“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do 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 been guilty of 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 be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
(John 15:18-25)
It shouldn't be a surprise to us when we encounter opposition, or persecution, or hatred, because Jesus encountered those things. Christians live with a different worldview, have a different allegiance, have a different king. Sometimes that is unnoticeable - two people doing the same thing for different reasons. But it will come out at some point. Honesty when there’s pressure to lie, generosity in a selfish environment, lack of participation in gossip. When the different allegiance becomes obvious it leads to hate. The world is happy with nominal Christianity, what it doesn’t want is a Christian who is not willing to compromise on whatever area is currently in view.
This hatred does not mean the wheels have fallen off God's plan. In chapter 16:33 Jesus says he has said “these things” so that we can have peace in the midst of tribulation. "These things" are what he says in chapter 16, which we'll look at in the next post.