This is one of the messages that I preached at Kolhapur Bible Church. May God be praised as you go through it and may you know of His Sovereign Hand if you are going through suffering and pain.
Introduction:
This
morning again we are going to look at the Gospel according to John chapter
15:21-25. A couple of weeks ago we finished at verses 20. This morning we will
be looking at vs. 21-25.
Before we
begin the message I want to give you an illustration of a real story that took
place in Manoharpur, Orissa. You might have heard about the story of the
missionary Dr. Graham Steins and his two sons, Philip & Timothy. All 3 of
them were burnt alive while they were sleeping in the car at night. Some Hindu
fundamentalists came in and poured petrol on the car and other inflammatory
liquids and set the car on fire. Inside the car Dr. Graham Steins along with
his two sons were sleeping inside were burnt alive. The reason for that was Dr.
Graham Steins was preaching the gospel and leading many people to Christ. He
was a medical missionary who was involved in the medical missions he was doing
the work of medical missions in the people who were affected and infected by
Leprosy.
What
happened after that was: when Mrs. Gladys Steins was asked about her response
about her husband’s killing by those Hindu fundamentalists. She calmly replied
that, “she forgave the killers of her
husband.” What was so unique about Mrs. Gladys steins response towards the
killers of her husband? She was not surprised about such a terrible act. She
knew those things will come and she will have to stand the test of time.
So I invite you to please open your Bibles to
John chapter 15:21-25. In these 5 verses again we see that Jesus was giving
warnings to His disciples.
What we see
in this short passage that we have read are the 3 points.
- The Certainty of
Persecution: vs. 21
·
Because of Jesus Himself
·
Because they don’t know God
- The Certainty of Guilt:
vs. 22-24
- The Sovereignty of God:
vs. 25
We see in
this verse Jesus warns His disciples of the certainty of persecution. And we call
this word as certainty because
in the preceding verses Jesus in vs. 18 shows His disciples the possibility of
being hated and persecuted. Notice the word ‘if,’ this word either means a condition
or a possibility. In the context of
the passage this word is used as a ‘possibility.’
But when you come down to vs. 21, notice what Jesus says, “All these things
will they do to you...” in this
verse the word will is the emphasis
there. And if that’s the case then Jesus is warning His disciples about the ‘certainty’ of the future persecution. Now
what does these things involve? 1. They will be hated 2. They will be
persecuted. In the last message we saw the very thin line between these two
words. Hatred is inside a person’s heart and persecution is that hatred brought
in actions. So Jesus warns His disciples, “all
these things will they do to you...” in the next half sentence Jesus gives
them the reason why will the world would persecute His disciples?
1.
Because
of Jesus Himself:
Notice the
next half of the verse. Jesus says, “All
these things will they do to you for My Name sake.” What did it mean to them is that, if they have
borne the name of Jesus on their lives, persecution is inevitable. Meaning it
is certain. In the earlier verses
Jesus gave them the reasons as to why they would be persecuted: Because they were chosen by Him out of the
world. We saw the meaning of it a couple of Sunday s ago. That: since they
were chosen by God out of the world they were not to walk as the world does.
But contrary to the world. Because even Paul gave the reason why believers were
chosen by God even before the foundation of the earth. Eph 1:4, “even as he
chose us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love;
so God’s election of believers was not without any purpose but so that they
would be holy and without blemish before Him in love. At the same time Paul
also warned Timothy about the persecution of those people who are of Christ. 1
Timothy 3:12 “Yes, and all who desire to live
godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Another reason that
Jesus gives that the world will hate the disciples is.
2.
Because of wilful denial of Jesus: vs.
21b: notice the words of Jesus in this part of the verse.
He says, “Because they don’t know Him who
sent me.” What It means is that: God sent Jesus but they don’t know God.
But then you ask; how is it possible? The Jews in all the history in all their
lives claimed to know God as their father. They worshiped Him, they gave a lot
of sacrifices. The point of all their worship is that, they just had the
knowledge about God but they didn’t
know God. Now knowing God and knowing about God these two are different
things. You may have knowledge about God
but not necessarily know God
Himself. What it means is that? Knowing about God and knowing God is not similar. There is a
whole wide difference between those two.
Example: Sonia Gandhi, we all know about her. But there are only a few
people who are close to her, only they know
her closely and intimately. However, you can get in touch of the people who
are close to her and find out about her, but still you have acquired knowledge about Sonia Gandhi. You still
do not know her personally. That’s
exactly what happens when some people claim to know God and don’t know Jesus. Because
Jesus said, no one can come to the father except through Him. On another
occasion He said He who has seen Me has seen the Father. But what Jesus is
bringing to His disciple’s notice is the fact that: these people have knowledge
about God but they didn’t know God personally. It is only
those who are close to Jesus, those that are His disciples, only they knew God.
The many disciples of Jesus who were very close to Him knew God. Because only
if you know Jesus you know God. If you don’t know Jesus you don’t know God.
