You can go ahead and turn with
me to John chapter 15 if you'd like. Okay, John chapter 15, look at
verse 23 again. The Lord said, he that hateth
me, hateth my father also. 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. but this
come at the past that the word might be fulfilled that is written
in their law, they hated me without a cause. They hated me without
a cause. When the prophets of old wrote
about Christ our Redeemer, the one who was to come and save
his people from their sin, it's written in Acts chapter 10, verse
43, that to him give all the prophets witness. That simply
means that all that's written in this book in the Old Testament
by Moses and the prophets and the Psalms is all concerning
him. They gave Christ witness. There's
one who's coming that's gonna redeem his people, the Messiah.
And the prophets of the Old Testament scriptures wrote that Christ
the Messiah would be despised rejected and hated by all men. And the Lord here in our text
in verse 25 says, but this comes to pass that the word might be
fulfilled that it is written in their law. They hated me without
a cause. And that's what David the prophet
said in Psalm 69 verse four. He said, they that hate me without
a cause are more than the hairs of mine head. And Psalm 109 verse
three, David said, they come past me about also with words
of hatred and fought against me without a cause. In Psalm
22, which is a messianic Psalm, you'll find the very words of
Christ from the cross, which said, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me? And then also in verse six of
Psalm 22, he says, I am a worm. and no man, and I'm a reproach
of men, despised of the people." Isaiah foretold of the Lord Jesus,
our Redeemer, and he said he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace
was upon him. So we see that from Psalm 22
and the verses in Isaiah 53 that Christ was hated Not only did they hate him without
a cause, but he was hated for what he did for his people. Isaiah
also said in chapter 53, he's despised and rejected a man,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And he certainly
was. Isaiah continued on, he said, there's no form or comeliness,
no beauty that we should desire him. So we very clearly see what
was written concerning our Lord in the law and the prophets.
They hated him. They despised and rejected him.
And when Christ came into the world, that very second hatred
for him began. From his birth, even before. Herod tried to unsuccessfully
kill him. all the way until they did crucify
the Lord on Golgotha's hill, and it was a constant desire
of sinful man to destroy God in the flesh. They ridiculed
the Lord from the beginning, but before becoming one of his
disciples, Nathanael said, can anything good come out of Nazareth? They ridiculed his trade, is
not this the carpenter? They mocked His holiness by saying
He's a friend of sinners. He eats with publicans and sinners.
They called the Lord Jesus a winebibber. They called Him a glutton. They
said He had a devil. They tried to stone Him on several
occasions. They tried to throw Him off a
cliff. They asked Him to leave their city and asked Him to never
come back. They paid one of His disciples
to betray Him. That's how much they hated Him.
And since he was a perfect man and no fault was found in him,
they hired liars to testify against him. They hated him and there
was no cause for it. Why? Why did they hate him without
a cause? Why all this hatred for one so
good, for one so pure? Was it because he healed the
sick? Was it because he gave sight to the blind, gave hearing
ears to the deaf? Is that why they beat him so
bad that the scriptures say that his visage was so marred that
he didn't even resemble a man? Is that why? Was it because he
fed the multitudes, raised the dead? No, that wasn't the reason. They didn't hate him for what
he did. They hated him for who he claimed to be. They went from
one day going hosanna, hosanna, to just a few days later going
crucify, crucify. They hated him. They hated him
without a cause. He told his disciples, he said,
if the world hates you, matter of fact, right there in verse
18, if the world hate you, you know that it hated me before
it hated you. We shouldn't be surprised if
this world hate us and the religion of this world hate us. I told
you not long ago, I've had on a couple of occasions, people
say to me, I liked you a whole lot better and told other people
I liked him a whole lot better before he got saved. They hated
him because he said, I and my father are one. That's one of
the reasons they hated him. When the Lord said that, the
Jews took up stones to stone him. And there was no cause for
it, none. He and his father were one. The
Lord Jesus said, many good works have I done among you, for which
of those good works do you stone me? And they said, for a good
work we don't stone you, that's not why. We stone you because
you blaspheme and being a man, you make yourself out to be God.
