They Hated Me, They'll Hate You - A Walk Through John 15

Good morning, church. Today, we’re going to walk slowly and carefully through one of the most powerful and intimate teachings Jesus gave to His disciples, John chapter 15. These are some of His final words before the cross. It's the night of the Last Supper. Jesus has just washed the disciples' feet. Judas has gone off to betray Him. And now, as the night grows darker, Jesus speaks deeply from His heart. This is not casual teaching, it’s farewell talk. It’s the kind of conversation you have when time is short, and your words need to count. So let’s listen closely.

Jesus begins in verse 1:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.”

Let’s pause right there, because this imagery would have lit something up in the disciples' minds. In the Old Testament, Israel was often referred to as God’s vine. But Israel kept failing to produce fruit. So here Jesus is saying, “I’m not just another branch of Israel - I am the true vine.” In other words, “If you want to belong to God, you don’t need to just be born into the right family or follow rituals - you need to be connected to Me.”

Then Jesus says that His Father is the gardener - the one who watches over the vine, pruning and tending to it. And what does a good gardener do? He wants fruit. He wants something to grow.

Let’s read verse 2:

“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

Here’s something that might surprise you: even fruitful branches get pruned. In fact, especially the fruitful ones. That means if you’re growing in the Lord, if you're drawing closer to Jesus, that doesn’t mean life gets easier - sometimes it means it gets harder. God starts trimming things back - cutting away distractions, removing attitudes or habits that aren’t helping your growth. And pruning is painful. But it’s not punishment, it’s preparation. He’s not cutting you down, He’s shaping you to bear more fruit.

Then Jesus says in verse 3:

“Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.”

This is important. He reminds them - and us - that they’re already clean. He’s not telling them to try harder or earn God’s love. They’ve been made clean through believing His word. That’s the foundation. Before we ever get to fruit, we start with grace.

Then comes the heart of the chapter. Verse 4:

“Abide in me, and I in you.”

Now, let’s sit with this for a second. That word abide - it means to remain, to stay, to dwell, to make your home in. Jesus is saying, “Stay connected to Me. Don’t drift. Don’t try to do life on your own. Let your heart stay rooted in Me.”

Why? Because He continues:

“As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”

We can’t produce real, lasting fruit - the kind that honors God - apart from Jesus. A branch lying on the ground isn’t going to grow grapes. It needs to stay connected to the source of life. And Jesus is telling us that the Christian life isn’t about trying hard in our own strength, it’s about staying close to Him.

In verse 5, He makes it crystal clear:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Did you catch that? Not a little - nothing. That’s humbling. We like to think we can manage. We think, “If I’m smart enough, disciplined enough, passionate enough, I can pull this off.” But Jesus says, “No, without Me, you’ve got nothing.” But with Him? That’s where real transformation happens.

Now Jesus turns serious in verse 6:

“If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

This is a warning. Jesus isn’t being harsh - He’s being honest. A branch disconnected from the vine withers. It dries up. It dies. And it becomes useless for fruit-bearing. This isn’t about someone losing salvation, but about people who were never truly connected in the first place. And Jesus is saying, “Don’t play games. This is life or death. Stay with Me.”

But then He gives a promise in verses 7 and 8:

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

Let’s unpack that. When His words live in us, they shape what we ask for. Our prayers start lining up with God’s heart, and we start seeing real answers. And this fruit - this changed life, this love, joy, peace, patience - it shows the world we belong to Jesus. That’s what brings glory to God - not just loud worship, not just church attendance, but fruit that lasts.

Now in verses 9–10, Jesus gets even more tender:

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.”

This is staggering. Jesus says He loves us with the same love that the Father loves Him. That’s deep, eternal, perfect love - and we’re invited to live in that. And how do we stay in that love? By obedience - not cold rule-following, but trust-filled obedience. Jesus isn’t asking us to do anything He hasn’t done Himself. He obeyed the Father, and now He asks us to walk in that same way.

Verse 11 says:

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Do you see the heart of Jesus here? He wants joy for us - not fake happiness, but full, deep, overflowing joy. And it comes through connection to Him.

Then He circles back to love and gives us the command in verse 12:

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

That’s the fruit He’s looking for - love. Not love that waits for people to deserve it, but love that looks like Jesus - sacrificial, faithful, forgiving. And just in case we don’t get the weight of it, He goes on:

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

And that’s exactly what He’s about to do.

Then in verse 14 He says:

“You are my friends if you do what I command you.”

Now, this isn’t saying we earn His friendship by obedience. It means friendship with Jesus isn’t casual - it’s real relationship. It’s walking with Him, trusting Him, aligning our lives with His will.

