John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?
There are ultimately two modes of the believer that are being discussed here. There is the relationship with the believer and other believers, and then there is the relationship with believers to those in the world.
The relationship between believers is one that is marked by love. That love, in turn, marks a dynamic of self sacrifice. Jesus proves His love for His disciples that He calls His friends by laying His life down for them. He encourages believers to take this same attitude of love with one another. But even in this, He gives a precedent for those who are called His friends. It is those who walk in obedience. This is a similar test for us. We are joined together with those who are walking in obedience to the Lord. We do not share in fellowship with those of the world. As such, Jesus also describes that dynamic.
The dynamic of the relationship with believers and the world is one that is marked by hate. It is not hatred from the believer to the world, but from the world to the believer. The world hated Jesus first. Seeing as the servant is not greater than his master, if Jesus was hated, so will His followers be. Jesus makes the distinction clear. Those who love Him will obey Him. Those who do not obey hate Him. Those that hate Him hate the Father who sent Him. So why should the believer be surprised when the world hates them? And they hate without cause. So let not the believer be surprised at how the world treats them.
Jesus then reminds the disciples that the Helper would come and would advocate for them. They ought not to lose hope.
What observations are you making today?
The relationship between believers is one that is marked by love. That love, in turn, marks a dynamic of self sacrifice. Jesus proves His love for His disciples that He calls His friends by laying His life down for them. He encourages believers to take this same attitude of love with one another. But even in this, He gives a precedent for those who are called His friends. It is those who walk in obedience. This is a similar test for us. We are joined together with those who are walking in obedience to the Lord. We do not share in fellowship with those of the world. As such, Jesus also describes that dynamic.
The dynamic of the relationship with believers and the world is one that is marked by hate. It is not hatred from the believer to the world, but from the world to the believer. The world hated Jesus first. Seeing as the servant is not greater than his master, if Jesus was hated, so will His followers be. Jesus makes the distinction clear. Those who love Him will obey Him. Those who do not obey hate Him. Those that hate Him hate the Father who sent Him. So why should the believer be surprised when the world hates them? And they hate without cause. So let not the believer be surprised at how the world treats them.
Jesus then reminds the disciples that the Helper would come and would advocate for them. They ought not to lose hope.
What observations are you making today?
Posted in John
Recent
Passage of the Week: Hebrews 2:10-18
April 12th, 2026
Hebrews 2:5-9 | Prayer Prompts
April 11th, 2026
Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
April 10th, 2026
Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?
April 9th, 2026
Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?
April 8th, 2026
Archive
2026
January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
No Comments