Hated Without A Cause

by | Jan 25, 2020

“But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me. “

John 15:25-26

In our text today, Jesus continues to speak of the world’s hate for Him by pointing out that it’s a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The same treatment that the Psalmist wrote of in regards to his enemies also describes the Jews treatment of Jesus; they hated without a cause. Jesus was the sinless, Son of God in the flesh. He did no wrong yet they hated Him. It’s nothing new under the sun. The prophets of old experienced it, Jesus experienced it, and we will experience it as His disciples. What I really want us to grasp today is the fact that Jesus has sent His children the Comforter! We aren’t alone in this life Christ has called us to.

According to Strong’s concordance, the Greek word for Comforter is paraklétos.
Definition: called to one’s aid
Usage: (a) an advocate, intercessor, (b) a consoler, comforter, helper

This Comforter is more than just a being sent to wipe our tears and pat us on the back to make us feel better. He was sent to aid and give us the strength, the endurance, and the power needed to walk in a hostile world. I’m sure many of you have experienced rejection, harsh criticism, and other forms of persecution simply for walking after Christ.

It can be very discouraging and hard to stand under. It’s not easy to be misunderstood and hated. Sometimes the hatred comes from a family member or someone else you dearly love. It hurts! Our natural response is to take it personally and become defensive. That is exactly what Jesus said He didn’t want for His disciples. John 16 v. 1 says, “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.” Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that this is a spiritual battle going on between light and darkness, not a personal battle between men. If we don’t recognize who the real enemy is then we won’t be able to fight properly!

This is why we need the Comforter, also called the Spirit of truth in our passage and the Holy Ghost in chapter 14 v. 26. When we allow the Spirit to rule in our lives He will guide us into all truth and help us respond properly to whatever situation we find ourselves in. It will be the Spirit in us that will testify of who Jesus is. Without his aid, no matter how well we can make a case for truth, we’ll never change the heart of another. It’s true that the world will hate without a cause, but so often the conflict we see is started by a disciple trying to convert someone by their own knowledge. It doesn’t work when we try to do the Spirit’s work for Him. If we lose sight of that truth and allow our desires and emotions to take control, the result will be conflict and “persecution”. It’s as we surrender ourselves to the Spirit’s leading that we will see opportunities to share the good news of our Christ with the world around us.

My prayer for each of us today, is that we would allow the Spirit to rule and reign in our hearts so that we may be a good testimony of our Savior. Seek after Him and receive of all He has to offer!

Rachel T.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign Up For Journey Updates!