And then something beautiful in verse 15:

“No longer do I call you servants... but I have called you friends.”

Think about that - the God of the universe, calling you friend. Not just servant, not just student - but friend. He brings us close. He shares His heart with us. He lets us in.

Verse 16 is a reminder of who started this relationship:

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide…”

We didn’t find God - He found us. He picked us, not because we were impressive, but because He loves us. And He chose us for a purpose - to live lives that make a difference. To bear fruit that lasts. Not temporary success, but eternal impact.

Then He closes this part with the same command again:

“These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

Friends, this is what it all comes down to. Abide in Jesus. Stay connected. Let His words shape you. Let His love fill you. Let His Spirit bear fruit in you. And love one another - not just when it’s easy, not just in words, but in action, in humility, in sacrifice.

The Christian life isn’t about striving, it’s about staying. Staying in Jesus. Staying in His Word. Staying in His love.

And as we do that, He produces the fruit. He gets the glory. And we get the joy.

"If They Hated Me, They'll Hate You Too"

Right after Jesus finishes speaking about love and friendship and bearing fruit, He takes a sharp turn and begins to prepare His disciples for something much harder—persecution.

Starting in verse 18, He says:

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.”

Now that’s a shift, isn’t it? Jesus goes from love and friendship to hatred and rejection. But He’s not trying to scare them—He’s telling the truth. He’s saying, “Don’t be surprised when the world pushes back against you. They did it to Me first.”

Then in verse 19, He says:

“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.”

This is a wake-up call. Jesus is telling us that if we truly belong to Him, we won’t fit in with the world’s system. The values, the mindset, the priorities of this world—it won’t line up with the life Jesus calls us to. And when you stop blending in and start living like Him, the world will notice—and not always in a good way.

But again, this isn’t new. Jesus reminds us in verse 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.”

In other words, if they attacked Jesus, we should expect some of the same. If our lives start to look like His—full of grace, truth, humility, boldness—some people won’t like it. And that’s not because we’re doing something wrong, but because the darkness doesn’t like the light.

He goes on in verses 21-22:

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

Jesus is saying that His words and His presence exposed the truth. He showed people who God really is. And that light revealed their hearts. Some repented. Others resisted. And that resistance—it's going to spill over onto His followers too.

Verse 23 is bold:

“Whoever hates me hates my Father also.”

There’s no neutral ground. To reject Jesus is to reject the One who sent Him—God the Father. And that’s the real root of the hatred. It’s not just about Christians, it’s about Christ.

Then in verses 24-25 He says:

“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. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’”

Jesus did things no one else could do—healed the sick, raised the dead, forgave sins. Still, they hated Him. Why? Because His life exposed theirs. His holiness confronted their hypocrisy. His mercy disrupted their power. And so they turned on Him. Not because He had done wrong, but because their hearts were hard.

But Jesus doesn’t leave them—or us—on a hopeless note. In verse 26, He makes a promise:

“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.”

The Holy Spirit is coming, Jesus says. You’re not alone in this. The Spirit will remind you who I am, fill you with truth, and strengthen you when the pressure comes.

And then in verse 27, He says:

“And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

So the Spirit testifies—and so do we. That’s our calling. Even when it’s hard, even when the world rejects it—we speak the truth, we live like Jesus, and we trust the Spirit to do the rest.

Now, moving into the first part of chapter 16, Jesus keeps going. He wants to make sure His disciples aren’t caught off guard:

“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.”

That’s heavy. Jesus is saying some people will actually believe they’re doing the right thing—being religious—even while persecuting His followers. That’s how deceived the world can become. They’ll try to silence truth in the name of righteousness. We’ve seen this in history, and we still see it today.

But then Jesus explains why He’s telling them this in advance:

“But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”

Jesus doesn’t promise us a smooth road. But He promises we won’t walk it alone. He tells us ahead of time, not so we’ll be afraid, but so we’ll be prepared. He wants our faith to be strong, not shaken.

Wrapping It Up:

So here’s the picture Jesus paints in John 15 and the start of chapter 16. Life in Him is rich—it’s full of love, joy, and fruit. But it’s also marked by pruning and persecution. You’ll be deeply loved by God—but possibly deeply rejected by the world.

And still, He calls us to abide.

Abide in His love. Stay close to Him when it's easy and when it's not. Let His Word live in you. Let His Spirit lead you. Let your life speak—quietly, boldly, fruitfully.

Because even if the world rejects you, Jesus never will. And the same Spirit that helped the early church stand strong in a hostile world is the same Spirit who lives in you today.

So don’t be discouraged. Don’t fall away. Stay rooted. Abide in the Vine.

And you will bear much fruit.

Amen.