After telling his disciples that they should love one another, Jesus began preparing them in John 15:18-16:11 to be hated by the world. Even so, he sent them out to be witnesses for him, but not on their own. He also promised to send the Holy Spirit to be the witness who would convince the world about the truth of the gospel.
Jesus demonstrated true greatness by taking the place of a servant in his life and in his death.
As David’s covenant with David held firm through difficult times, so God’s covenant with us keeps us throughout our lives.
A depressingly common theme that runs through human history is the oppression of the poor by the rich. In the first century, Christians were...