"I have said these things to you that in me you might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world" John 16:33.
Note these 4 things:
- PEACE: Jesus told his disciples that his goal in teaching them during this last fellowship meal was their peace. Peace comes from Jesus' Word. What kinds of things did Jesus teach them during this time in the upper room? Things like: serve one another as I have served you; I am the way, the truth, and the life; I am the way to the Father; I am going to prepare a place for you and I'll return to take you there; I will send the Comforter to take my place and He will be with you forever; I am the True Vine, your life is in me...abide in Me; the world will hate you; learn to ask in My name and the Father will answer your prayers for His glory, etc. Now if we listen to this teaching of Jesus, WHAT ELSE can we have but PEACE? Peace is the inner assurance that all is well because all is under the control of our good God. Jesus has it under control, even when it looks like it is all coming undone. So...we need to abide in His Word (John 15:7) so that His overcoming promises to us will be fresh in our minds and in the place to have a controlling influence when pressure mounts.
- PRESSURE: Yes, Jesus also promised this. "In the world you WILL have tribulation" John 16:33. "Tribulation" means to crush, press, compress, squeeze and in this context means trouble and affliction. How the squeeze comes is Jesus' sovereign choice. What the squeeze accomplishes is wondrous: His glory, my godliness (Romans 5:3-5), greater hope, a shining forth of the light of the gospel to those around us, and the exposure of the false hopes and gods of this world. Another wonder is WHY we never seem to get the fact that tribulation is a part of following Jesus in this world and why we resent and question and fight against it when it does come from our Lord's good hands. Jesus is telling us: "Be ready for it. It will find you as surely as it is finding me. But DO NOT despair, I have designed this pressure to produce the kind of good that can never come from ease and comfort."
- COURAGE: Jesus tells us, "Take heart." That is, "Be courageous." or "Be bold." Note: this is in the imperative...i.e. it is a COMMAND! Jesus commands us to be bold in the face of the pressure and affliction of this world. He commands us to be courageous in the face of danger and the threat of harm, lack, confusion, and the rage of His enemies. Since this is a command, it is ALWAYS possible to obey. But HOW can the likes of you and me face the likes of a raging devil and his demons with their millenia old storehouses of strategies to tempt and cause unbelief and distraction? The Answer...
- The CONQUEROR: Praise God that Jesus finishes with, "I have overcome the world." The Greek word for this is nikao, and it means to "be victorious, prevail...to overcome, to conquer...spoken of Jesus and His followers as victorious over the world, evil, and all the adversaries of His kingdom" (Complete Word Study Bible). This is why being courageous in the face of anything and everything makes sense. This is why it is possible. This is no positive thinking. This is application of FINISHED WORK. As Jesus suffered for sin on the cross, the Father "disarmed the rulers and authorities" and completely triumphed over them. (Colossians 2:15). Being courageous is simply aligning ourselves with the reality of what Christ has done. He IS the Conqueror!! And in Him we are MORE than conquerors (Romans 8:37).
May we CHOOSE to have peace because of His Words of hope and promise and may we stand and act courageously because He is the Conqueror...period.
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