18 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'  

The name of Jesus is offensive to the world and is often used as a curse.  Why is that?  It's just a name, right?  The name of Jesus represents God coming to live among us and by suffering in place of us He makes our evil nature clear.  We don't want to need Him.  We don't want to need saving.  We want to pretend that our own efforts and being is good enough.  We want to be worthy of God without needing any cleaning up.  Jesus is Truth and Light and we don't want to hear it or see it.  Thank you Lord that you love us anyway.  Thank you that you died for us and are willing to save us even while we continue to sin.  There is no name on earth or in heaven that compares to Jesus.  Will you accept His name as Christian and whatever persecution comes with it.  Lord give us strength to be yours and make you proud.