Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus isn't just pointing out that hating him is wrong; he's revealing that rejecting him is an act of rejecting God Himself. When people hate Jesus, they are really rejecting the very nature and character of God as He has perfectly revealed it. This statement underlines the absolute unity between Jesus and the Father.
Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is explaining that the world's rejection of him is not a minor offense; it stems from a deep-seated, willful ignorance and hatred of God Himself. He argues that his presence and works among them have made their rejection inexcusable, demonstrating that their animosity is not due to a lack of understanding but a malicious opposition to God's revelation in him. Therefore, anyone who hates Jesus is effectively hating the Father who sent him.
Ever felt like you could love God but not Jesus? This verse shatters that idea. Jesus is making a profound statement here about the deep connection between Himself and the Father.
Jesus states directly, "Whoever hates me hates my Father also." This isn't just a casual observation; it's a core theological truth.
The Divine Union
Jesus and the Father are one (John 10:30). Their purposes, their nature, and their will are perfectly aligned. When Jesus came, He perfectly revealed the Father to humanity. He said, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). Therefore, to reject Jesus – to hate His message, His claims, or His very being – is to reject the very revelation of God that He brings.
Unveiling True Motives
This also highlights that the world's rejection of Jesus isn't just about a historical figure. It's about a deeper rebellion against God's character and authority as revealed in Christ. If someone claims to love God but rejects Jesus, their concept of God is likely flawed, or their love for God is not based on who God truly is.
Jesus explains why the world hates Him. It's not random hostility; it's a deep-seated issue tied to their understanding – or lack thereof – of God.
In the preceding verses (John 15:22), Jesus explained that if He hadn't come and spoken, the people would not have had sin. This doesn't mean they were innocent, but that their sin of rejecting Him now had no excuse.
Ask a follow-up
Seeing and Hating
Jesus followed up by saying, "now they have seen and hated both me and my Father" (John 15:24). The world has been confronted with the undeniable evidence of God's presence and power in Jesus' words and works. This direct encounter, instead of leading to faith, resulted in hatred. This reveals a willful blindness, a choice to reject the light even when it's shining brightly.
Unfounded Malice
Jesus even quotes Psalm 35:19, "They have hated me without a cause." This emphasizes that the hatred directed at Him (and by extension, the Father) is irrational and not based on any genuine fault or wrong on Jesus' part. It stems from a spiritual opposition to God's nature and plan.
Understand the original words
miseō · Greek Verb
Hate is a settled state of active hostility, antagonism, or deep-seated aversion. In the New Testament, it signifies the rejection of God's truth and the active opposition toward those who belong to Him.
This passage directly states that anyone who does not honor the Son also does not honor the Father who sent him, reinforcing the idea that rejecting Jesus is equivalent to rejecting God.
1 John 2:23This verse emphasizes that anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either, highlighting the inseparable connection between the Son and the Father's divine nature and identity.
Romans 1:30This verse lists 'hatred of God' as a characteristic of those who have turned away from Him, showing that the deep-seated rejection of God's truth, as seen in hating Jesus, is a fundamental aspect of human sinfulness.
Matthew 10:40Jesus told his disciples that whoever receives them receives him, and whoever receives him receives the one who sent him. This reciprocal relationship means that the rejection of his messengers is a rejection of him and, by extension, of God.
calvinJohn 15:22-27: "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin."
- If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23. He who hateth me hateth my Father also. 24. If I had not done among them the works which no other man did, they would not have had sin; but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25. But that the word may be fulfilled which is written in their la…
bengelJohn 15:23: "He that hateth me hateth my Father also."
John 15:23 . Μισῶν , he that hateth ) Love accompanies faith; hatred, unbelief: ch. John 3:18-19 .— καὶ , also ) Implying the enormity of that sin of theirs.
Jesus isn't just pointing out that hating him is wrong; he's revealing that rejecting him is an act of rejecting God Himself. When people hate Jesus, they are really rejecting the very nature and character of God as He has perfectly revealed it. This statement underlines the absolute unity between Jesus and the Father.
Jesus is explaining that the world's rejection of him is not a minor offense; it stems from a deep-seated, willful ignorance and hatred of God Himself. He argues that his presence and works among them have made their rejection inexcusable, demonstrating that their animosity is not due to a lack of understanding but a malicious opposition to God's revelation in him. Therefore, anyone who hates Jesus is effectively hating the Father who sent him.
Jesus is explaining that the world's rejection of him is not a minor offense; it stems from a deep-seated, willful ignorance and hatred of God Himself. He argues that his presence and works among them have made their rejection inexcusable, demonstrating that their animosity is not due to a lack of understanding but a malicious opposition to God's revelation in him. Therefore, anyone who hates Jesus is effectively hating the Father who sent him.
"Whoever hates me hates my Father also." — Jesus isn't just pointing out that hating him is wrong; he's revealing that rejecting him is an act of rejecting God Himself. When people hate Jesus, they are really rejecting the very nature and cha…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026