Single lesson
Faithfulness when Following Jesus Is Difficult
John 15:18–16:4
Jesus warns his disciples that following him can bring hatred, exclusion and even deadly violence. He tells them this beforehand so they will not be caused to stumble, and so they will remember his words when those times come.
Before you teach
In this part of Jesus’ teaching to his disciples, he explains why the world hates his followers, how that hatred is tied to rejection of him and the Father, and how the Spirit of truth will testify about him. He also says he has told them these things in advance for their sake.
Students will identify Jesus’ warning about persecution, explain how it is connected to rejection of Jesus and the Father, and name two supports for faithful witness found in the passage.
Welcome: Listen for Jesus’ purpose
5 minIntroduce the lesson by telling students this passage is a warning spoken by Jesus to his disciples. Ask them to listen for why Jesus says these hard things out loud. Write two phrases on the board after reading: ‘wouldn’t be caused to stumble’ and ‘you may remember’. Explain that these are Jesus’ own stated purposes for the warning.
John 16:1, John 16:4
Read and explain: Why opposition comes
9 minRead John 15:18-21 aloud. Explain that Jesus says the world hated him before it hated his disciples. He says they are not of the world because he chose them out of the world. Then he reminds them, ‘A servant is not greater than his lord’, so those who persecuted him may also persecute them for his name’s sake.
John 15:18, John 15:19, John 15:20, John 15:21
Discuss: What rejection of Jesus means
10 minRead John 15:22-25 and John 16:2-3 carefully and soberly. Guide students to notice that Jesus speaks of his words, his works and the people’s response. He says hatred of him is also hatred of the Father, and he warns of exclusion and killing done by people who think they serve God, yet do not know the Father or Jesus.
John 15:22, John 15:23, John 15:24, John 15:25, John 16:2, John 16:3
Make and respond: Warning and witness card
10 minRead John 15:26-27 and John 16:4. Explain that Jesus does not only warn. He says the Counselor, the Spirit of truth, will testify about him, and the disciples will also testify. Students then make a small reminder card using one exact phrase from the passage and add one sentence explaining whether it shows warning, reason, help or remembrance.
John 15:26, John 15:27, John 16:4
Closing: Review what Jesus wanted them to remember
6 minBring the class back together and ask for two or three brief summaries using the words of the passage. Review that Jesus told these things so his disciples would not be caused to stumble and so they would remember when the time came. Finish by inviting students to hold up their cards and quietly reread their chosen phrase.
John 16:1, John 16:4, John 15:20, John 15:26
Questions to explore
Why does Jesus say his disciples should expect hatred or persecution?
Look for what happened to Jesus first and for the saying about a servant and his lord.
John 15:18, John 15:20
What does this passage say is true when someone hates Jesus?
Trace the link Jesus makes between himself and the Father, and notice what he says people had already received from him.
John 15:22, John 15:23, John 15:24
What two supports does Jesus give his disciples in this passage when hard times come?
One support is the Spirit of truth who will testify about Jesus, and the other is Jesus’ warning given beforehand so they may remember.
John 15:26, John 15:27, John 16:1, John 16:4
Make, think or respond
Warning and Witness Reminder Card
What you’ll need
- Card or plain paper
- Pens or pencils
- Coloured pencils or markers
- Bible text copy
Try it together
- Choose one exact short phrase from the passage, such as ‘A servant is not greater than his lord’ or ‘you may remember that I told you’.
- Write the phrase on the front of a card with its verse reference.
- On the back, write one sentence explaining whether the phrase is a warning, a reason for opposition, a help for testimony, or a reminder to remember Jesus’ words.
- Share the card with a partner and check that the explanation matches the verse.
- Keep the card somewhere visible for the week and reread the verse once each day.
This activity keeps students close to the wording of the passage and helps them identify how Jesus prepares his disciples through warning, testimony and remembrance.
Adapt for your group
- For students who find the theme heavy, let them work mainly with John 15:26-27 and John 16:4, while the teacher gives a brief careful summary of John 16:2-3.
- For stronger readers, ask them to sort phrases from the passage under three headings: opposition, reason and help, and support each choice from the verses.
An optional closing prayer
'Lord Jesus, thank you for telling your disciples the truth. Please help us remember your words, understand this passage carefully, and speak truthfully about you.'
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
John 15
18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
21 But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
23 He who hates me, hates my Father also.
24 If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father.
25 But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’
26 “When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.
27 You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
John 16
1 “I have said these things to you so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble.
2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.
3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father nor me.
4 But I have told you these things so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.