I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
There is a lot that is hard to follow and understand in John 16. I can identify with the disciples when they say, “What does he mean…? We don’t understand what he is saying.” (16:18).
Basically Jesus is preparing His disciples for His arrest, crucifixion and death. They cannot grasp the thought of Jesus dying. It is not in their “theology.” They are waiting for Him to reveal Himself to the nation as Messiah and bring peace into the world. That’s why Judas (not Iscariot) asks in 14:22, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” Even though Jesus has told them on numerous occasions that He is going to die, it has still not registered in their minds. It is something that they do not want to believe, and so no matter how many times Jesus tells them, they simply do not get it. [That in itself should teach us a lot about human nature. If we don’t want to believe something, then no matter how many times we are told we will not accept it.]
Jesus last statement to the disciples on this fateful night comes in verse 33. I have told you these things… all these things about my going away, about the coming of the Holy Spirit, about being hated by the world, about remaining in me, about praying in my name, about loving one another…so that in me you may have peace… so that despite the sorrows, trials, and griefs in this world, you can still have an inner tranquility and confidence that there is a master plan and a Master Planner behind it all…in this world you will have trouble… don’t be surprised by it, expect it… But take heart! I have overcome the world… find your joy and hope not in the things of this world, not in a new government, not in financial security, not in the temporary pleasures of life, but in the fact that I am going to rise again and show forever that I am more powerful than sin, death, and anything this world can throw at you.
I needed the message of John 16:33 this morning. It is hard not to be affected by the things going on in the world…the war in Iraq, the failing economy, the sense that our country is in a moral tailspin…Jesus’ words are just as applicable today as they were 2000 years ago. In this world you will have trouble…but in Me you can have peace and joy and hope. The challenge is keeping my eyes on Jesus and not on the news.
Lord, thanks for the promise of Your peace. May You fill my heart with it today.