John 15:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

NIV: They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

NASB: But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know the One who sent Me.

CSB: But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me.

NLT: They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.

KJV: But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

NKJV: But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

Those who commit crimes or sins can expect the natural consequences of those actions (1 Peter 4:14–15). A person fired from a job or thrown in jail as a result of theft cannot claim they are being "persecuted," especially not for their Christian faith. People who attach themselves to the word "Christian" (John 15:2), but who disobey the teachings of Jesus, are not being hated for the sake of Christianity; they're suffering for the things they've done contrary to the commands of Christ.

Christ's point here is about someone who acts in a Christlike way and the unbelieving world attacks them because they are imitating Christ. This is the instinctive reaction of all people controlled by their sin nature (1 Peter 4:4).

In public discussions with His critics, Jesus pointed out that His detractors did not know God (John 8:55). That was the reason for their disbelief and hatred (John 8:43–44). Those who are separated from God don't want to know the truth. They become angry when confronted with it (2 Corinthians 4:3–4; Ephesians 4:17–19). Even when Christians act in love and goodness (John 14:15; Matthew 5:16), they should not be surprised to see the unbelieving world react with spite.

Jesus' motives for making these remarks is not to frighten the disciples. Rather, it's to insulate them against the struggles they are about to endure. Soon, Jesus will be arrested and crucified (John 18:1–3; 19:18). The disciples will see the brutal opposition thrown against the early church (Acts 8:1–3). Knowing, in advance, that all of this is part of Christ's knowledge and understanding (John 13:19; 14:25, 29; 16:4) gives believers confidence to "hold fast" to faith (Hebrews 4:14–16; 12:1–3).

John 15:18–27 predicts that those who follow Christ faithfully will experience hatred and persecution from the world. The intensity of this experience has varied according to time and culture, but the non-believing world is generally hostile to authentic faith. Jesus reminds His followers this is due to sin and rejection of God by those unbelievers. Just as Christians are never "too good" to serve as Christ served, they are never "too good" to suffer as Christ suffered. In the following passage, Jesus emphasizes that this warning is meant to bolster faith when those hard times come.

This passage begins with a celebrated analogy from Christ: the vine and the branches. This includes the seventh and final "I Am" statement of the gospel of John. Jesus uses this metaphor to explain how our spiritual life, as born-again believers, is drawn from His life. God's intent for our lives is to progress from barrenness to fruitfulness, to spiritual abundance. Jesus also repeats His command for believers to love each other. In this context, He goes so far as to refer to those who follow His teachings as His "friends."

Jesus is in the middle of a long discourse given to the disciples, which began during the last supper. He presents the analogy of a vine and branches, then repeats His command for believers to love each other. Jesus also warns about how the unbelieving world will hate and persecute Christians. This leads into the teachings of chapter 16, which focus on perseverance in the face of trials.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.