Their sin is not merely a lack of belief, but a willful hatred that has been provoked and made inexcusable by the undeniable, unique divine works Jesus performed. This highlights that for some, seeing truth only hardens their hearts against it, revealing a deep-seated rebellion against both Jesus and the Father.
If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus explains that the Jews' rejection of him is inexcusable because they've witnessed his unique miracles, which were clear evidence of his divine mission and nature, even more so than the works of Moses or the prophets. Having seen these undeniable signs and heard his words, their decision to hate both him and the Father who sent him seals their guilt.
Jesus points to his 'works' as undeniable evidence. What made them so unique, and why did they expose the people's sin?
Jesus here highlights the unique nature of his miracles. It wasn't just that he healed the sick or fed the hungry – many before him, like Elijah and Elisha, had performed incredible deeds. The difference was how Jesus did them.
Divine Authority
He didn't pray to God to empower him; he acted with his own divine authority. When he healed the man born blind (John 9), or raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11), it was with a word, a command. He didn't act as a mere messenger of God, but as God Himself.
Unique Miracles
Some of his works were unprecedented. Giving sight to someone born blind was something no one in their history had ever witnessed. Multiplying loaves and fish on such a scale was also beyond anything seen before. These weren't just 'works'; they were divine endorsements, leaving the people without excuse.
The people saw Jesus's divine works, yet they hated him and the Father. This wasn't ignorance; it was a deliberate choice.
Jesus drives home a crucial point: their sin wasn't due to a lack of evidence. They saw his works, and through those works, they could have seen and understood who Jesus was – the Son of God – and by extension, they could have understood the Father.
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Light Turned to Darkness
It's one thing to be in darkness, but it's another to reject the light when it shines directly on you. The works Jesus performed were like blindingly bright spotlights, illuminating his divine identity and the very nature of God.
The Height of Rebellion
Their response? Hatred. This wasn't a passive ignorance; it was an active, malicious rejection of the divine truth laid bare before them. By hating Jesus, they were unequivocally hating the Father who sent him. This makes their sin inexcusable and profoundly serious.
Understand the original words
ergon · Greek Noun
In the Fourth Gospel, 'works' refer to the miraculous signs and mighty deeds performed by Jesus. These acts are intended to validate His identity, reveal the power of God, and provide irrefutable evidence of His divine mission.
nomos · Greek Noun
Refers to the sacred scriptures of the Old Testament, which provide the authoritative moral and prophetic foundation for Israel. For Jesus, the Law is a divinely inspired witness that points toward His own life and ministry.
plēroō · Greek Verb
To fulfill is to complete or bring to its intended realization what was spoken by God through the prophets. The events of Jesus' life are not accidents but the purposeful actualization of the divine plan revealed in Scripture.
dōrean · Greek Adverb/Adjective
This phrase implies acting without a legitimate, rational, or moral justification. It signifies that the hostility directed toward Christ is entirely groundless, highlighting the irrationality and sheer wickedness of the rejection of God.
This verse highlights the profound responsibility that comes with witnessing God's direct intervention. Jesus' unparalleled miracles were not merely displays of power, but undeniable evidence of His divine identity and mission, making the rejection of Him and His Father a sin of profound rebellion, not ignorance.
~750 BC
Prophets Foretell Messiah
Major prophets like Isaiah begin to foretell the coming of a Messiah who will suffer and save His people, establishing a theological framework for anticipating God's intervention.
~4 BC
Birth of Jesus
Jesus is born in Bethlehem, the beginning of the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies, though His divine nature and mission are not yet widely recognized.
c. AD 28-30
Jesus' Public Ministry Begins
Jesus begins His public ministry, teaching, and performing numerous miracles across Galilee and Judea, demonstrating His divine authority in ways never seen before.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus Performs Unprecedented Miracles
Jesus heals the sick, raises the dead, and demonstrates power over nature, performing works no other human had ever accomplished, as described in John 15:24.
c. AD 33
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus is crucified and then resurrected, the ultimate act of salvation and proof of His divine identity, yet many who witnessed His miracles still reject Him.
c. AD 40s-60s
Apostles Spread the Gospel
The apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, begin to preach about Jesus, His miracles, and His resurrection, testifying to a world that had largely rejected Him.
This passage emphasizes Jesus' own testimony about the 'works' the Father gave Him to accomplish, which themselves bear witness that the Father sent Him. It directly supports John 15:24's claim that Jesus' unique works were undeniable evidence of His divine mission.
John 9:32Jesus here states, 'Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.' This directly parallels John 15:24's point about Jesus performing 'works that no one else did,' specifically highlighting the unprecedented nature of His miracles.
Psalm 35:19John 15:24 explicitly quotes this Psalm ('They hated me without a cause') and applies it to Jesus' situation. This shows that the irrational hatred Jesus faced, despite His works, was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
John 14:9-10Jesus tells Philip that whoever has seen Him has seen the Father, and that the Father abiding in Him does His works. This reinforces the connection made in John 15:24 between Jesus' works and the Father, showing that hating Jesus' works was to hate both.
Acts 10:38This passage describes God anointing Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power, and how Jesus 'went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.' It highlights the nature of Jesus' works as acts of divine power, corroborating the idea in John 15:24 that these works were extraordinary and undeniable.
cambridgeJohn 15:24: "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father."
24 . the works ] If they did not see that His words were Divine they might at least have seen that His works were such. Comp. John 10:38 , John 14:11 , John 5:36 . Here again their sin was against light; for they admitted the works ( John 11:47 ). which none other man did ] Comp. John 9:32 . seen … my Father ] Comp. John 14:9-10 .
jfbJohn 15:24: "If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father."
- If I had not done … the works which none other … did—(See on [1862]Joh 12:37).
Their sin is not merely a lack of belief, but a willful hatred that has been provoked and made inexcusable by the undeniable, unique divine works Jesus performed. This highlights that for some, seeing truth only hardens their hearts against it, revealing a deep-seated rebellion against both Jesus and the Father.
Jesus explains that the Jews' rejection of him is inexcusable because they've witnessed his unique miracles, which were clear evidence of his divine mission and nature, even more so than the works of Moses or the prophets. Having seen these undeniable signs and heard his words, their decision to hate both him and the Father who sent him seals their guilt.
Jesus explains that the Jews' rejection of him is inexcusable because they've witnessed his unique miracles, which were clear evidence of his divine mission and nature, even more so than the works of Moses or the prophets. Having seen these undeniable signs and heard his words, their decision to hate both him and the Father who sent him seals their guilt.
"If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cau…" — Their sin is not merely a lack of belief, but a willful hatred that has been provoked and made inexcusable by the undeniable, unique divine works Jesus performed. This highlights that for some, seein…
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Last reviewed October 2026
