Jesus Says They Hated Me First
Among the many challenging statements Jesus made to his disciples, few are as sobering and clarifying as his words in John 15:18: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” This is spoken on the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion. It is not only a prediction of the opposition his followers would face but a window into the nature of his own mission and the world’s response to it. The phrase “they hated me first” encapsulates the tension between the kingdom of God and the world, the cost of discipleship, and the assurance of solidarity with Jesus in suffering.
The Context of Jesus’ Words in John’s Gospel
The statement “they hated me first” is found in the farewell discourse of John’s Gospel (John, Chapters 13-17), a section in which Jesus prepares his disciples for his imminent departure and the challenges they will encounter. After teaching about the necessity of abiding in him as the true vine (John 15:1-17), Jesus turns to the reality of opposition: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 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” (John 15:18-19).
Jesus does not promise his followers exemption from hostility; rather, he assures them that such hatred is to be expected and is rooted in the world’s prior rejection of himself. The disciples’ identification with Jesus will inevitably bring them into conflict with the values and powers of the world.
“The World”
When Jesus says they hated me first, he refers to the world. Therefore, it is essential to grasp the meaning of the “world” (kosmos) in John’s Gospel. While “world” can refer to the created order or to humanity in general (as in John 3:16), in this context it denotes the system of human society organized in opposition to God. In this sense, the world is characterized by unbelief, rebellion, and hostility toward the Truth revealed in Jesus.
John 1:10-11 sets the stage: “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” The world’s rejection of Jesus is not due to ignorance alone but to a willful refusal to acknowledge the light that exposes its darkness (John 3:19-20). The hatred directed at Jesus is the manifestation of a deeper spiritual conflict between the kingdom of God and the powers of this age.
The Rejection of Jesus: Fulfillment of Scripture
Scripture is fulfilled in Jesus’ experience of hatred and rejection. In John 15:25, Jesus cites Psalm 35:19 and Psalm 69:4: “But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’” These psalms, originally the laments of the righteous sufferer, find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, the innocent one who is despised and opposed by those he came to save.
The prophetic anticipation of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53 also finds resonance here: “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief… he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3). We see that Jesus’ rejection is woven into the fabric of God’s redemptive plan, demonstrating both the depth of human sin and the costly love of God.
The Reasons for the World’s Hatred
Jesus explains the reasons for the world’s hatred in John 15:22-24: “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. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 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.” The revelation of God in Jesus brings to light the true condition of the human heart. The words and works of Jesus confront the world with a choice: to receive the light or to remain in darkness.
The world’s hatred is ultimately directed not only at Jesus but at God the Father, whom Jesus reveals. The rejection of Jesus is the rejection of God’s self-disclosure and the refusal to submit to his authority. This is why Jesus can say, “Whoever hates me hates my Father also” (John 15:23).
Solidarity with Jesus: The Cost and Comfort of Discipleship
For the disciples, the hatred from the world is a lived reality. Jesus makes clear that their association with him will bring them into the same conflict: “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” (John 15:20). The pattern of the master becomes the pattern for the servants.
This solidarity with Jesus in suffering is both a cost and a comfort. On the one hand, it means that following Jesus entails rejection, misunderstanding, and even persecution. As Paul would later write, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). On the other hand, it means that believers share in the fellowship of Jesus’ sufferings (Philippians 3:10) and are assured of his presence and vindication.
Jesus’ words also reframe the experience of opposition. Hatred from the world is not a sign of failure or abandonment but a rather beautiful mark of faithfulness. As Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).
The Role of the Holy Spirit
In the face of hatred and opposition, Jesus promises the gift of the Holy Spirit, the “Helper” or “Advocate” (Parakletos), who will empower and sustain the disciples. “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. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27).
The Spirit’s presence ensures that the disciples are not left alone or defenseless. The Spirit enables them to bear faithful witness to Jesus, even in the face of hostility, and to remember all that Jesus has taught (John 14:26). The mission of the church is carried out not in human strength but in the power of the Spirit.
The Cross and the World
The hatred of Jesus by the world reaches its climax in the cross. The crucifixion is the ultimate expression of the world’s rejection of God’s love and truth. But it is through the cross that God accomplishes salvation. As Paul writes, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
The cross exposes the world’s hostility but also reveals the depth of God’s grace. Jesus prays for his persecutors, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). The resurrection vindicates Jesus and inaugurates a new creation in which the powers of sin and hatred are overcome.
The Mission of the Church in a Hostile World
The church, as the community of those chosen out of the world, is called to continue the mission of Jesus in the midst of opposition. This involves both proclamation and embodiment of the Gospel. We are to bear witness to the Truth, to love our enemies, and to seek the good of those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44).
These days, it’s important to note that our experience of hatred and rejection should not lead us to withdraw or retaliate. It calls us to deeper reliance on God and greater commitment to the way of Jesus. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). The church’s witness is most powerful when it reflects the self-giving love and forgiveness of Jesus.
Jesus’ words, “they hated me first,” are ultimately words of assurance. They remind believers that they are not alone in their struggles and that their suffering is not meaningless. The hatred of the world cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:35-39). The final victory belongs to Jesus, who has overcome the world (John 16:33).
Conclusion - They Hated Me First
Jesus said they hated me first. This statement encapsulating the reality of opposition he and his followers faced and continue to face today. It reveals the deep conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world, the cost of discipleship, and the assurance of solidarity with Jesus in suffering. Rooted in the biblical narrative and fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, this truth continues to shape the identity and mission of the church. In a world that rejects the message of Jesus, we are called to faithful witness, empowered by the Spirit, sustained by hope, and confident in the love of the one who was hated first for our sake.