WARM-UP
“‘If the world hates you, understand it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.” — John 15:18-19
Coaching is sometimes filled with hate. Players hate the way you divvy out playing time. Parents hate how you treat their child. Fans hate your play calling. The officials hate your passionate response to their call. Athletic Directors hate your incessant requests for equipment or gym time.
Q: Have you ever been the object of someone’s hate? What were the circumstances surrounding that situation?
Q: How did you choose to respond? Why did you respond that way?
WORKOUT
Competing Kingdoms
Jesus’ title is Christ, which is a Greek translation of the Hebrew term Messiah. Jesus comes claiming He is the long-awaited Messiah, God’s anointed King sent to rescue His people by defeating their enemies and freeing them from exile. Jesus comes proclaiming in word and deed that He is bringing God’s Kingdom.
But God’s Kingdom does not co-exist with rival kings or kingdoms. So, to accept its coming is a pledge of sole allegiance to God and to reject its coming results in direct opposition to God. Jesus enters a world of competing kingdoms, with various factions jockeying for power and control under the auspices of the most powerful empire to exist up to that point in history, the Romans.
Jesus knows these earthly powers are animated by a more sinister, other-worldly power that He refers to as the enemy, Satan. Satan is the primary agent of chaos, destruction and death which animates all worldly kingdoms. Jesus also knows that His purpose is not to do battle with temporary, worldly kingdoms. He knows the final showdown will be to defeat and disarm the enemy. His victory over sin, evil and death will provide the ultimate defeat of Satan and every earthy kingdom aligned with him.
However, Jesus also knows that those who pledge allegiance to Him and God’s Kingdom will be thrust into the midst of this age-old conflict.
Commitment to Resistance
Jesus tells His disciples that they are “not of this world.” Important to note is the word for world does not denote the physical planet or our physical embodied existence. Jesus and the New Testament use the term “this world” to refer to the systems of sin and evil which operate in league with Satan to bring chaos, death and destruction. When Jesus says they are not “of this world,” He is saying the source of their identity, values and worth do not come from the evil worldly system, rather, for His disciples, the source of those things are found in Him under His rule and reign.
Having being chosen out of the world, they are now in opposition to the world. In following Jesus, we too have joined this resistance movement. In opposition and resistance to the dark forces of evil, we seek to join Jesus’ work of liberating people from their captivity to evil. We should not be surprised or alarmed when our commitment to speak and enact the loving truth of the Gospel is met with hate and resistance.
WRAP-UP
We are proven as disciples through our commitment to opposing evil and working to free others from it.
Jesus came to defeat the enemy, Satan.
Satan fights against God’s Kingdom
If we are connected to Jesus, we too are part of the resistance movement against the enemy.
Key Action
Identify one specific area in your coaching where you are being called to loving resistance against the world. What is your strategy to faithfully follow Jesus in this area?