John 15:13-23

13 No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are My friends if you do what I command you.

15 I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn't know what his master ^[a] is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father.

16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

17 This is what I command you: love one another.

Persecutions Predicted

18 "If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you.

19 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.

20 Remember the word I spoke to you: 'A slave is not greater than his master.' ^[b] If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours.

21 But they will do all these things to you on account of My name, because they don't know the One who sent Me.

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin. ^[c] Now they have no excuse for their sin.

23 The one who hates Me also hates My Father.