In John 16:1, John records Jesus saying, “You should not be offended.” But the ten verses He is talking about would bring great offense to anyone! Then He explains in the three verses following why He didn’t have to teach them these things sooner.

These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. – Jhn 16:1 KJV

Men Cast Them Into the Fire?

Religion would tell you that God is casting the wicked and disobedient into the fire and punishing people. That is not what Jesus teaches.

If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned. – Jhn 15:6 KJV

My Words Abide in You

Jesus is teaching His disciples in these three chapters of John. He certainly isn’t telling the world, “You Should Not Be Offended.” The world today is teaching people to be offended at the most stupid and superficial things. The world is teaching people to be victims who have no control over themselves or free will. What is the church teaching?

Jesus is teaching us to abide in Him and to consume His words.

Why?

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. – Jhn 15:7 KJV
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. – Jhn 15:8 KJV
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. – Jhn 15:9 KJV
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. – Jhn 15:10 KJV
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full. – Jhn 15:11 KJV
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. – Jhn 15:12 KJV
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. – Jhn 15:13 KJV
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. – Jhn 15:14 KJV
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. – Jhn 15:15 KJV
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. – Jhn 15:16 KJV
These things I command you, that ye love one another. – Jhn 15:17 KJV

You Should Not Be Offended

Jesus has just told His disciples some really good news. How we should love one another. And then He drops the bomb!

The World Might Hate You!

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you. – Jhn 15:18 KJV

When it feels like the whole world is against you, just remember they cried “Hossanah!” one minute and then “Crucify Him!” the next minute. The world is fickle! You should not be offended. Hallelujah!

Many Are Called But Few Chosen

The World Hates You

You have been chosen out of the world. If the world doesn’t hate you, you probably look, sound, and act just like the world. You may need to be born again! More likely you just need to be discipled.

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. – Jhn 15:19 KJV
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. – Jhn 15:20 KJV
But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. – Jhn 15:21 KJV

What things will they do to you for Jesus’ name’s sake?

• Hate you-In Romans 1:18-32, Paul describes the disobedient children, the world. We should not be offended but compassionate towards the people because they really are deceived by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).
• They will also persecute you-Jesus was persecuted throughout His entire ministry even unto death!
• They may receive His words that abide in you (John 15:20)! Hallelujah! Instead of running at you to persecute you, they may run to you to receive Him who is in you and they can see that He is greater than he who is in the world. They may want your “Why?” John 15:7-17!

Perspective

The enemy will want you to take everything personally. But it is not about us. It is all about Jesus and His finished work. And about the work that He is still doing in each of us. They are not persecuting or receiving you or me. Until we are very clear about this, we will feel offended! Even though Jesus has clearly explained that “You should not be offended.”

They Really Don’t Know!

We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)! Paul explains what our best efforts without God really amount to in 1 Corinthians 13. Again, God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). So anything we do apart from love, we do apart from Jesus.

If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. – Jhn 15:22 KJV

Once someone knows the truth, they are no longer deceived. Eve was deceived (2 Corinthians 11:3). Adam knew the truth and sinned willfully. I believe Adam was trying to protect his bride. Unfortunately, he was trying to do it on his own. Pride comes before the fall.

Once we know the truth, we are no longer deceived. If it hurts you, it is probably the truth in love. If it feels good, you probably need to examine your own heart and motivations first (Matthew 7:3-5).

He Really Hates Our Father

You should not be offended because it isn’t really you that the world hates.

He that hateth me hateth my Father also. – Jhn 15:23 KJV
If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. – Jhn 15:24 KJV
But [this cometh to pass], that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. – Jhn 15:25 KJV
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: – Jhn 15:26 KJV
And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. – Jhn 15:27 KJV

The Spirit of Truth

After Jesus tells us, “You should not be offended,” He tells us a few more things we will be tempted to be offended about. Even in the religious community! Gasp! Wahaha!!!

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. – Jhn 16:2 KJV
And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. – Jhn 16:3 KJV
But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. – Jhn 16:4 KJV

He didn’t tell His disciples these things until the end of His earthly ministry. They were watching Jesus suffer these things. He was leading by example. They were able to see the Master fight all the temptations of the enemy with three simple words, “It is written.”

These things are recorded for us to watch and see how our Lord faced all temptations in all points as we do, but yet He did it flawlessly, without sin. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect in our souls and physical bodies. But He teaches us how to be perfect with His words (2 Timothy 3:17).

Victorious

That, my Friends, is good news! And it is a fantastic and fun adventure we can enjoy from a place of victory!!!