“These things I command you, so that you will love one another. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:17-18, ESV).

Jesus spoke these words to his disciples at the Last Supper, hours before he was taken away and crucified. He made two things clear to them. First, they were to love one another. To do this was an absolute necessity because of the second thing; they would be hated by the world.

Why would the world hate Jesus’s followers? He explained, “I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19). Christ distinguished between the world’s way of doing things and his way. As his followers, we are to be different from the world. We are to love, serve and forgive; and we can be sure this will offend a darkened world.

The most blatant type of hatred we experience is demonic. I experienced this most intensely when one of my sons was in the grip of drug addiction. I knew that Satan was out to destroy his life. At one point, my son’s car flipped over on the highway. I’ve never felt the devil’s hatred as deeply as when I heard this news. Thankfully, my son was okay.

A second level of hatred comes from Satan’s representatives on earth in the form of persecution. I saw this type of hatred on trips to the Middle East, where refugees have been traumatized by seeing their relatives killed. 

There is also a societal hatred toward followers of Christ that is spreading in Western nations. A few years ago, Christians were labeled intolerant if they believed in the Bible’s teachings. Now the label is worse: Bible believers are labeled bigots and haters.

Jesus’s command to love each other becomes that much more urgent in a global environment of hatred. However, he promised us, “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” (John 15:26). 

He assures us, “The world will grow worse in its hatred of you. You’ll be rejected, persecuted and despised. Don’t worry or be afraid, though. In the midst of it all, the Helper will bring you my peace. He will enable you to walk with all boldness, joy and confidence.”