December 17, 2017

John 15:18-16:4: Away in a Manger

Preacher: Josh Tancordo Series: The Gospel of John: That You May Believe Scripture: John 15:18– 16:4

John 15:18-16:4: Away in a Manger

Christmas, as we know, is a time for us to remember the birth of Jesus. And of course we have that familiar nativity scene that reminds us of the birth of Jesus—with Mary and Joseph and the shepherds and the wise men and naturally baby Jesus himself lying in a manger. But have you ever stopped to think about just how radical it is that Jesus, the Creator and Lord of everything, would enter this world in such a lowly and humiliating way? Many of you probably know that a manger is another name for a feeding trough, something that animals would eat out of, something that was dirty and smelly and not typically the place you’d want to put your baby. But that’s where Jesus was laid. Luke 2:7 records that “[Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” And there we see the reason why Jesus had to be laid in a manger: “there was no place for them in the inn.” Bethlehem was a hustling and bustling place because of a census that was being taken, and so there was no room for Mary and Joseph at the inn. So they were relegated to a stable, and that’s where Mary had to give birth. Just take a moment to think about that. Wouldn’t you think that somebody would give up their room in the inn or that somebody who had a house in Bethlehem would let Mary use their house? But apparently, nobody would do that. Apparently, they were content to let this pregnant woman give birth in a stable. It’s hard for me to imagine that. I mean, if someone who was about to give birth came to your house and they truly, for whatever reason, had no other place to go and no way to get to a hospital, would you really send them out back to go give birth in the shed? Now, I’m sure there were some cultural and situational factors that came into play here, but it still seems like Mary and Joseph weren’t treated that well by the people in Bethlehem. It kind of reminds me of what John said about Jesus back in John 1:11: “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” And as we see with Jesus being born in a stable and laid in a manger, society rejected him even from birth. Of course, at that point, people didn’t know anything about him and obviously weren’t personally rejecting him because of something he did or taught. He was just a baby. But this scene in Bethlehem is still a very telling picture that foreshadows what things would be like in the future. Jesus would ultimately be rejected by society and die on the cross as an outcast. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” Also, Isaiah 53:3 describes him as “despised and rejected.”

And in our main text of Scripture this morning, that’s what Jesus is talking about. So please turn with me in your Bible to John 15. If you’re using the Story Bibles we provide that’s on page 747. This is the next passage we come to in our series of sermons walking through the Gospel of John passage by passage. John 15:18-16:4. And as we’ll see, Jesus isn’t the only one who has to face rejection by the world. Beginning at John 15:18: 18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 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. 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. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 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. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 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. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ 26 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. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. 1 I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 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. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.”

So, as you can see from Jesus’ words here, the scene at Bethlehem with Jesus being born in a stable and laid in a manger turns out to be a pretty accurate picture of what things would be like during his earthly ministry. However, that’s actually not the main idea of this passage. In this passage, Jesus mentions the hatred and persecution he endured, but his focus is actually on us, his followers. Just like Jesus was rejected, his followers can expect to be rejected also. That’s the main idea of what Jesus is saying here. Just like Jesus was rejected, his followers can expect to be rejected also. And there are three things Jesus tells his disciples here that will help them remain steadfast even in the midst of the rejection they’ll face. Number one, remember your Master. Number two, remember your identity. And number three, remember your mission.

Remember Your Master 

So first, remember your Master. That is, remember the fact that your Master himself was rejected and that people will reject you because they’re ultimately rejecting him. In verse 18, Jesus says, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” Then in verses 20-21, he states, “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. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” So Jesus is saying, don’t be surprised when the world hates you and even persecutes you. It’s going to happen. You’re going to be despised and rejected at times. But remember that the reason they have a problem with you is because they utimately have a problem with me. Their problem isn’t ultimately with you; it’s with me, Jesus says. 

Now let me just pause for a moment and say that Jesus is assuming here that we’re not being knuckleheads in the way we go about following him and proclaiming his message. One time I was vacationing in Daytona Beach, and I saw a small group of people standing on the street corner with a microphone system preaching to people who walked by. And at first I thought that was pretty cool. But then I began to listen to what they were saying and noticed that they were being very harsh in their preaching—extremely harsh—and they were only talking about sin and hell. And that was what the signs they were holding said as well. They were basically just telling the crowd that there were going to hell. They said nothing about Jesus, nothing about salvation, nothing about eternal life. Just judgment and hell—and preaching about those things in a very mean-spirited way. Now I believe in hell, but let me encourage you not to be like that. I bet just about everyone who heard that group preaching despised that group not because of Jesus but simply because that group was acting like knuckleheads. Don’t be a knucklehead. It’s okay if the gospel offends people—Jesus says it will—but make sure it’s not you offending people by the way you share the gospel. Remember: we don’t just want people to encounter the truth of Christ; we want them to encounter the love of Christ. 

