Why Do Some People Hate Jesus?

Do you hate anyone tonight? Are you currently fighting with a loved one or a friend? Is there a person in your life that you used to be really close to, but now you are mortal enemies? Who do you hate tonight? Is there someone that you hate with a passion?

The Bible says that God sees hate as the same thing as murder (1 John 3:15) and He also considers anger without cause as murder (Matthew 5:22). So hating someone really is very serious. But the thing that really causes me to pause is why do people hate Jesus? Some people really, really hate Jesus. Why? Why do some people hate Jesus? I can stand here all night long and say “Buddha, Buddha, Buddha, Buddha, Buddha” and I doubt that anyone would bat an eye. I can say “Muhammad, Muhammad, Muhammad, Muhammad” and as long as I don’t draw a picture of him, no one will care, not even a Muslim. You can say the name of any leader of a world religion and most people won’t even pay attention to you.

I can even say God and most people won’t think twice about it. You see, many, many people have made a god in their own mind that allows them to live their life exactly like they want to live it – even if it is contrary to God and His Word, so they have no problem with the name God. But when you say the name of Jesus; the precious name of Jesus, the wonderful name of Jesus, some people go absolutely berserk. They go out of their mind – crazy. You’d think that you just stabbed them with a knife or something.

I was visiting family last week in Northern Michigan and one day we went to Sault Ste Marie in the Upper Peninsula. We were about a block from the locks there where an arts and crafts fair going on. The crowd was small, but I felt compelled to share the Gospel there on the courthouse grounds by doing this – lifting up the name of Jesus in the open-air. I mentioned Jesus and an older gentlemen put his hand up and threw it by his side and said something like “puuuhhh.” Then later I mentioned that Jesus shed His blood for guilty sinners and the man came and stood in front of me for a few minutes. I could tell that he wanted to heckle me, but he never did. Then I said that Jesus is the only way of salvation; that He is the only Savior and this older man stuck his fingers in his ears (just like a little kid might do) and walked away saying “la, la, la, la, la.”

Why is it that Jesus evokes such emotions from some people? What is it about that name? His name brings out such strong emotions because He is LORD! He is Lord not because you make Him Lord, He is already Lord. God made Him Lord. He is Lord and some people don’t want to acknowledge that. They think that they are on the throne of their own lives. But He is Lord. He is sitting at the right hand of God the Father because He is Lord (Ephesians 1:20-22).

Jesus defeated sin, death, Hell and Satan when He lived a perfect life 2,000 years ago; willingly laid down His life for guilty sinners like you and me; was crucified, dead and buried and rose victoriously from the grave. That’s why He is Lord. He is God the Son. He was God in the flesh and He is victorious and He now sits at God’s right hand and will do so until all of His enemies are put under His feet (Matthew 22:44). Are you His enemy tonight?

Jesus told us not to be surprised when people hate His followers, because they hated Him first. He also said that you are either for Him or against Him. You either love Him, truly love Him, the One True Jesus of the Bible or you hate Him. There is no in between. Some people hate Jesus because He is the light of the world and men love darkness rather than the light because their deeds are evil. Jesus said that the Gospel will be divisive. He said that it will set family members against other family members. He was very exclusive. He said that He is the only way of salvation; there is no other. He also said that He is God – that He and God the Father are one.

The founders of the major man-made religions are dead and their bodies are in their graves. Their spirits are burning in Hell right now, but their physical, decayed bodies are in the grave. You can visit Jesus’ tomb in Jerusalem, but you will not see His body. He isn’t there. Remember, I mentioned earlier that He is sitting at the right hand of God the Father. That’s what separates Christianity from all man-made world religions. When Jesus walked this earth, He was God in the flesh and He is risen.

He left His throne in Heaven 2,000 years ago to make a way of escape for us sinful human beings because we have all rebelled against God. We have all sinned against God. None of us are righteous on our own. Don’t think that our sinfulness somehow caught God off guard. Jesus shedding His innocent blood on that cruel cross was God’s plan from before the foundation of the world.

