Hating Jesus is hating God the Father as well, so to reject, oppose and mistreat the Son is to reject the Father who sent Him. This is because Father and Son are one in union, and Jesus perfectly reveals and makes known the Father. The hatred had no cause whatever in Him, but came only because His perfect works and sinless purity and holiness reproached proud and sensual hearts. Those who saw His works which no other did and heard His words received sufficient evidence of His divinity, and in hating both Father and Son were left without excuse or cloak for their sin. That hatred fulfills what is written that they hated Him without a cause, and it comes from lack of true, experiential knowledge of the Father and the Son.
Setting and Literary Context
The words were spoken to the eleven disciples alone in the upper chamber after Judas had left, near the close of earthly ministry with a cruel death before Him, as He began to speak of His approaching separation while keeping ever before Him the great object of His mission that all humiliation and suffering would glorify the Father's name, with divine love and tenderest sympathy. They were not fully understood until after the resurrection, and were later repeated to comfort disciples in trial, bringing peace and hope to believers, precious for the hope and comfort given to followers.
They belong to the words in John 14-16, spoken because He knew every phase of experience, the trials that would come to His church through unconverted believers, and the difficulties, manifold afflictions, conflicts and hatred they would meet from the world in a dark, troubled future, and how severely faith and courage would be tried in a terrible ordeal. Though His own ordeal awaited Him His thoughts were not of Himself but He grieved for them and spoke comfort and consolation beforehand to prepare and strengthen them to endure without failing, keeping His love in mind as they worked and keeping the hopeful part of the future before them. This was so they would not be offended, lose temper, lose faith, fail, or be discouraged under great temptation and trial, but with every provision made through faith would maintain a Christlike, untarnished character and stand fast with courage, hope and assurance as long as time lasts. The verse is so simple that all, even children, may understand it, yet full of encouragement and hope imparting courage to stand fast in the most trying hour.
It belongs to the teaching of the true vine and the branches about the relation of branch to vine, impressing the necessity of abiding in Him and feeding on Him as the bread of life in vital connection rather than dwelling on others' faults. There are spurious branches with only an outward connection and true branches with a vital connection, for His life must be received and lived out and His words must abide, with genuine faith in the Word appearing in character and conduct and obedience to the Word linked with eternal life. Those who take the lessons given in the chapter and through His teachings to heart and follow them out to the letter are with Him from the beginning in close connection as fruit-bearing branches of the true vine, bearing His fruit, making an impression on the world, and enduring His purging so as not to be pruned away but to be pruned to bring forth more fruit to the glory of God. He takes away what disturbs and hinders the work and leaves and prunes what works in harmony with Him, learned by reading His words over and over until they get into the heart and the heart burns with His love for every branch. His words do not abide where selfishness leads to prizing wealth and status, neglecting the needy, and exalting self, while those shaped by His words show it in actions, valuing people rather than worldly gain in accord with His mission to comfort and help the suffering.
It is part of a message from God for all who claim to be Christians, where His will is plainly outlined for those who minister in word and doctrine, to be brought into every home, and its instruction applies to every church, school, sanitarium and printing establishment. It is to be believed exactly as spoken, watched unto prayer, stood upon faithfully, lived out before fellow ministers, and urged as a subject for careful study with prayer for converting power unto conversion from sin and evil and unto obedience through which God is glorified. Through the transforming influence of the Spirit its instruction in John 13-17 can be understood with new enlightenment, showing what God desires to do for humanity and the provision He has made, as the Holy Spirit can open spiritually blinded eyes as at Pentecost. Taken to the heart, John 15:18-27 exposes lack of love and lack of resignation to bear any cross or difficulty, and calls for sacred union with God, humbling the soul before God without delay, confessing where wrong, letting light shine forth because the Lord is working, and unity in genuine missionary work acquainted with present truth, preparing people to stand at the grand review of the Judgment. Those addressed need reconversion because they do not yet understand that philosophy, and refusing the conditions laid down leaves people unworthy to belong to His people when He comes in glory and unable to look upon His face.
Son and Father Together
To hate Jesus is to hate the Father also, for hatred of Christ is hatred of the Father who sent Him. Rejecting, mistreating and opposing the Son is not hostility to Him alone but contempt for God and rejection of the Father, and to reject the Son and His truth is to reject the Father. Those who persecute His followers while thinking they serve God do so because they have not truly known the Father or Jesus, lacking personal, experiential knowledge of them. Those who saw His works and heard His words and testimony yet hated Him and the Father were left without excuse or cloak for sin, for guilt was made plain by sufficient evidence of His divinity.
