Study - John 16
reference June 28th. 2007, 8:34pm18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 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. 20 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. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
16:1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. (ESV)
Jesus prophetically tells his disciples what they can expect by following him:
1. The world will hate you
2. The religious leaders will persecute you
He encourages them with news that this is part of Gods plan [25] and that Jesus words will be authenticated by the spirit [26] and the disciples would also bear witnesses when they become endowed with the ability to do great miracles in his name [27].
Jesus tells the disciples this information by way of encouragement knowing the toil they will face at the hands of the religious leaders.[16:1]