So the question really isn’t: “Why do some people hate Jesus?” The question really is: “Do you still hate Jesus?” Everyone that loves the darkness, in other words everyone that loves their sin, hates the light (John 3:19). They hate Jesus. Do you love your sins tonight? If so, then you hate Jesus. Have you surrendered your life to Him? If not, then you hate Jesus. Do you deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Him? If not, then you hate Jesus. If you are here tonight and profess to be a Christian, do you tell others about the Gospel? If not, then you are being disobedient to Him. Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).

If you profess to be a Christian and you never share your faith in Christ with others then you really need to examine yourself and see if you are in the faith. Jesus said that we will know His disciples by their fruit, in other words, by their works. Your works do not save you, but you do kingdom work when you are truly saved. When you have life everlasting, why wouldn’t you share that with others?

Do you love your neighbor as you love yourself? Do you care for the sick, visit prisoners, feed the hungry or buy clothes for those in need? Do you do any of these things in Jesus’ name? When you are truly saved, then you are so grateful for your salvation that you want to tell others about Jesus. You are so thankful that you now have eternal life that you must tell others the Good News; that they too can be saved!

You can ignore our pleas tonight to come to Jesus and you can hate Him your whole life. But it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Judgment Day is coming and every person will stand before Jesus on that day and you will have absolutely no excuse for rejecting the One and only Savior. You will be defenseless when you kneel before the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Your mouth will be stopped. You won’t be cussing Him out and you won’t be mocking and scoffing Him on that dreadful day.

You will be without excuse and He will remind you of every single sin that you have ever committed during your whole life. Every single one. You will be embarrassed and ashamed. Everyone will be watching you as Jesus opens up the books and you are found lacking. Every time you mocked and scoffed at His glorious name will be brought to your attention. Every time you’ve ever lied, stolen, used God’s name as a curse word, lusted, put anything before God, will be revealed for all to see.

You will hang your head in shame and you will bow your knee and confess with your tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord. The very one you hated your whole life. The very one that offered you everlasting life, the very one that paid your sin debt for you in full, but you foolishly rejected. You will bow to Him and finally, finally acknowledge that He is Lord. But it will be too late for you. Your eternal destination will already be set. Don’t believe me? Read the Bible! Revelation 21:8 says that the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.

Jesus haters, please listen up, I’m talking to you. Your eternal destiny will already be set if you continue hating Jesus to the very end. If you die as an unrepentant sinner, then you will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone on Judgment Day. It’s right there in God’s Word and Jesus said that these things will come to pass.

Hell is no place that you want to go to. Jesus said that it’s a place where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. It is a place of everlasting torment. It never ends and the physical and mental pain never ends. You will never get a moment’s break. It is a place of unimaginable pain and torment. Don’t continue hating Jesus. Don’t continue selfishly living your life for yourself. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. Cry out for Him to save you. Stop hating Him and start hating the sins you now love. Repent and put your faith in Jesus. Surrender your life to Him.

Please stop hating Jesus tonight. Stop mocking and scoffing Him. Stop driving the nails into His hands. Stop ripping the flesh off His back with the cruel whip. Stop pressing the crown of thorns on His head. Stop rejecting the only One who can save you. Stop hating Him. Be born-again by submitting to His Lordship. Confess and forsake your sins. Be saved tonight. That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. For the scripture says, Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:9-11, 13)

Come out of the darkness and into the light. Submit to Jesus tonight and experience love like you’ve never known. It’s easy to love the One who paid your sin debt. It’s easy to love the one that wipes away all of your sins. But Jesus doesn’t just want your sins, He wants you – all of you. Surrender your life to Him tonight. Stop living for yourself. Stop being bound in bondage to sin. Stop being a servant to Satan. Turn away from your sins and put your trust in Jesus. Repent and believe the Gospel and be saved tonight. Stop hating Jesus and start loving Him; because He first loved you.

(This message was proclaimed on the square in downtown Springfield on August 15, 2014)