Hating Jesus

I love that Jesus doesn’t mess around. He gets straight to the point. Listen to His words:

The world… hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil

John 7:7

That’s bold, Jesus. You claim the world hates You, and You give a startling reason why the world hates You. You say the world hates you because you testify about us that our works are evil. You’re a straight shooter.

Some people unashamedly proclaim their hatred towards Jesus. They know that He testifies that our deeds are evil, and they don’t like that. They’ll call Him narrow-minded, arrogant, and judgmental because He dares to call them evil. Jesus breeds division they say, and He and His followers cause all kinds of the societal ills we see. This certainly isn’t surprising considering the hard things He says. It’s natural to react to Him in this way because we don’t like being called evil.

Vocally proclaiming your hatred for Jesus is one way to react to Him calling you evil, but there’s another way to hate Jesus that’s far more subtle than that. This method of hating Jesus is hard to spot, and many of you reading this might be practicing it without even knowing it. It takes different forms, but at its core, it denies that He said anything like this at all. It denies that He testifies that the world is evil and in an effort to explain statements like John 7:7 away, it redefines Him. It recasts Jesus into a “new” or “fresh” light. It spouts off phrases like, “What Jesus really said”, or the “core” teachings of Jesus, or “Jesus is all about inclusion”. It will lump Him in with other religious figures like Mohammed and Buddha. He becomes another moral teacher or spiritual guru or good example. It will claim to love His teachings like the golden rule and turning the other cheek, but it will conveniently ignore John 7:7.

Its proponents might say they love Jesus, but because they’re changing or denying His testimony, they’re actually hating Him. Their language may be loving and flowery and peaceful, but it only conceals their hatred. They hate Him because He calls us evil, so they redefine who He is.

Jesus is not just good. He is God.

Jesus is not just teacher. He is Savior.

Jesus is not just gentle.  He is Judge.

Jesus is not just moral. He is Master.

Jesus is not just kind. He is King.

And He’s no ordinary King. An earthly king that receives so much hatred would strike down His enemies. Not so with Jesus. He testifies that you and me and the world are evil.  His testimony is true.  But He doesn’t stop there.  He deals with our evil.  Jesus bore our hatred even unto death on a Roman cross.  And He rose from the dead victoriously conquering all hatred and sin and death.  He loves His haters by dying for them.  When we see His love for us, our hatred melts into love for Him.  In whatever way you hate Jesus, lay down your arms.  Stop fighting Him.  Follow Him.