Jesus Strengthens His Disciples to Endure Hatred

Rev. Luke Zimmerman, pastor at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg, PA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study John 15:18-16:4a. Jesus prepares His disciples for the persecution they will face on His account. As the world hated Jesus, so the world will hate Jesus’ disciples. Some people will receive the disciples’ word as the Word of Christ, yet those who do not believe are guilty of sin against Him and the Father. Jesus will send the Holy Spirit from the Father to help His disciples to bear witness about Him in the face of this persecution. Jesus tells His disciples these things ahead of time to keep them from falling away when the persecution comes. When the disciples see these things take place, their faith in Christ and His Word will be strengthened. “The Word Made Flesh” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Gospel according to St. John. The disciple whom Jesus loved wrote his Gospel account as an eyewitness to Jesus’ life and ministry. As we read the Word of God recorded by St. John, the Holy Spirit works in us so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and so have life by faith in His name.