But even if we’re showing people the love of Christ and not being a knucklehead, Jesus says we should still expect to face rejection from time to time. And when that happens, just remember that people’s problem isn’t ultimately with you; it’s with Jesus. He’s the one they have a problem with. “If the world hates you,” Jesus says, “know that it has hated me before it hated you.

Many of you probably remember me talking about the “Youth with a Mission” organization located just up the street in Carrick. They’re the ones we partnered with to do our International Christmas Party outreach a few weeks ago. And the leader of that organization, Mark, was recently telling me that they’ve seen one of the Nepali families come to faith in Christ recently. The parents and the children decided that they wanted to become followers of Jesus now, which is a beautiful thing. However, Mark told me, they had to pay a price for doing that. Because as soon as they embraced Jesus, the rest of their family disowned them. There were a number of other extended family members living in their house with them, and they all moved out and told them that they were no longer a part of their family. Not only that, but many of their friends also turned their backs on them and wanted nothing more to do with them because of their Christian faith. That’s the price this family had to pay for following Jesus. And to put it bluntly, following Jesus always comes with a price tag. There will always be some kind of price to pay, regardless of what culture or society you live in. Even if you’re not disowned by your family, you will face rejection from time to time. Just expect it. But, in the words of our outline, remember your Master. Remember that they’re not ultimately rejecting you; they’re rejecting Jesus.

So let me encourage you to accept and even—as strange as it sounds—embrace that rejection. Because is it not an honor to be identified with Jesus in that way? Is it not an honor to face what he faced and to face it for his sake? Acts 5:41 states that after Peter and John were given a public beating for preaching the gospel, they left “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name”—that is, the name of Jesus.” So is it not an honor for us to suffer rejection if we’re suffering alongside Jesus? Is it not an honor for us to be misrepresented by the mainstream media? Is it not an honor for us to be mocked by the skeptic? Is it not an honor to have some of our own friends or even family to turn their back on us because we’re following Jesus? In Hebrews 12:13-14, right after the author talks about how Jesus suffered “outside of the gate” basically as an outcast, the author then says, 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. [then he tells us why:] 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Are you seeking the city that is to come? 

Remember Your Identity 

And that leads us to our second point this morning. According to Jesus, it’s important not only to remember your Master but also to remember your identity. That’s number two. Remember your identity—and more specifically, we might say your other-worldly identity. Look back at our main text: John 15, verse 19: “19 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.” So the fact is that, as Christians, we belong to another world. We’re not of this world, we’ve been chosen out of this world, and that’s why the world hates us. So remember your identity. Remember the fact that, in the words of Paul in Philippians 3:20, “our citizenship is in heaven” and not in this world. 

You know, I think part of the reason many Christians in America today are having such a difficult time adjusting to our loss of social prestige is that we, as Christians, have had social prestige for so long that we’ve grown accustomed to it. We gotten a little too comfortable in this world. We’ve begun to think that we belong here. But here in John 15, Jesus reminds us that this world isn’t our home. We’re not of the world. We’re just passing through. Think about how it is when you’re staying at a hotel. When you stay at a hotel, do you spend a lot of time redecorating your hotel room? If you don’t like the picture on the wall, do you run out to Michael’s and buy another picture to put up in its place? If you don’t like the desk lamp, do you go out and buy another one of those? I mean, do you even take your clothes out of the suitcase and put them in the dresser? I don’t think I ever have. Why? Because I’m not planning on staying there very long. It’s not a big deal if some aspects of that hotel room are less than preferable because I’m going to be gone soon. I’m just passing through. I can deal with whatever minor things are not quite to my liking. And just like we don’t treat a hotel room as our home, we shouldn’t treat this world as our home either. Heaven in our home. And if that’s the mentality we have, it’s no longer such a big deal when we face rejection in the world. If we understand that this world isn’t our home and that heaven is our home, we no longer expect to be quite as comfortable in this world and it’s not a surprise to us when we’re not. 