This is so because Father and Son are one in union, and Christ perfectly reveals and makes known the Father. His words and extraordinary works made the Father known, so those who saw and heard them yet hated Him rejected the revelation of God given through Him and hated both Him and the Father without excuse. This rejection fulfilled what is written that He was hated without cause, while humble and contrite seekers who search the Scriptures desiring truth and revival find Jesus present in the person of His representative the Holy Spirit. The priests rejected Him despite the power of His words and the good works that brought healing and blessing to neglected people, and their selfishness, envy, jealousy and other sins contradicted their claims to keep God's law. God sent Jesus so humanity could grasp divinity and divinity could lift humanity to oneness with Christ and thereby with God, as the human takes hold of the divine nature and escapes corruption through lust, with loving obedience that keeps His commandments bringing the Father's love, Christ's self-manifestation, abiding in His love and full joy; resisting the Holy Spirit keeps people from this standard and privilege, whereas disciples are to be one in Christ through Christ in God by the obedience Christ gave the Father.
Dislike and hatred of Christ had no cause whatever in Him, but came only because His works were perfect with the Father. His sinless purity and holiness reproached and rebuked proud and sensual people, who for that reason hated Him, spoke falsely against Him, and crucified Him, and their rejection of Him was therefore also rejection of His Father. Those who attack a good name for the same reason follow that pattern.
Light Leaves No Excuse
Those who heard His words and testimony and saw the works which no other man did thereby saw both Father and Son and received sufficient evidence of His divinity. Yet hating Him in the face of that light, they hated the Father who sent Him as well, and were left with no excuse and no cloak for their sin, but under condemnation. Their rejection of His words and works revealed that they did not know the Father, and it fulfilled that He was hated without cause. Because guilt is now made plain by His coming, speaking, and working among men, all are responsible to come into right relation to God by loving Him, keeping His commandments, making entire surrender to Him, searching the heart in business relations and every other line to put away whatever works counter to His law, and being happy in His love while the Comforter testifies of Christ and those who have been with Him bear witness.
This hatred and rejection springs from lack of personal, experiential knowledge of the Father and of the Son. Those who persecute His followers while thinking they are serving God do so because they have not truly known the Father who sent Jesus nor Jesus Himself. The world's opposition to Christ and to His people generally comes from this same not knowing the Father who sent Him. When His people obey God's commandments and do His works they are hated without cause by those who thus reject Father and Son.
The Jewish people, with their priests, scribes and Pharisees, heard the testimony about Jesus yet rejected Him despite the power of His words and the good works by which He brought healing and blessing to people they had neglected. Pride and unbelief, with envy, jealousy and selfishness, led them to hate both Him and the Father. Their exposure to this light made their rejection culpable and left them without excuse for sin, and their claims to keep God's law were contradicted by the selfishness, envy, jealousy and other sins that moved them.
Hated Without Cause
To hate Christ after seeing both Father and Son is to fulfill what is written in their law, that they hated Him without a cause. To hate Christ is to hate the Father also, for rejecting, mistreating and opposing the Son is contempt for God and rejection of the Father who sent Him. After Christ came and spoke among men and did the works which no other man did, His words, testimony and extraordinary works made the Father known, so those who saw and heard them yet hated Him hated both Him and the Father. That coming, speaking and working exposed guilt and left those who rejected Him with no cloak for sin and no excuse, but under plain condemnation.
Because guilt is now plain, all are responsible to come into right relation to God by loving Him, keeping His commandments, making an entire surrender to Him, searching the heart in business relations and every other line to put away whatever works counter to the law of God, and being happy in His love while the Comforter testifies of Christ and those who have been with Him bear witness.
Hatred Toward Followers
The world hates those who follow Christ because they do not belong to the world. They will not follow its transgression and disobedience that offends God, they refuse to join its schemes, and their contrary course of obedience to God's commandments rebukes it. Hatred aimed at Christ is also hatred of the Father, for Father and Son are one, and those who reject them do so through lack of personal, experiential knowledge of them. Christ's people are hated without cause when they obey God's commandments and do His works, and they are called to be one in Christ through Christ in God by rendering the obedience Christ rendered to the Father, in order to share the honor the Father gives the Son. Those who serve God and those who do not cannot have full harmony, so that taking a stand for the Sabbath and the truth can bring opposition even within a family.
Followers of Christ should not expect an easy path nor become discouraged when He does not miraculously save them or humble their enemies. These words were spoken because He knew the trials that would come upon His church, even through unconverted believers, and how severely the faith and courage of His disciples would be tried. Though He knew the terrible ordeal awaiting Himself, His thoughts were not of Himself but of speaking comfort and consolation to strengthen them to endure without failing. The teaching is so simple that all, even children, may understand it, yet it is full of encouragement and hope that imparts courage to stand fast in the most trying hour and will bring strength and assurance to the true believer as long as time shall last.
