20"When that happens, remember this: Servants don't get better treatment than their masters. If they beat on me, they will certainly beat on you. If they did what I told them, they will do what you tell them.
21-25"They are going to do all these things to you because of the way they treated me, because they don't know the One who sent me. If I hadn't come and told them all this in plain language, it wouldn't be so bad. As it is, they have no excuse. Hate me, hate my Father—it's all the same. If I hadn't done what I have done among them, works no one has ever done, they wouldn't be to blame. But they saw the God-signs and hated anyway, both me and my Father. Interesting—they have verified the truth of their own Scriptures where it is written, 'They hated me for no good reason.'
26-27"When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comes—the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father—he will confirm everything about me. You, too, from your side must give your confirming evidence, since you are in this with me from the start."
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It's amazing that there is a church today, after all the ominous things Jesus said. Seems like the most logical thing to do would have been for the disciples to find a nice, peaceful house somewhere in the country and live out there days talking (very quietly) about the amazing things Jesus Christ did. They could have even built a small church to worship in, not bothering to invite the rest of the world, which was filled with hate and ready to kill them
Jesus sent them into a world of anger and hatred. How is our world the same? We do not risk our lives when we proclaim our faith in God, but what do we risk? How has the world changed? How is it the same? How does the Word of Jesus Christ form us into a community different from society, and how do we embark on the adventure of our faith together? We are risking our lives, investing our lives, in something far bigger than ourselves. This faith is the adventure of our lives.
Blessings
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