John 15:20-22 20Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A slave 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. 21But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no valid excuse for their sin.
Jesus restates what he said in 13:16 about a servant not being greater but like his or her master. Jesus set the example of service and love. Two conditional clauses give two scenarios the disciples would face. The first serves as a warning about persecution from those who would not believe their message. Not only are disciples called to be like Jesus in showing love but also in experiencing the opposite of persecution. Verse 20 is difficult to read after the wonderful call to love and be in relationship with Jesus found earlier in this chapter.
Jesus was giving his disciples a reality check and preparing them for the difficult times ahead. There is a specific historical application to this verse with what happened after the day of Pentecost and especially after Stephen’s stoning (Acts 8:1). The disciples could look back later and remember Jesus’ words of warning and encouragement during their final moments together at this meal. His resurrection would give them hope and assurance that although they could face physical, social, and emotional harm, they could trust in the promise of eternal life. The disciples could respond to persecution in the same way as Jesus by loving their enemies and praying for them (Matthew 5:44).
On the other hand, the second conditional clause indicates that some people would respond positively to the disciples. Just as there were many in Jesus’ ministry who listened and believed, so there would be more later for the disciples who would share the truth they received from Jesus. They would become like their Master and proclaim the teachings he gave them. The emphasis in this verse is on keeping Jesus’ word. This word has already been clearly described in this chapter and the rest of John’s Gospel. At the heart of this word is Jesus as the Way, Truth, and Life. The word is all about him. The many ethical teachings found in John and the other three Gospels are consistent with Old Testament Scripture and reveal God’s holiness, justice, grace, compassion, and mercy, which are reflections and applications of God’s love. Keeping the word means first, beliving it to be true, and second, living it out daily in obedience to what it says.
The persecution the disciples would face would come as a consequence of being a follower of Jesus, not due to personality differences, political affiliation, or social status. It would be on account of Jesus’ name, which represents his person. The disciples would be persecuted because of their likeness to Jesus. The “world,” referring to unbelievers, would be the cause because it exists in darkness, and the darkness does not like the light. The persecutors might even think they know God but do not. The clear historical application is that many of the Jewish leaders thought they knew God but refused to believe in Jesus, who came as the revelation of God. A person cannot know God without also believing and accepting Jesus as the Son of God. To know Jesus is to know God.
Verse 22 shows that the Jewish leaders and others who rejected Jesus were guilty of sin because they heard the truth he proclaimed. The timeless truth behind this verse is that once a person hears the truth, that person is accountable to it. Guilty of sin comes when the light is revealed. Those who do not hear the truth in a way that they can understand it will be judged less harshly than those who hear and refuse. There is no excuse for sin once the light reveals the darkness.
Jesus’ warning to his disciples continues to echo today. His call is to live in the obedience of faith and to proclaim the truth of his person and teaching. We should expect the same responses the first disciples experienced. We should not let persecution stop us from proclaiming Jesus’ words because there will be some who believe. Those who refuse become accountable for their sin and will face judgment. Those who accept will experience the eternal life Jesus promised and is recorded in the Gospel of John.
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