Obedience Unity and Practice
Love for Christ is shown by keeping His commandments, and obedience is the Bible's test and evidence that a person loves God and has received the light. Those who love Christ keep His words.
The obedient believer who keeps His words and abides in His love is indwelt by Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Loving Christ by keeping His commandments brings the Father's love, Christ's self-manifestation, abiding in His love, and full joy, and Jesus is present by His representative the Holy Spirit when humble and contrite seekers search the Scriptures desiring truth and revival of heart. Disciples are to be one in Christ through Christ in God by rendering the obedience Christ rendered to the Father, in order to share the honor the Father gives the Son. Living these instructions in practical life brings unity with Christ and with one another, while dissension leaves His people weak. God sent Jesus to make it possible for humanity to grasp divinity and for divinity to lift humanity to become one with Jesus Christ and thereby one with God, humanity and divinity combined, in which the human takes hold of the divine nature and escapes the corruption in the world through lust, a privilege to be claimed that brings unity with Christ; resisting the influence of the Holy Spirit keeps people from coming up to this standard and privilege.
The call therefore is to come into right relation to God by loving Him, keeping His commandments, and making an entire surrender to Him. This requires searching the heart in business relations and in every other line to put away whatever works counter to the law of God. Those who do so are to be happy in His love while the Comforter testifies of Christ and those who have been with Him bear witness.
The chapter is an important lesson to be read and obeyed in practical life. Close fellowship with the world draws people away from Christ and makes them unable to discern between those who serve God and those who serve the world. In the home, obeying it means fathers and mothers never get into a scolding line, because scolding gains nothing, but bring children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord by teaching them the love and nurture and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Christ reveals Himself as Saviour on His people's side, so those who are on His side are never alone. Taking His side means working with Him with all ability to overcome the temptations of the enemy, and laboring unitedly and heartily for victory at every step brings His revealed presence. That working is working for heaven, working to enter through the gates into the city where there is no more death and no more sin and no more temptation and no devil. It is working to see the King in His beauty and to have right to the tree of life when earth's history is closed.
Hating Jesus is hating God the Father as well, so to reject, oppose and mistreat the Son is to reject the Father who sent Him. This is because Father and Son are one in union, and Jesus perfectly reveals and makes known the Father. The hatred had no cause whatever in Him, but came only because His perfect works and sinless purity and holiness reproached proud and sensual hearts. Those who saw His works which no other did and heard His words received sufficient evidence of His divinity, and in hating both Father and Son were left without excuse or cloak for their sin. That hatred fulfills what is written that they hated Him without a cause, and it comes from lack of true, experiential knowledge of the Father and the Son.
Setting and Literary Context
The words were spoken to the eleven disciples alone in the upper chamber after Judas had left, near the close of earthly ministry with a cruel death before Him, as He began to speak of His approaching separation while keeping ever before Him the great object of His mission that all humiliation and suffering would glorify the Father's name, with divine love and tenderest sympathy. They were not fully understood until after the resurrection, and were later repeated to comfort disciples in trial, bringing peace and hope to believers, precious for the hope and comfort given to followers.
They belong to the words in John 14-16, spoken because He knew every phase of experience, the trials that would come to His church through unconverted believers, and the difficulties, manifold afflictions, conflicts and hatred they would meet from the world in a dark, troubled future, and how severely faith and courage would be tried in a terrible ordeal. Though His own ordeal awaited Him His thoughts were not of Himself but He grieved for them and spoke comfort and consolation beforehand to prepare and strengthen them to endure without failing, keeping His love in mind as they worked and keeping the hopeful part of the future before them. This was so they would not be offended, lose temper, lose faith, fail, or be discouraged under great temptation and trial, but with every provision made through faith would maintain a Christlike, untarnished character and stand fast with courage, hope and assurance as long as time lasts. The verse is so simple that all, even children, may understand it, yet full of encouragement and hope imparting courage to stand fast in the most trying hour.
