John 15:20

Remember See note on John 13:16: of the passages noticed there Matthew 10:24 is similar in meaning to this. Christ may here be alluding to the occasion recorded in Matthew 10:24. On the blessedness of sharing the lot of Christ comp. 1 Peter 4:12-13.

if they have kept my saying, they will keep Better, If they kept (comp. John 13:14; John 18:23) My word, they will keep. -Keep" must not be exchanged for -watch, lay wait for," in a hostile sense; as if both halves of the verse were alike instead of being opposed. The phrase -keep the word (or words)" of any one is frequent in this Gospel (John 8:51-52; John 8:55; John 14:23-24; John 17:6); always in the sense of the parallel phrase -keep my commandments" (John 14:15; John 14:21; John 15:10). Both phrases form a link not only between the Gospel and the First Epistle (John 2:3-5; John 3:22; John 3:24; John 5:2-3), but also between these two and the Apocalypse (Revelation 3:8; Revelation 3:10; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12; Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:9). Comp. John 9:16; Revelation 1:3; Revelation 2:26; Revelation 3:3. (See on John 11:44; John 19:37; John 20:16). All these passages shew that it is impossible to take -keep" in a hostile sense. The phrase -to keep the word" of any one occurs in S. John's writings only. -To keep the commandments (or commandment)" occurs elsewhere only Matthew 19:17 (comp. Matthew 28:20) and 1 Timothy 6:14. The meaning of the verse as a whole is that both in failure and in success they will share His lot. For the construction comp. John 13:14; John 18:23.