15 no more do I call you servants, because the servant hath not known what his lord doth, and you I have called friends, because all things that I heard from my Father, I did make known to you. 16 'Ye did not choose out me, but I chose out you, and did appoint you, that ye might go away, and might bear fruit, and your fruit might remain, that whatever ye may ask of the Father in my name, He may give you. 17 'These things I command you, that ye love one another;
18 if the world doth hate you, ye know that it hath hated me before you; 19 if of the world ye were, the world its own would have been loving, and because of the world ye are not—but I chose out of the world—because of this the world hateth you. 20 'Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his lord; if me they did persecute, you also they will persecute; if my word they did keep, yours also they will keep; 21 but all these things will they do to you, because of my name, because they have not known Him who sent me; 22 if I had not come and spoken to them, they were not having sin; but now pretext they have not for their sin. 23 'He who is hating me, doth hate also my Father; 24 if I did not do among them the works that no other hath done, they were not having sin, and now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father;
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 15:15-24
Commentary on John 15:9-17
(Read John 15:9-17)
Those whom God loves as a Father, may despise the hatred of all the world. As the Father loved Christ, who was most worthy, so he loved his disciples, who were unworthy. All that love the Saviour should continue in their love to him, and take all occasions to show it. The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment, but the joy of those who abide in Christ's love is a continual feast. They are to show their love to him by keeping his commandments. If the same power that first shed abroad the love of Christ's in our hearts, did not keep us in that love, we should not long abide in it. Christ's love to us should direct us to love each other. He speaks as about to give many things in charge, yet names this only; it includes many duties.
Commentary on John 15:18-25
(Read John 15:18-25)
How little do many persons think, that in opposing the doctrine of Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, they prove themselves ignorant of the one living and true God, whom they profess to worship! The name into which Christ's disciples were baptized, is that which they will live and die by. It is a comfort to the greatest sufferers, if they suffer for Christ's name's sake. The world's ignorance is the true cause of its hatred to the disciples of Jesus. The clearer and fuller the discoveries of the grace and truth of Christ, the greater is our sin if we do not love him and believe in him.