John 16:17-33
17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
31 “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. 32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
33 “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.” [1]
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The last verse of this passage is one to take to heart and memorize. Jesus is speaking in the short term of his departure from the disciples, but these words are true for all of his followers and are true for our lives today.
Jesus doesn’t promise us a life of happiness, comfort and ease. For some reason, many Christians seem to expect that from God. And when they don’t experience these things, they think that Jesus has let them down, and failed at His job.
What Jesus has promised is that there will be trouble, suffering and difficulty. He has told us that following Him is like taking up a cross. He has assured us that just as He was hated and opposed, so also will those who follow Him be hated and opposed.
Doesn’t sound like a good sales pitch to be a follower. But that is not the extent of His message. He promises peace for His followers based on the truth that He has “overcome the world.” He speaks of his coming death and resurrection and the victory of the new creation. That new creation victory will begin with His resurrection. It will be celebrated and made manifest in the lives of His followers as they trust and follow Jesus. And it will be consummated in the resurrection when He reappears in glory.
In the middle of the troubles in our lives and in our world, Jesus offers us His peace, founded on His victory. We have peace knowing that the troubles don’t get the last word. Jesus does. All praise be to Him
Lord Jesus, give me faith to find peace in the reality of Your victory, and the hope of the resurrection in You.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 16:17–33). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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