before going to the cross, he prepared them for their future witness in the world by reminding them of the opposition they would face (John 15:18–25). It’s not that Jesus was sadistic, but the spiritual battle between light and darkness involves hardship, suffering, and a willingness to be considered on the “wrong side of history.” Jesus did come to inaugurate his kingdom, but what most in his day didn’t understand was that this kingdom comes in two phases. First, Jesus came to deliver His people