"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. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without cause.'"1
Jesus was hated and persecuted without cause, He was as a spotless lamb without blemish, he was the Son of Man without sin. Persecution is the narrow path of the follower of Christ, "No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well." To endure being hated without cause, Christ must be our example and as such we must bear the cross. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."2 The cross leads to death, we must lose our lives to save it.
This word for freely "as a free gift, without payment, freely" something freely done (as gratis), i.e. without "cause"; unearned (undeserved); freely given (without cost) hence not done out of mere obligation or compulsion. So we see the word freely in "justified freely" having the same meaning "without cause," "They hated Me without cause," So to say another way, "They hated him freely" and we have been "justified without cause." It is amazing that through such persecution we receive such mercy, such is the grace of God, and surely it is undeserving on our part. To endure persecution freely for Christ is to follow His example. Such produces endurance which produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint.
"He was pierced for our transgressions; bruised for our iniquities; chastised for our peace, by his wounds we are healed."
Jesus was hated and persecuted without cause, He was as a spotless lamb without blemish, he was the Son of Man without sin. Persecution is the narrow path of the follower of Christ, "No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well." To endure being hated without cause, Christ must be our example and as such we must bear the cross. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."2 The cross leads to death, we must lose our lives to save it.
"In this is my Father glorified, that much fruit you bear, proving yourselves to be My disciples."3
This word for bear, "bear, carry, conduct" It is to bear i. e. endure, as God endured with great patience the vessels of His wrath so that His power would be made known, so as "to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory."4 He carried his wrath so that in the remnant, not only of Jews but also of the Gentiles, the riches of his glory; grace, mercy, kindness, and forbearance would be displayed. Through the vessels of His workmanship His glory is being made known, "I will call them My people who are not My people, and I will call her My beloved who is not My beloved,”
"The one loving his life loses it, and the one hating his life in this world will keep it to eternal life."6
A grain of wheat dies if it abides alone, but if it dies and abides in Christ it will bear much fruit.5 It is a difficult thing to hate ones life, but as Paul writes there is gain in it, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."7 To love not your life and to abide in Christ, who is the Word, such is the key to overcoming the evil one, "And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death."8 Such is the battle of the young man in Christ.9 It is why we stand in grace which we have access to by faith. "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."10
"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."
Paul writes the Law exposed sin, but here we see another sin being exposed by Jesus. They had exchanged the Truth of God for an image like that of man. John writes Jesus is the Truth and the Light. These that hated Christ were in darkness, a false piety they had, a religion without God being blameless to the "letter of the Law" but not to God's righteous requirements. They were like whitewashed tombs; pretty on the outside but inside full of dead bones. They sought justification in following rules and laws but they hated their brothers thereby committing murder in their hearts. If Jesus had not exposed such sin, "they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and the Father." They searched the scriptures but here was Truth before them and they hated him.
"But I do not on any account make my life dear to myself, so as to finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify fully the gospel of the grace of God."11
We see it is a gospel of grace that we testify of, and we know we stand in grace by faith and by faith we have been justified, receiving abundant grace and the gift of righteousness, in such we will reign in life. A precious gift is this righteousness, paid for by the blood of the spotless Lamb, who came among his own, and many hated Him without cause. Though such hatred was undeserving, God through the vessels of His wrath has prepared the vessels of His mercy, thus through hatred without cause, we receive grace, without cause.
"being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,"14
"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."
Paul writes the Law exposed sin, but here we see another sin being exposed by Jesus. They had exchanged the Truth of God for an image like that of man. John writes Jesus is the Truth and the Light. These that hated Christ were in darkness, a false piety they had, a religion without God being blameless to the "letter of the Law" but not to God's righteous requirements. They were like whitewashed tombs; pretty on the outside but inside full of dead bones. They sought justification in following rules and laws but they hated their brothers thereby committing murder in their hearts. If Jesus had not exposed such sin, "they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and the Father." They searched the scriptures but here was Truth before them and they hated him.
"But I do not on any account make my life dear to myself, so as to finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify fully the gospel of the grace of God."11
We see it is a gospel of grace that we testify of, and we know we stand in grace by faith and by faith we have been justified, receiving abundant grace and the gift of righteousness, in such we will reign in life. A precious gift is this righteousness, paid for by the blood of the spotless Lamb, who came among his own, and many hated Him without cause. Though such hatred was undeserving, God through the vessels of His wrath has prepared the vessels of His mercy, thus through hatred without cause, we receive grace, without cause.
"being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,"14
This word for freely "as a free gift, without payment, freely" something freely done (as gratis), i.e. without "cause"; unearned (undeserved); freely given (without cost) hence not done out of mere obligation or compulsion. So we see the word freely in "justified freely" having the same meaning "without cause," "They hated Me without cause," So to say another way, "They hated him freely" and we have been "justified without cause." It is amazing that through such persecution we receive such mercy, such is the grace of God, and surely it is undeserving on our part. To endure persecution freely for Christ is to follow His example. Such produces endurance which produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint.
"He was pierced for our transgressions; bruised for our iniquities; chastised for our peace, by his wounds we are healed."
It is one thing to be hated for wrong, it is another to be hated without cause. As the Master received such hatred so will the followers of Christ. It important to forgive as our Lord, for the salvation of souls. The Father is glorified in that we bear fruit. They accused him of blasphemy, of breaking their rules, so they spat upon His face, struck Him, and mocked him. They chastised Him without cause saying "He deserves to die." He was pierced for our transgressions... He took freely upon himself hatred so that by His wounds we might freely be healed.