Application:
I want to
ask you the question. Do you know the God that we are talking about? I have to
ask this question. Perhaps you might have been coming to the Church for a long
time to hear about God; perhaps you are here this morning to gather information
about God or about the Bible. But I must tell you that you can only know God if
you know Jesus. Because, Jesus said that: He alone is the way the Truth and the
life. He also said no one comes to the Father except through Him. Have you come
to Jesus with a deepest need for forgiveness? Have you come to Him with the
deepest longing to be right with God? Please understand that you are not right
with God unless you ask for forgiveness for the sins you have committed. Once
Aristotle the great scientist was asked about the value of education. The great
scientist replied: the difference between an educated and uneducated man? It’s the
same as being alive and being dead. And that’s true even about the knowledge of
God. The Bible tells us that we are dead spiritually if we don’t know God. Eph 2:1. Do you know God? Do you know
Jesus?
2. The Certainty of Guilt: vs. 22- 24
Secondly, notice vs. 22, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had
sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.” Notice this verse very
carefully: Jesus first introduces to them with the possibility of their
sinlesness. In the sense that: they could have been without sin, “...if I had not come and spoken to them...” but since I have come to them and spoken to them they have no excuse.
Understand what Jesus is saying: since I came to them and spoken to them still
they did not pay heed, they did not submit themselves to me therefore, it is certain that they have no excuse for
their sin. We also need to parallel vs. 22 with vs. 24, “If I hadn't done among them the works which no one else did,
they wouldn't have had sin. But now have they seen and also hated both me and
my Father.” What it means is that: the Jews not only heard what Jesus had to say but they had also seen the works of Jesus which were extraordinary in nature. Such
works that could only be done by Him who has come from God and is in constant
fellowship with God. Jn 3:2. But
since they were not willing to accept the claims of Jesus: he says they had no excuse for their sins. They
absolutely had no regard for the Words of Christ as well as the works of Christ,
therefore they not only hated Jesus Christ but they hated God the Father who
sent Jesus. Ironically they claimed to know God as their Father through
Abraham. That is what Jesus warned His disciples of: that people would claim to
be the followers of God at the same time hate His works. In John 16:2 Jesus warned His disciples about
the intensity and eventually the
intensity of the persecution that, “They
will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you
will think that he offers service to God.” All this will happen Jesus says
is because they wilfully don’t want to know God or His purposed for their lives.
Their lack of knowledge of God is wilful;
their lack of knowledge of God is deliberate. And therefore they have no excuse
for their sin. That’s what it means that the guilt of their sin is certain. Therefore
Jesus says in vs. 23, “He, who hates me,
hates my Father also.”
Application:
I want you
to understand. Those of you who have been baptised and want to please the Lord
with their entire lives please understand that. Since Jesus was speaking in the
context of Jewish community, it applies to us as well. More than from the idol
worshipers, the persecution that you and I will face is from within the
Christian community that is around us. But we have to persist, we have to go on
knowing that He who has promised is faithful and He will not delay in keeping
with His promise. Please understand that the “smooth seas don’t make skilful sailors.” Persecution will come
because they don’t know God. They don’t know Him Who sent Jesus on this earth. We
need to be like Mrs. Gladys Steins. She forgave the killers of her husband
because the killers of her husband did not know the God that she worships or
her husband worshipped and talked about.
3. The Sovereignty of God: vs. 25
Finally,
notice vs. 25, “But this happened so
that the word may be fulfilled
which was written in their law, 'They hated me without a
cause.”
We name
this point as the Sovereignty of God is because: Jesus in this verse is letting
the disciples know about the truth of the Sovereignty of God. That means though
they will persecute you, it’s not something out of God’s control. They did the
same thing to the prophets and priest of old. This means that: God uses
persecutions and afflictions to form our character. To confirm us to the image
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that’s why God doesn’t remove our persecution but He
lets us through the persecution and hatred. God used the crucifixion of Christ
to bring about the salvation of those who would believe in Him. It was the
worst persecution that our Lord went through so that God would bring about our
salvation through His death, burial and resurrection. 1 Corinthians 10:13 is a wonderful comfort for those who are
persecuted for their faith, who are going through affliction and trouble. “No temptation has taken you except what is
common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what
you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that
you may be able to endure it.” The word temptation here is translated as
‘test’. It has to deal with testing time, persecution. God is sovereign and He
will not let us be tested more than what we can bear. However, the worst thing that happens to a
Christian is the best thing that will happen to him. The worst is death, and
what will death do to us? It will bring us to our Lord. Therefore, the worst
that will happen to him will be the best for a Christian because death will
bring him to his Lord.
Application:
As we have
seen in the previous message on this subject: the question is not whether we
will be persecuted or not. Persecution is inevitable, but the question is: how
do us response to the persecution that comes upon us. Do we respond as if it’s
going to get out of God’s hands? What does your personal persecution on your
job, in your family does to you? Does it lead you to respond like Mrs. Graham
Steins responded? Or does it make you to respond like Jesus did on the cross?
He said Father forgive them for they do not know what they do. Or does your
persecution makes you to respond like Stephen did in Acts ch 7? They stoned
Stephen as he called out, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit!" He
kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, "Lord,
don't hold this sin against them!" When he had said this, he fell
asleep.”
May it be
Mrs. Steins may it be Jesus all of them were convinced of the Sovereign hand of
God in the persecution of saints. All of them looked to God and were convinced
of His Sovereignty, that He will allow them to go through it because he knows
best the level of our tolerance, because He has created us.
May God
bless you!!!!
