Can I Get a Witness?

"By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 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. 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. But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 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. Whoever hates Me hates My Father also. 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 the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

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. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. 

I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 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. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor Me."

John 15:8-16:3

I love children’s books. And so when my twin nieces asked for books for their third birthday last month, I was more than happy to oblige. I did a quick internet search and stumbled upon Go Tell Everyone: 9 Missionaries Who Shared the Good News—the perfect gift from an aunt who works in Missions. I was delighted to learn that they’ve started playing the Great Commission with their dolls and are ready to tell everyone about Jesus.

As believers, we understand the importance of training children from a young age to be witnesses for Christ. Just a few weeks ago, we spent an entire week at VBS teaching our kids how to share their faith. It’s a joy and a privilege to do so. But when we read Jesus’ words in John 15, we are met with a sobering reminder of what it truly means to be a witness.

The Greek word for witness is martureo—it’s the root of the English word martyr. And while the original Greek word does not carry the idea of dying for the faith, it’s easy to see how that evolution happened. To be a witness is to testify about Jesus, and Jesus promises us in John 15 that this will bring persecution. “Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted Me, naturally they will persecute you.”

If the prospect of persecution is off-putting, you aren’t alone. I have a hard enough time inconveniencing myself for other people, much less suffering. But that’s why Jesus mentions it—He wants us to be prepared, because it will happen. So, how should we respond to persecution? While there is much that could be said, I want to focus on two things:

1. Don’t take it personally
Easier said than done. None of us likes being disliked. And it feels so unfair when it’s because we are doing the right thing. But Jesus tells us in John 15 that it’s not about us. When we are persecuted for our faith, it’s ultimately because our persecutors hate God. They are not rejecting us, but our Father. It’s tempting to return hate with hate…but when we recognize the root of the hate, we can make room for another emotion: compassion. Compassion and sorrow for those who do not know the Father and are living as slaves; compassion for those who are desperately sick and do not realize their condition. This paves the way for a second response…

2. Love anyways
We all have an inward desire to defend ourselves, to hit back when we are hit. Indeed, bully Christianity is having a moment right now, as many are fed up with being a punching bag. But Jesus says clearly, “A slave is not greater than the master.” And what did our Master do? He died. He gave Himself up for the very ones who mocked and beat Him. If the One who bore the hatred of the entire world calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44), how can we do anything less?

The cruciform life is a series of deaths—death to sin, death to self, death for others. But through death, glory awaits (Romans 8:18).