John 15:18-27
Q.1. Why should Christian believers not be surprised by the antagonism of the world? What makes the world hostile to believers? – (Jn.15:18-21)
Jesus warned His disciples to expect opposition from the world. He gave a number of reasons why this will be so. (i) The world has hated Him in spite of all the love that He showed and the good that He did. It is therefore inevitable that the world will hate His followers as well (ii) Since we no longer belong to the world nor accept its world-view, we will be ostracized by the world (iii) It particularly enrages unbelievers if we claim to have been chosen by Christ; (iv) If they persecuted the Master, how much more will they attack His servants. On top of all this, the underlying reason is – But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me (Jn.15:21). To know the Father and His Son, through the help of the Holy Spirit, totally changes our view of life and eternity.
Q.2. Are the unsaved still responsible to accept the words and works of Jesus? What does their rejection of Christ mean? – (Jn.15:21-25)
Jesus declared that the world is held accountable for their sin because of the words He has spoken, and because of the works He did which revealed the Father – If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin … If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin … (Jn.15:22 & 24 c.f. Rom.3:4 & 19b). To reject Christ Who is knowable, is tantamount to rejecting the invisible God. John quoted the Messianic prophecies of Ps.35:19 & 69:4 that asserted that the rejection of Christ was without cause, and unjustifiable. That is still true, when the same message documented in the Bible and confirmed by His followers is rejected (Jn.15:25 c.f. Heb.2:3-4). It is inexcusable to reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Q.3. How was the coming Holy Spirit described by Jesus? What would be His mission? Where would Jesus be when the Holy Spirit was sent? – (Jn.15:26-27)
One of the great themes of John in chapters 14-16 was to identify the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Who was soon to be bestowed on believers (c.f. Jn.7:37-39). Here Jesus described the Holy Spirit once more as the Helper or Counsellor (Παράκλητος – Parakletos i.e. One called alongside to help c.f. Jn.14:16). Jesus also identified the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth Who proceeds from the Father, just as does the Son, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There is a perfect reciprocity between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – they are all one. Since this is so, the mission of the Holy Spirit is to testify about the Son, even as the Father sent the Son to reveal Himself (Jn.15:26 c.f. Jn.1:14 & 18). That is why the Gospel is Christo-centric. Christ will be the theme-song of all who receive Him as their own personal Lord and Saviour. To try to explain the Father and the Spirit is fraught with confusion. To explain God through Jesus keeps it simple enough for a child to understand.