It belongs to the teaching of the true vine and the branches about the relation of branch to vine, impressing the necessity of abiding in Him and feeding on Him as the bread of life in vital connection rather than dwelling on others' faults. There are spurious branches with only an outward connection and true branches with a vital connection, for His life must be received and lived out and His words must abide, with genuine faith in the Word appearing in character and conduct and obedience to the Word linked with eternal life. Those who take the lessons given in the chapter and through His teachings to heart and follow them out to the letter are with Him from the beginning in close connection as fruit-bearing branches of the true vine, bearing His fruit, making an impression on the world, and enduring His purging so as not to be pruned away but to be pruned to bring forth more fruit to the glory of God. He takes away what disturbs and hinders the work and leaves and prunes what works in harmony with Him, learned by reading His words over and over until they get into the heart and the heart burns with His love for every branch. His words do not abide where selfishness leads to prizing wealth and status, neglecting the needy, and exalting self, while those shaped by His words show it in actions, valuing people rather than worldly gain in accord with His mission to comfort and help the suffering.
It is part of a message from God for all who claim to be Christians, where His will is plainly outlined for those who minister in word and doctrine, to be brought into every home, and its instruction applies to every church, school, sanitarium and printing establishment. It is to be believed exactly as spoken, watched unto prayer, stood upon faithfully, lived out before fellow ministers, and urged as a subject for careful study with prayer for converting power unto conversion from sin and evil and unto obedience through which God is glorified. Through the transforming influence of the Spirit its instruction in John 13-17 can be understood with new enlightenment, showing what God desires to do for humanity and the provision He has made, as the Holy Spirit can open spiritually blinded eyes as at Pentecost. Taken to the heart, John 15:18-27 exposes lack of love and lack of resignation to bear any cross or difficulty, and calls for sacred union with God, humbling the soul before God without delay, confessing where wrong, letting light shine forth because the Lord is working, and unity in genuine missionary work acquainted with present truth, preparing people to stand at the grand review of the Judgment. Those addressed need reconversion because they do not yet understand that philosophy, and refusing the conditions laid down leaves people unworthy to belong to His people when He comes in glory and unable to look upon His face.
Son and Father Together
To hate Jesus is to hate the Father also, for hatred of Christ is hatred of the Father who sent Him. Rejecting, mistreating and opposing the Son is not hostility to Him alone but contempt for God and rejection of the Father, and to reject the Son and His truth is to reject the Father. Those who persecute His followers while thinking they serve God do so because they have not truly known the Father or Jesus, lacking personal, experiential knowledge of them. Those who saw His works and heard His words and testimony yet hated Him and the Father were left without excuse or cloak for sin, for guilt was made plain by sufficient evidence of His divinity.
This is so because Father and Son are one in union, and Christ perfectly reveals and makes known the Father. His words and extraordinary works made the Father known, so those who saw and heard them yet hated Him rejected the revelation of God given through Him and hated both Him and the Father without excuse. This rejection fulfilled what is written that He was hated without cause, while humble and contrite seekers who search the Scriptures desiring truth and revival find Jesus present in the person of His representative the Holy Spirit. The priests rejected Him despite the power of His words and the good works that brought healing and blessing to neglected people, and their selfishness, envy, jealousy and other sins contradicted their claims to keep God's law. God sent Jesus so humanity could grasp divinity and divinity could lift humanity to oneness with Christ and thereby with God, as the human takes hold of the divine nature and escapes corruption through lust, with loving obedience that keeps His commandments bringing the Father's love, Christ's self-manifestation, abiding in His love and full joy; resisting the Holy Spirit keeps people from this standard and privilege, whereas disciples are to be one in Christ through Christ in God by the obedience Christ gave the Father.
Dislike and hatred of Christ had no cause whatever in Him, but came only because His works were perfect with the Father. His sinless purity and holiness reproached and rebuked proud and sensual people, who for that reason hated Him, spoke falsely against Him, and crucified Him, and their rejection of Him was therefore also rejection of His Father. Those who attack a good name for the same reason follow that pattern.
Light Leaves No Excuse
Those who heard His words and testimony and saw the works which no other man did thereby saw both Father and Son and received sufficient evidence of His divinity. Yet hating Him in the face of that light, they hated the Father who sent Him as well, and were left with no excuse and no cloak for their sin, but under condemnation. Their rejection of His words and works revealed that they did not know the Father, and it fulfilled that He was hated without cause. Because guilt is now made plain by His coming, speaking, and working among men, all are responsible to come into right relation to God by loving Him, keeping His commandments, making entire surrender to Him, searching the heart in business relations and every other line to put away whatever works counter to His law, and being happy in His love while the Comforter testifies of Christ and those who have been with Him bear witness.
This hatred and rejection springs from lack of personal, experiential knowledge of the Father and of the Son. Those who persecute His followers while thinking they are serving God do so because they have not truly known the Father who sent Jesus nor Jesus Himself. The world's opposition to Christ and to His people generally comes from this same not knowing the Father who sent Him. When His people obey God's commandments and do His works they are hated without cause by those who thus reject Father and Son.