But he was God, no cause for it, he was God. Secondly, they
hated the Lord Jesus because he possessed all the attributes
of deity. He said, all authority and powers
given unto me in heaven and in earth. And boy, they didn't like
that. He knew everything. He knew their thoughts and he
knew no sin. And he said that he had power
to give life and they hated him because of that. For they knew
that only God could give life, that only God could create. And the Lord Jesus said, the
Son quickeneth whom He will. The Lord gives life to whoever
He desires to give life. And He told them that He had
the power to forgive sin. Oh, they didn't like that. You
being a man, make yourself out to be God. No, He is God and
He can forgive sin. On many occasions, speaking to
sinners that the Lord healed, He said, thy sins be forgiven
thee. And they hated Him because He
said that. Thomas had it right when he fell on his face and
cried, my Lord and my God. But even Thomas didn't say that
until he saw the Lord himself after his resurrection, because
he had said that he wouldn't believe it till he saw it. He
said, until I put my finger in his hand prints and in his side,
I don't believe it. Then the Lord revealed himself
to him. And then he said, my Lord and my God. But the Lord
Jesus said, blessed are those that believe and don't, hadn't
seen. ministering in his hometown. We talked about it just recently.
He read from that book of Isaiah. And when he finished, he sat
down and he said this, he said, this day, are these words, are
these scriptures fulfilled in your ears? And man, you talking
about flying hot. Well, they were filled with wrath,
the scripture says, filled with wrath. All of them were, and
they would have killed him, and they led him out to the brow
of a hill and would have thrown him off. But why couldn't they? Because it was without a cause.
and he walked in the midst of them. They hated him for the
truth that he preached. They hated him because as God,
he claimed to have chosen his people out of the world before
the world was ever framed. Look at verse 19 again. He said,
if you were of the world, the world would love his own, but
because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of
the world, therefore the world hated you. And we looked at that
in detail last time. There were many widows in Israel
in the days of the prophet when there was a great famine in the
land, but God didn't save a one of them. He passed over them
all and he fed a Gentile woman. And there were many lepers in
Israel in the days of God's prophet, but none of them was healed but
a Gentile named Naaman. And boy, they hated him when
he said that. but it was without a cause because
God has the right to save whom He will. The Lord Jesus as God
had mercy on whom He'd have mercy. The Lord Jesus as God had compassion
on whom He'd have compassion and He passed by others and they
hated Him because of it because their hatred was without a cause.
He's God, He can do what He wills. God has the right to do what
he will with his own. God is not obligated to any person. I don't know why folks think
that. We live in an entitled world and it carries right on
into religion. Maybe he began in religion and
worked its way outward. I don't know, but people sure
feel like they're entitled. God's not obligated. God shows
mercy to whom he'll show mercy. He don't owe anyone anything.
All that God owes us is the wages of sin, and that's death. That's
all God owes anybody. That's something that we've earned.
That's something that we deserve. That's something that we have
coming to us. I hear people say all the time, I just want what's
coming to me. No, you don't. No, you don't. Oh, I want what I don't deserve. And you know what that is? That's
mercy. The wages of sin is death. That's what God's word says.
No, that's what God says. Not just his word, that's what
he says. But that's not all God says. And I'm so thankful it's
not. He also says, but the gift of
God is eternal life. That's what I want. I want that
free gift of eternal life. You remember what the Lord prayed
to his father? He said, I thank you, Father,
the Lord of heaven and earth. You've hid these things from
the wise and the prudent, those who in their own minds and hearts
think that they're wise and prudent. And you've revealed them unto
babes. Why did God do that? Well, the Lord told us why, because
he said, even so, Father, it seemed good in your sight. That's
the only reason. It just seemed good to the Lord
to do it. He does what he wants to do. People today act as if God is
their servant. They act as if God is their personal
attendant, personal assistant. Brother Mahan once said, he's
not at the beck and call of a crooked finger. Men and women today,
just like the Jews of old, they would have killed the Lord Jesus
if they could. They would. They wouldn't admit
to that. They would have stoned him if
they were able. The people that wanted to stone
our Lord in his day were religious people. Did you know that according
to biblical history, every one of the apostles, except for John,
were killed as martyrs? They were killed by religious
people. Turn back to John chapter eight.
