Daily Devotions
John
John 15:18-27 "A FURTHER INSIGHT OF THE SIN OF HATRED"
Day 228 – John 15
A FURTHER INSIGHT OF THE SIN OF HATRED
Jesus had spoken much on the topic of “Hatred”. Many deep insights were revealed to His Disciples! What a contrast this topic was to His earlier word on “Love”. The Disciples must learn this lesson as deeply as all other lessons, even though this topic on “Hatred” makes the heart shudder!
There was another important truth that the Disciples must fathom. Jesus went on to disclose further insights in this statement.
“He who hates Me hates My Father also.”
John 15:23
If the Jews had heard this statement, they would have debated it. They distinguished Jesus from His Father. They refused to accept all that Jesus said about His relationship of “Oneness” with His Father.
Let us recall some of the reactions of the Jews as they listened to Jesus expound on His relationship with His Father.
“But Jesus answered them,
‘My Father has been working until now,
and I have been working.’
Therefore the Jews sought all the more tokill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath,
but also said that God was His Father,
making Himself equal with God.”
John 5:17-18
On another occasion, Jesus also spoke of His relationship with His Father.
” ‘If I honour Myself, My honour is nothing.
It is My Father who honours Me, of whom you say
that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him,
but I know Him…
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day,
and he saw it and was glad.”
Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old,
and have You seen Abraham?’
Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you,
before Abraham was, I AM.’
Then they took up stones to throw at Him…”
John 8:54-59
There was an essential relationship between Jesus and His Father! The Jews shut their ears as if they had heard blasphemy when Jesus spoke of His eternal relationship with His Father. Nevertheless, Jesus maintained that this relationship existed. More than that, He said that if anyone hated Him, they were guilty of the sin of hating the Father too!
REFERENCE TO THE WORKS OF JESUS
Jesus had argued strenuously against the Jews concerning His identity. He had called upon a number of witnesses. He spoke of at least four significant witnesses that bore testimony of who He really was.
1. John the Baptiser as Witness (John 5:31-35)
2. The Works of Jesus as Witness (John 5:36)
3. The Father as Witness (John 5:37-38)
4. The Scriptures as Witness (John 5:39-47)
Jesus now singled out His works as a powerful witness against the sin of the Jews in their hatred for Him.
“If I had not done among them the works
which no one else did, they would have no sin;
but now they have seen and also hated both
Me and My Father.”
John 15:24
John singled out special miracles that Jesus did. They were indeed miracles without parallel. They were “works which no one else did”. The man who was healed from his blindness exclaimed.
“Since the world began it has been unheard of
that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.
If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”
John 9:32-33
Jesus said of His works,
“But I have a greater witness than John’s;
for the works which the Father has given Me to finish –
the very works that I do – bear witness of Me,
that the Father has sent Me”
John 5:36
The Jews had indeed seen the works of Jesus. John noted a comment they made concerning the works of Jesus.
“Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered
a council and said, ‘What shall we do? For this Man
works many signs.'”
John 11:47
They had seen the works of Jesus and instead of being drawn to Him in faith they had rejected Him. Their hearts were filled with hatred for Jesus even as they saw how popular He was with the multitudes. Did they realize that their sin of hating Jesus had caused them to hate the Father also?