Hatred Without Reason

Old Testament prophecy fulfilled by Jesus:

He would be hated without reason.

Do some people hate others? Yes. But usually there is some sort of reason for their feelings. Someone did something or said something that hurt them.  

Many people hated Jesus. Yet He was without sin. He did nothing to hurt others as He was sinless perfection incarnate. He said nothing but Truth-which sometimes revealed sin in the hearts of the people.

They hated Him for it. Which fulfilled Old Testament prophecy.

About a thousand years before Jesus was born, God gave King David prophetic words that applied both to himself, and to his descendant, Jesus:

“Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those who hate me for no reason wink maliciously.” Psalm 35:19

“Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head;
Those who would destroy me are powerful, those who oppose me with lies.” Psalm 69:4 (A)

How do I know these words from David applied to Jesus? Because He said so. The enemies of Jesus hated Him. They looked for a way to get rid of Him permanently. The night Jesus was arrested-the night of the Lord’s supper-Jesus prepared His followers. He told them that if His enemies hated Him-they would hate His people. That if His enemies persecuted Him, they would persecute His people. Jesus explained that those who hated Him, also hated God His father.

Jesus told them, “The one who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. But this has happened so that the word that is written in their Law will be fulfilled: ‘They hated Me for no reason.’” John 15:23-25

Even as Jesus was saying these things to His followers, those that hated Him without reason were making plans to arrest Him.

Carla Killough McClafferty