The Lord was different from other men, He was sinless, He made no mistakes, He never failed. He spoke the truth without fear or favor, Though always in love. He refused to compromise with moral evil, doctrinal error, and personal hypocrisy. He exposed the corruption and decay of the establishment. He taught in a memorable and pungent fashion exposing the incompetence and pointless erroneous beliefs of the authorized doctors of the law – so they hated Him.
John 15:18-20 reminds us that if we follow Christ, the world will hate us also. The World in this context refers to the evil, fallen world system comprised of unregenerate people and controlled by Satan. If we are different as He was different, the world will hate us too. Because Satan hates God, he also hates the true people of God. Though believers live in the world, they are to stand apart from it as an indictment of it. It is the Holy Spirit of God that gives us the desire and ability to do that. The empowerment of the Spirit enables us to mentally live in this world, without becoming overwhelmed by the reaction of the world to our lives. Don’t be afraid, of what may come, for God will give the ability to serve through it.