The Negative Side of Following Jesus
If the world hates you, know that it 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. John 15:18-21, ESV.
To hear some people talk you would think that Christianity is like a peaceful walk through a rose garden on a spring morning. If you love Jesus everything will go right. In fact, some assert, if you are having trouble it is because you are not living right, or that your heart has a shortage of faith and love. And some TV preachers even declare that if you are connected to Jesus you will be blessed with overflowing wealth. Just plug into Him and the jackpot will open. Then there are the positive-thinker types who claim that the power of positive thinking will bring unimaginable blessings.
Jesus did not belong to that category. He knew that He was heading toward a cross. And that He would die not because He lacked faith, but rather because He had it. His trouble resulted not from the fact that He was out of harmony with God's will, but rather because He was actually following it.
Jesus knew one other thing: that His disciples would tread the same path. Nearly all of the original twelve would meet a violent death because of their faith. John would be an exception. But just because he was not martyred does not mean he would escape persecution. Tradition tells us that he was dipped in a tank of boiling oil for his faithfulness to the gospel.
And before the outward violence arrived, the disciples would face discrimination, be ignored by those they were trying to reach with the gospel message, and be labeled as troublers of the people.
Just as the disciples learned from Christ's experience, so we can learn from them. In the ceaseless spiritual warfare of a world lost in sin, those who stand for the principles of Christ must of necessity abandon its self-centered, self-glorifying principles. And that will continue to create a tension with nonbelievers that leads to rejection and at times to persecution.
The good news is that when we stand for Jesus, He will stand for us. We never face the trials of life alone.
If the world hates you, know that it 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. John 15:18-21, ESV.
To hear some people talk you would think that Christianity is like a peaceful walk through a rose garden on a spring morning. If you love Jesus everything will go right. In fact, some assert, if you are having trouble it is because you are not living right, or that your heart has a shortage of faith and love. And some TV preachers even declare that if you are connected to Jesus you will be blessed with overflowing wealth. Just plug into Him and the jackpot will open. Then there are the positive-thinker types who claim that the power of positive thinking will bring unimaginable blessings.
Jesus did not belong to that category. He knew that He was heading toward a cross. And that He would die not because He lacked faith, but rather because He had it. His trouble resulted not from the fact that He was out of harmony with God's will, but rather because He was actually following it.
Jesus knew one other thing: that His disciples would tread the same path. Nearly all of the original twelve would meet a violent death because of their faith. John would be an exception. But just because he was not martyred does not mean he would escape persecution. Tradition tells us that he was dipped in a tank of boiling oil for his faithfulness to the gospel.
And before the outward violence arrived, the disciples would face discrimination, be ignored by those they were trying to reach with the gospel message, and be labeled as troublers of the people.
Just as the disciples learned from Christ's experience, so we can learn from them. In the ceaseless spiritual warfare of a world lost in sin, those who stand for the principles of Christ must of necessity abandon its self-centered, self-glorifying principles. And that will continue to create a tension with nonbelievers that leads to rejection and at times to persecution.
The good news is that when we stand for Jesus, He will stand for us. We never face the trials of life alone.
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