Daily Word

No excuse | John 15:21-25 (ESV)

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.’

John 15:21-25 (ESV)

Yesterday we looked at persecution of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus is preparing them. Actually, there’s a positive side to the persecution which many commentators have identified. “The hatred of the world, instead of being depressing, should be exhilarating, as being an evidence and guarantee that they have been chosen by Christ.” (biblehub.com/commentaries

Know the Father – not

Jesus here tells us why the world hates Him and will hate His disciples. They don’t know God, Elohim. They have a form of godliness but they deny God (2 Timothy 3:5). This was proved by their response to Jesus – they denied He was the Christ sent from God. They denied His word and His works. Jesus often says that those who accept Him accept the Father. Because they are one, if you deny one, you deny the other (1 John 2:22, John 12:44, 14:9).

No excuse

As you read, “they would not have been guilty of sin”, you may be wondering: Can anyone be not guilty of sin? The answer is “No”, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). What Jesus is saying is they would not be guilty of the particular sin of rejecting Him as Messiah. It’s not that they had no other sins. Jesus is referring to the sin of rejecting Him, which, by the way, is their fundamental sin. Anyone who rejects Jesus as Savior is beyond hope. That sin will do them in. They are without excuse – as are all mankind (Romans 1:20).

In the same way, Jesus talks about His magnificent works which caused man to believe but others to reject Him. His enemies rejected His works that proved His identity. In rejecting His words and works, they demonstrate they hate Him and the Father.

Prophecy fulfilled

Jesus is referring to two Psalms that prophesied His rejection and outright hatred by them: Psalm 35:19 and 69:4. 

RЯeflection

  • In this world of many religions that offer “salvation” of one kind or another, we have to remember that they all come up short. They do not and cannot deal with the sin we all know we have.
No excuse! Image from Pxfuel.com

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