Let me show you why religious people took up stones to kill
him. Look at verse 24 in John 8. He said, I said therefore unto
you that you shall die in your sins for if you believe not that
I am he, you shall die in your sins. The first reason that his
own nation desired to stone him and to kill him was first that
he called them sinners. and he claimed himself to be
God and they didn't like that. They didn't like either one of
those things. Religious people don't like that. The second reason that they desired
to stone the Lord and kill him was because he said that they
were of their father, the devil. Look down at verse 44. He said, you are of your father
the devil and the lust of your father you will do. And he was
a murderer from the beginning and a bold not in the truth because
there's no truth in him. And when he speaketh a lie, he
speaketh of his own for he is a liar and the father of it.
And because I tell you the truth, you believe me not. Now there
was no cause in any of them to hate the Lord Jesus Christ. They
hated him without a cause. He only told them the truth.
Was he therefore their enemy for telling them the truth? That's
the question Paul asked in Galatians four. Am I your enemy for telling
you the truth? A true friend to tell you the
truth, even if it upsets you. And then the third reason that
they desired to kill the Lord Jesus was because he told them
that they were not of God. Look at verse 47. He said, he
that is of God, heareth God's words. Ye therefore hear them
not because you're not a God. He didn't say that they weren't
of God because they didn't hear his words. He said they didn't
hear the words because they weren't of God. These were the words
of the Lord Jesus and they hated him for it. Not for his works,
but for his words. Not for his miracles, but for
his message. And that's why they hated him
and it was without a cause. That's why they crucified the
Lord of glory and it was without a cause. Of their own free will,
they hated him. If you want to see the truth
concerning men and women's free will, you just consider their
hatred for Christ and how it was without a cause. He called
them sinners. He told them they needed mercy.
That was a gracious thing to do. They needed help. He told them so. He said, those
who have no, those that are without need have no need of a physician.
You need a physician. And they hated him because of
it. They needed forgiveness. Look at what they said in verse
33 here in John chapter eight. They answered him, we be Abraham's
seed. And we were never in bondage
to any man. How sayest thou, ye shall be made free? And Jesus
answered them, barely, barely. I say unto you, whosoever committed
sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in
the house forever, but the son abideth ever. If the son therefore
shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. What gracious
words. "'I know that ye are Abraham's
seed, "'but you seek to kill me, "'because my word hath no
place in you. "'I speak that which I have seen
with my father, "'and you do that which you have seen with
your father.' And they answered and said unto him, "'Abraham
is our father.' And Jesus said unto them, "'If you were Abraham's
seed, "'you'd do the works of Abraham.' but now you seek to
kill me and a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard
of God, this did not Abraham. There was absolutely nothing
in Christ to provoke such hatred, absolutely nothing. Perfect man,
nothing in his character, it was faultless. Nothing in his
doctrines, they were all true. There was nothing in his laws.
They were all holy, just, and right. He never did anything
to harm anyone. Matter of fact, he always went
about doing good. Always bestowing mercy and favors
upon man. And they hated him. That tells
you something about man's heart, doesn't it? Why then did they
hate him? Why did they persecute him? Why
did they put him to death? Because they hated his father.
They hated him without a cause that the word might be fulfilled
that was written before in their law. Now here the Lord traces
the world's hatred and enmity back to its true source, right
here, man's heart, which is only evil and only evil continually. That heart within that is deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked, that's the source. And
that's why men hated him. They hated the Lord without a
cause. And yet the guilt still rested on them because they did
exactly what they wanted to do. Man is without excuse because
really we want, even though the Lord is sovereign in control,
man does what he wants to do. And sometimes God just lets him
do it. Just lets them do it. Just lets
them do what they want to do. And that's terrifying. Man, I
don't want him to let me do what I want. And that's why we pray
not our will, but thy will be done. We better keep praying
that. This will always be a matter of debate among unbelievers,
but not among the children of God. And that's exactly what
Paul said in Romans chapter nine. I won't turn to you there, but
you're familiar enough with these scriptures. You tell men and
women that God has mercy on whom he'll have mercy, and that he'll
have compassion on whom he'll have compassion. You tell sinners
that it's not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but
of God that showeth mercy. You tell them that, you tell
someone that God will harden men by just leaving them to themselves,
and they'll most definitely ask you, why does he yet find fault? Why does he yet find fault? If
what you say is true and none can resist God's will, why then
is my unbelief my fault? And what they mean is, how can
God yet find fault with me if I'm only doing what He predestined
me to do? If I only do what God enables
me to do through mercy or restraint, if I believe only what God has
raised me up to believe as he did Pharaoh, he raised Pharaoh
up, if God deals with me the same way, how can it be my fault? How can I be held responsible?
