Note 71 at Jn. 15:22: Jesus was not saying that those who had rejected Him had no sin. The scriptures say, "All have sinned . . ." (Rom. 3:23); and "there is none righteous, no, not one . . ." (Rom. 3:10). This very verse shows that Jesus didn't cause them to sin but simply removed the cloak they were hiding their sin behind.

In the previous verse, Jesus said they didn't know the Father. In the following verse, He says, "He that hateth me hateth my Father also." The Jews, of which He was speaking, already had the sin of unbelief in their hearts, but they were covering it over with their pious acts. When Jesus came revealing the sins of the heart, their cover was blown and their sin appeared in their hatred and rejection of Jesus.

Jesus was saying these things in reference to persecution and as He went on to say in verse 25, this persecution came through no fault of His. The purpose of these statements was to warn His disciples against feeling guilty or condemned when persecution came. The Word strips people of the disguises they have been hiding their sins behind and persecution is a natural result.