Instead, we’re able to look forward with joyful anticipation to the day when we really will be home—to the day when everything will be as it should be and there will be no such thing as suffering and we’ll finally be with Jesus and receive our promised rewards. If that’s not motivation to persevere in the face of the world’s opposition and rejection, then I don’t know what is. Think about how Hebrews 11 describes Moses. It says, in Hebrews 11:24-26, “24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ [or reproach for the sake of Christ to be] greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” If the Bible is true and heaven is real, you’d have to be a fool to choose worldly prominence over that reward. Only a fool would choose worldly accolades above heavenly reward. So if you’re a Christian, remember your other-worldly identity. 

Remember Your Mission 

Then thirdly, not only should you remember your Master and remember your identity, Jesus also says to remember your mission. Remember your mission. Look verses 26-27 of our main text: 26 “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. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. So that’s the mission Jesus gives his disciples: to “bear witness” about him. That phrase “bear witness” can also be translated “testify.” It’s a term that was often used in a courtroom setting where someone was testifying about something they saw or something they knew. And that’s the mission Jesus has given his followers. Regardless of what comes against us, he wants us to testify and bear witness about him. It doesn’t matter what kind of opposition we face, how often we face it, or how severe it is. We have a very clear and very urgent mission—the mission of telling as many people as possible about Jesus.

A number of years ago, a young man from the African country of Rwanda was serving in Africa as a missionary. And from what I understand, he was actually serving as a missionary to his own tribe. Unfortunately, however, his tribe turned against him and eventually forced him to either renounce Christ or face death. And he refused to renounce Christ. So he was murdered on the spot. But the next morning, some of his fellow workers found a piece of paper in his room with the following note written on it. Here’s what the man had written shortly before his martyrdom:

“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit’s power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made—I’m a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and I labor with power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work until He stops me. And, when He comes for his own, He will have no problem recognizing me…my banner will be clear!”

Now to be honest, I don’t know anything about this young man other than this note he’s written. But I’m pretty sure he understands the mission. It’s the same mission we read in John 15:27: bearing witness about Jesus regardless of the opposition. And I believe it’s very significant that Jesus reminds his disciples of this mission even as he’s telling them about all the opposition they’ll face. It’s like he’s reminding them that even though some people will reject the gospel, others will receive it. There will be a harvest. All of our suffering isn’t for nothing. It’s yielding something—namely a harvest of souls for God’s Kingdom.  And not only that, it’s also yielding future reward for us. Listen to what Paul said when he was in the midst of suffering. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 

Conclusion

Maybe this morning, you’ve been so preoccupied with the transient that you haven’t really thought that much about the eternal. You’re so concerned with the here and now that you haven’t given much thought to what happens after our brief journey in this world is over. The Bible is actually very clear about that. It says that when we die, we’re going to find ourselves face-to-face with God. And for some people, namely those who have trusted Christ and become followers of Christ, seeing God is going to be a dream come true. But for others, it’s going to be their worst nightmare. You see, the Bible teaches that we’ve all sinned against God and will one day have to answer for each one of those sins. And believe me, that’s a position you don’t want to be in. And thankfully, you don’t have to. Because God loved us so much that he sent his own Son Jesus into this world. That’s what we celebrate at Christmas. God didn’t leave us to die in our sins but instead sent us a Savior in the person of Jesus. After Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life, he would eventually die on the cross as our substitute, enduring the judgment that should have come down on you and me. Jesus took that instead. And because he then resurrected from the dead, he’s able to save everyone who will come to him and put their trust in him and commit their life to him. And yes, that does include facing the rejection he faced from time to time. But if you really understand what’s at stake here and the blessing that comes to followers of Christ, it’s not a difficult decision. 

And for those who have already become Christians, let me just say that I believe we’re coming to a time in America when being a Christian is going to cost you something. To put it in human terms, it’s going to be a liability rather than an asset. It’s going to cost you social respectability rather than get you social respectability. And perhaps it’s already that way. But as it become more and more that way, we’re going to find out who the true Christians are. In the words of 2 Corinthians 4, we’re going to find out who’s living merely for the things that are seen and who’s living for the things that are unseen. Because if you’re really living for the things that are unseen, no price in the world will be too high for you to pay for being a Christian. Being an outcast of an earthly society is totally worth it if it gets you membership in a heavenly society.

other sermons in this series