If it's not my will, not my works, not my way that saves me, but
only the sovereign will and purpose of God that does, why and how
can he find fault with me when I'm only doing what he purposed
me to do? And the answer is quite simple.
He's God. He's God. He has the right to
do what he will with his own. We're looking at God's salvation
all wrong, men are, by nature especially. The real question
is, why would God save or redeem anybody? Not why would he find
fault, why would he save anyone? Why would he have mercy or compassion
on anybody? Why would he show grace on any
who are determined to have their own hardened way? That's the
real question. Why would God intervene in the
life of anyone who hated his beloved son without a cause? I tell you, it's gonna be hard
for me to love someone if they hate my children. It just is,
and you know it's so. They just show open contempt.
Now, I'm not talking about if my son or daughter did something
to harm someone, then I'd more than likely take sides with them
against my child. But I'm just talking about just
hating them without a cause for no reason. Shall the thing formed
say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Well,
that's a good question. Why does a clay pot look like
it does? Because that's the way the potter
formed it. Had not the potter power over
the clay? Yes. And I'm telling you, none
would disagree with that. Does the potter have the right
to form one lump of clay into a beautiful vase for flowers
and another lump of clay into a spittoon or an ashtray or a
trash can? And none would argue with that
either. Sure, that's what he wanted to make. But you tell
men and women that God is the sovereign potter, has the right
to form and mold the clay that he owns, by the way, it's his
clay, in the shape of the form that he desires. After all, he
is the potter. He's the one that's working on
the wheel, forming and designing, and they'll claim him to be unfair.
But God has the right to do what he wills with his own. And God
has the right to do what seems good in his sight to do. If someone
works hard all their life and buys and pays for their home
and they own it free and clear, and they decide to paint that
house purple or polka dotted, pink and purple, and someone
says, why'd you paint your house that way? The first thing, the
first answer should most certainly be because it's my house and
I can do what I will with it. And no one would argue with that.
Any logical person would agree with that. Well, that's right.
And you don't have to like it, and you don't have to look at
it, but it's my house, and that's why I wanted to paint it. But
you tell a sinner that God has a right to do what He will with
His own, you tell them that God has the right as God to do what
seems good in His sight, and they'll declare Him to be wicked,
wretched. They'll say things like, well,
your God's my devil. Now all of us by nature are vessels
of wrath fitted to destruction. And the child of God knows that.
But God willing to make known the riches of his mercy and grace
and glory with much long suffering, the scripture says, saved some
that didn't deserve being saved. But it was his prerogative. It
was his right as God to do that. And you know what these undeserving
sinners now say? They'll tell you without any
reservation that God in Christ loved them freely without a cause. Just the same way as men hate
him freely without a cause. He loved his people freely for
no reason other than it just pleased him to do so. That's
the only reason we need. And he's not obligated to give
that, but thank God he does. And he tells us why in this word,
in this book. Being justified freely without
a cause. by his grace through the redemption
that is where? In Christ Jesus. Romans 3 24. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him? Speaking of Christ, that's where
it's at, in Christ. How shall he not with him also
freely, without a cause, give us all things. Romans 8 32. Now
we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit,
which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely,
without a cause, given to us of God. We hated Him freely,
without a reason, without a cause, and He loved and justified us
freely, without a reason or without a cause. I believe they call
that sovereign grace. I believe they call it mercy
and love. and it's given freely as a gift
to the undeserving. And you know what? I'll take
it. I sure will. I'll take it. Thank you, Lord.