwarranted and unreasonable hatred.
b) The wonderful advantage of hearing the Gospel also exposes one to the greatest danger. Not only do ungodly men reject the Gospel, but they often develop a bitter hatred for it.
c) It had been better for them never to have heard it at all than that it should be “a savor of death” to them. (II Cor. 2:15, 16)
d) But, having heard, they are inexcusable. “Having no cloak for their sin,” in the day of judgement they shall be speechless.
(2) Secondly, His works were such as merited their love, as well as His words. (Verse 24)
a) Had Christ works not been such clear proof that His words were true, they might have had some excuse for their unbelief and enmity, but He did many mighty works before their eyes, that no other man did or could have done.
b) As the Creator demonstrates His power and Godhead by His works (Rom. 1:20) so does the Redeemer. His wondrous works prove that He is sent of God. (I John 3:2) Having witnessed His miracles, His mercies, His works of grace, their sin and unbelief was totally incredible.
(3) The works of Christ enhance the guilt of the sinner’s infidelity and enmity to the last degree of wickedness and absurdity.
c) The unwarranted hatred of Christ’s enemies was itself proof that He was the true Messiah, in that the Scriptures had predicted it. (Verse 25)
(1) “They hated me without a cause.” This, David spoke of himself as a type of Christ. (Psa. 35:19; 69:4)
(2) Note, those who hate Christ, hate Him without a cause, but worse still, they hate Him who has given them every reason to love Him.
3. In Christ the world hates God Himself.
a) This is twice said here.
(1) “He that hateth me, hateth my Father also.” (Verse 23)
(2) “Now have they both seen and hated me and my Father.” (Verse 24; Ch. 14:9)
b) There are those who hate God notwithstanding the goodness of His character and the bounty of His providence. They are enraged at His justice, and angered at His dominion, and would gladly break His bands asunder.
c) Hatred of Christ is adjudged hatred of God, for Christ is in His very person; the express image of the Father. (Heb. 1:1-3)
d) There are many who think to honor God while demonstrating a practical hatred of Christ, but that is not possible. (John 5:23)
e) Let us be sure that all sinners are at enmity with God, and there can be no hope of reconciliation except through faith in Jesus Christ. (Rom. 8:7-10; II Cor. 5:18; I John 2:1, 2)
II. SECONDLY, HE SPEAKS OF THE EFFECTUAL PROVISION THAT WAS MADE FOR THEIR COMFORT AND SUPPORT IN THIS HATE-FILLED WORLD. (VERSES 26, 27) Christ having spoken of the great opposition which His Gospel was likely to meet with in the world, and the persecutions and hardships that the preachers of it would face, here intimates what effectual provision was made for their support and comfort.
A. IT IS HERE PROMISED THAT THE BLESSED HOLY SPIRIT WILL MAINTAIN THE CAUSE OF CHRIST IN THE WORLD, NOTWITHSTANDING THE OPPOSITION. (VERSE 26)
1. “The Comforter,” He is called, that is “The Advocate.”
2. Here is an account of Him in His essence, or rather His subsistence.
a) He is “the Spirit of Truth who proceedeth from the Father.”
(1) He is spoken of as a distinct Person, not a property merely, but a Person under the proper name of the Spirit, and proper title of the Spirit of Truth. As One given to testify, this is a fit title.
(2) He is a Divine Person, that “proceedeth from the Father.” He is therefore the everlasting Spirit. He is that Spirit of God that was the Divine Agent in Creation (Gen. 1:2), and that breathed life into man, the creature. (Gen. 2:7)
(3) He proceeded from the Father and the Son, for He is called the Spirit of the Son, (Gal. 4:6) and the Son is here said to have sent Him.
b) In His mission, He comes in a more plentiful effusion of His gifts, graces, and powers than had ever yet been.
c) When He was sent by the Father and the Son, He came in demonstration of His power and gifts on the Day of Pentecost. (Ch. 14:16; Acts 1:8; 2:1ff)
d) So does He continue with His Church to this day, and shall be with us unto the end. Let us pray for greater demonstrations and manifestations of His power and gifts with us.
B. IT IS HERE PROMISED THAT THE APOSTLES ALSO, BY THE SPIRIT’S ASSISTANCE, SHOULD HAVE THE HONOR OF BEING CHRIST’S WITNESSES. (VERSE 27; ISA. 43:10)
1. They were appointed to this work. Notice, “He (the Spirit) shall testify of me.” (Verse 26c); “and ye also shall bear witness.” (Verse 27a)
2. They were qualified to be witnesses. Notice, “You have been with me from the beginning.”
a) They had heard His public preaching, and had the privilege of private communion with Him. (Verse 15)
b) We have great reason to receive the witness which the Apostles gave of Christ. (II Pet. 1:16; I John 1:1-3)
3. Those are best able to bear witness for Christ that have themselves come to know Him, and who live in communion with Him.
a) In order to testify of Christ one must first have a testimony.
b) Those who have a testimony will surely be happy to share it with others.
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