Scripture to Read: John 15:25
Jesus finished His talk about the people who hated Him and who would hate Him by quoting from two Messianic prophecies in Psalm 35:19, "Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me; Nor let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously," and in Psalm 69:4 "Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies; What I did not steal, I then have to restore." Jesus said in John 15:25, “But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.” Jesus did not want His disciples to doubt that He was the Messiah prophesied about in the Old Testament. It is interesting to note that everyone who has a hatred for Christ has no foundation on which to build their hatred. The hatred is rooted in the spiritual forces of darkness. God tells us in Ephesians 6:12, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Our Lord’s battle was not with the people who hated Him but with the demons who used those people to carry out their evil plans—people today are no different. They deny Christ because they have been blinded and held captive (2 Corinthians 4:3–4, 2 Timothy 2:26) by Satan and the demons. These people need Christ to be set free.
Challenge & Application
• What was the reason people hated Jesus in His day and still hate Him today?
• Who is the real spiritual battle against, and as believers, how do we combat this enemy?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!