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Amidst Conflict and Confusion
John 15:18-16:4
Mari Yoshino
Today, I’d like to return to our series on the Gospel of John after some time. We’ll be looking at John 15:18–16:4. I believe this passage can be easily misunderstood if not read carefully. Let’s start reading right away. As usual, we’ll read it bit by bit. First, verses 18–21.
A. Things to remember when undertaking God’s work
1. The world that hated Jesus was the very world He desired to save.（18-21)
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.
As we read, the major theme of today’s passage is persecution. However, there is no persecution of Christians in modern Japan, and I don’t believe anyone here from other countries has experienced persecution either. We are not the targets of the hatred and persecution described in this passage, nor is the threat of persecution imminent for us. Therefore, we cannot directly apply this passage to our situation as it stands. Yet, I believe there is a crucial point we must not misunderstand. That is, through these words, Jesus is not telling His disciples to flee from persecution, nor is He saying it is acceptable to hate or abandon the persecutors. Jesus says something different in another passage: Matthew 5:43-44.
You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:43-44)
Following this teaching, even on the cross, Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of those who were tormenting Him. As today’s passage states, Jesus was hated and rejected by the “world,” yet it was precisely this “world” that He loved and sought to save. For this reason, Jesus was crucified and gave His life.
The word “world” is somewhat ambiguous, but I think it can be understood to mean “this world” or “human society.” It is a world dominated by human sin. What exactly human sin is, I would like to consider in the following passage, but before that, I want to focus on Jesus’ words in verse 19.
…you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
Faith in Jesus completely transforms our way of life. Believing in Jesus means shifting from a self-centered way of living, pursuing only what we desire, to a life centered on Jesus, dedicating everything to Him. In the words of today’s passage, it means ceasing to belong to “the world” and instead belonging to Jesus. It also means shifting from a life seeking love from others to one that prioritizes loving God and others. Such a change is impossible by our own strength; it becomes possible only because Jesus chooses us. And indeed, such a life often clashes with the values of many people in this world and may not be understood. Furthermore, as vessels carrying God’s love, we must be different from others in a good way.
But this “difference” is not meant to cause conflict or division; it is meant to bring about love that “loves one’s enemies” in this world. That is precisely the way of life that continues to convey God’s love without losing sight of the direction we should follow, even when hated or rejected by others. Jesus chose us so that we might be transformed into such people. Whether in times of persecution or peace, our task remains the same: that the world which hated and killed Jesus might be transformed by His love.
Let’s move on to verses 22-25.
2. You cannot move the heart of someone who is unaware of their own sin. (22-25)
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
Here, “they” refers to the people who hated Jesus and sought to eliminate him. Specifically, there were two distinct groups among them. First were the Jewish religious leaders of the time, known as the scribes and Pharisees. Concerned that Jesus’ growing popularity would threaten their status and honor, they falsely accused him of crimes he did not commit. The other group was the crowd who expected Jesus to become a political leader who would liberate the Jews from Roman rule. They became disappointed when they realized Jesus would not fulfill their expectations and shouted in anger, demanding that he be crucified. What these two groups had in common was that both prioritized their own interests. One group sought to eliminate Jesus from the start for that reason, while the other initially tried to use him for their own ends.
Jesus said, “They have no excuse for their sin.” For they had seen and heard Him directly, and yet rejected Him. They considered putting their own interests first to be natural, and even when Jesus pointed out their error, they refused to acknowledge it. Consequently, even after witnessing His many miraculous works, they did not believe in Him; instead, they became consumed by hatred.
Similarly, even when we try to convey God’s love to others, it may not get through. For those unable to face their own mistakes, no matter how we try to show them that their words and actions contradict God’s love, it won’t sink in. This is something we ourselves must be careful about; if we become unaware of our own inherently self-centered nature, we too will fall into the same error. For those who are unaware of their own sin, the cross of Jesus loses all meaning.
Then, let’s read 16:1-4 first, saving the next two verses for last. Reading this passage helps us understand the nature of our sin more clearly.
3. The mistake of making one’s justice God’s justice (1-4)
1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them.
What I want you to focus on here is the statement in verse 2: “the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.” This actually happened. For example, before meeting Jesus, Paul was a zealous Jewish persecutor who “whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners” who believed in Jesus. (Acts 9:1-2) For Paul and some other fundamentalist Jews of that time, Jesus, who claimed to be equal with God, was a blasphemer against God. Killing those who believed in Jesus was seen as fulfilling God’s will.
As believers in God, we must be most cautious about the fact that the justice we believe in may not necessarily align with God’s justice. Each of us, whether we hold specific beliefs or not, has things we believe to be right. But faith can lead us to mistakenly believe our own sense of justice is God’s justice, causing us to unilaterally condemn others without realizing our own error. When this error occurs between fellow believers in the same God, we become confused, and the hurt runs deep. Jesus foretold this to His disciples here precisely because, sadly, we tend to repeat such internal conflict and confusion.
We must always distinguish between our own sense of justice and God’s justice, and maintain an attitude of listening to those who hold a different sense of justice than our own.
Now, for the final part today. Everything we’ve discussed so far is something we cannot do by our own strength alone. We need the help of the Holy Spirit. Let’s return to verses 26-27.
B. We testify to God’s love through the Holy Spirit’s help.(26-27)
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father —the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
As we’ve discussed today, bearing witness to God’s love requires discerning what constitutes God’s justice and love amidst hatred and conflict. To do this, it’s crucial not to mistake our own sense of justice for God’s justice, and to engage in dialogue with those who hold different understandings of justice. Yet in all this, we need the Holy Spirit’s help. Only God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, can teach us about God. We cannot rightly judge what is right due to our momentary emotions, our familiar culture, and unconscious biases. What we can do is remember this, not rely on our own judgment, but rely on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will surely guide our thoughts and teach us—perhaps not immediately—what God desires and what brings God joy.
As we read earlier today, Jesus chose us out of the world. He did this to entrust us with the task of sharing His love with the world. Though this world may seem dominated by the sin of those who killed Jesus, sometimes making us feel hopeless, it is also a world Jesus loves and desires to save. While being mindful of our own smallness, let us continue to love those whom Jesus loves in our respective places, trusting in the miracles His love brings.
(Prayer) Lord Jesus, through Your suffering on the cross, You have given us new life to live with You. Help us to walk faithfully in the work of Your love entrusted to us, in awe of the greatness of that love. Pour out Your Spirit upon us. When we err, teach us. We ask You: tell us which way to go, what to say to whom, and what not to say. Answer us. Lord Jesus, we pray in Your name. Amen.
Summary
The love of God, which Jesus testified to by sacrificing His life on the cross, cannot be understood as long as one remains arrogant, thinking they understand God perfectly. We must discern what constitutes God’s love and justice—even amidst internal conflict and confusion of values—not by our own strength, but by relying on the Holy Spirit.
For Discussion
1) Have you ever been in conflict with someone because of your faith? Was that conflict based on the love of Jesus? Or was it because of your pride or fear?
2) How do you perceive “hatred without reason” directed toward Jesus?