The Jewish people, with their priests, scribes and Pharisees, heard the testimony about Jesus yet rejected Him despite the power of His words and the good works by which He brought healing and blessing to people they had neglected. Pride and unbelief, with envy, jealousy and selfishness, led them to hate both Him and the Father. Their exposure to this light made their rejection culpable and left them without excuse for sin, and their claims to keep God's law were contradicted by the selfishness, envy, jealousy and other sins that moved them.
Hated Without Cause
To hate Christ after seeing both Father and Son is to fulfill what is written in their law, that they hated Him without a cause. To hate Christ is to hate the Father also, for rejecting, mistreating and opposing the Son is contempt for God and rejection of the Father who sent Him. After Christ came and spoke among men and did the works which no other man did, His words, testimony and extraordinary works made the Father known, so those who saw and heard them yet hated Him hated both Him and the Father. That coming, speaking and working exposed guilt and left those who rejected Him with no cloak for sin and no excuse, but under plain condemnation.
Because guilt is now plain, all are responsible to come into right relation to God by loving Him, keeping His commandments, making an entire surrender to Him, searching the heart in business relations and every other line to put away whatever works counter to the law of God, and being happy in His love while the Comforter testifies of Christ and those who have been with Him bear witness.
Hatred Toward Followers
The world hates those who follow Christ because they do not belong to the world. They will not follow its transgression and disobedience that offends God, they refuse to join its schemes, and their contrary course of obedience to God's commandments rebukes it. Hatred aimed at Christ is also hatred of the Father, for Father and Son are one, and those who reject them do so through lack of personal, experiential knowledge of them. Christ's people are hated without cause when they obey God's commandments and do His works, and they are called to be one in Christ through Christ in God by rendering the obedience Christ rendered to the Father, in order to share the honor the Father gives the Son. Those who serve God and those who do not cannot have full harmony, so that taking a stand for the Sabbath and the truth can bring opposition even within a family.
Followers of Christ should not expect an easy path nor become discouraged when He does not miraculously save them or humble their enemies. These words were spoken because He knew the trials that would come upon His church, even through unconverted believers, and how severely the faith and courage of His disciples would be tried. Though He knew the terrible ordeal awaiting Himself, His thoughts were not of Himself but of speaking comfort and consolation to strengthen them to endure without failing. The teaching is so simple that all, even children, may understand it, yet it is full of encouragement and hope that imparts courage to stand fast in the most trying hour and will bring strength and assurance to the true believer as long as time shall last.
Obedience Unity and Practice
Love for Christ is shown by keeping His commandments, and obedience is the Bible's test and evidence that a person loves God and has received the light. Those who love Christ keep His words.
The obedient believer who keeps His words and abides in His love is indwelt by Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Loving Christ by keeping His commandments brings the Father's love, Christ's self-manifestation, abiding in His love, and full joy, and Jesus is present by His representative the Holy Spirit when humble and contrite seekers search the Scriptures desiring truth and revival of heart. Disciples are to be one in Christ through Christ in God by rendering the obedience Christ rendered to the Father, in order to share the honor the Father gives the Son. Living these instructions in practical life brings unity with Christ and with one another, while dissension leaves His people weak. God sent Jesus to make it possible for humanity to grasp divinity and for divinity to lift humanity to become one with Jesus Christ and thereby one with God, humanity and divinity combined, in which the human takes hold of the divine nature and escapes the corruption in the world through lust, a privilege to be claimed that brings unity with Christ; resisting the influence of the Holy Spirit keeps people from coming up to this standard and privilege.
The call therefore is to come into right relation to God by loving Him, keeping His commandments, and making an entire surrender to Him. This requires searching the heart in business relations and in every other line to put away whatever works counter to the law of God. Those who do so are to be happy in His love while the Comforter testifies of Christ and those who have been with Him bear witness.
The chapter is an important lesson to be read and obeyed in practical life. Close fellowship with the world draws people away from Christ and makes them unable to discern between those who serve God and those who serve the world. In the home, obeying it means fathers and mothers never get into a scolding line, because scolding gains nothing, but bring children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord by teaching them the love and nurture and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Christ reveals Himself as Saviour on His people's side, so those who are on His side are never alone. Taking His side means working with Him with all ability to overcome the temptations of the enemy, and laboring unitedly and heartily for victory at every step brings His revealed presence. That working is working for heaven, working to enter through the gates into the city where there is no more death and no more sin and no more temptation and no devil. It is working to see the King in His beauty and to have right to the tree of life when earth's history is closed.