I Have Problems

John 16

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

'I'm leaving you. Oh. And you will be excommunicated from you community and people will want to kill you.' These are among the things that Jesus shared with His disciples in order for them to have peace. As I sit down to write to you this evening I can't help but wonder how in the world this was supposed to be helpful. Normally when we are looking for encouragement we want to hear that everything is going to be okay. Yet our encouragement is wrapped up partially in the promise that we will have trouble in this world - and severe hardship at that.

Jesus has warned them in advance of things to come for the purpose of preparing them, and as discouraging as it may have sounded at the time, I can't help but think how utterly damaging it would have been had He promised them nothing but sunshine and rainbows. Imagine if you will, that you were told that life was going to turn out great for you. How then would you process your reality when you found yourself ostracized from your community with a bounty on your head? There are only two conclusions you could come to. 1. You were deceived. Or...2. Your Christ never saw it coming. In any event, your troubles would be debilitating since you've either been duped by a manipulative con, or sold out to a wanna-be fake god.

This was not the case for these men. They were soon kicked out of their religious community, and 10 of these men went on to die as martyrs for their allegiance to Christ. So His pre-emptive warning really would have emboldened them. They could trust Him. When they faced the flames or their own cross, what foresight He had! This was no swindler nor fraud, but The Messiah.

With that sort of foreknowledge, it would be reasonable to conclude that His other promises could be trusted. For example, He really has overcome the world. And if we are His, these trials won't last forever. For the believer, our troubles lose their permanence. We do have trouble in this world. Life is much easier for some people than others, but I know of no one who has found life to be without difficulty. Hardships accompany life and our God is a God who understands the messiness of it and calls it as it is.

The peace that He promises here isn't the kind of peace that the world tries to sell us. It would have us believe that we can find peace when we have enough money. Or maybe if we get a girl, then things will be fine. Or if you could just find more time to relax and get away to do the things you enjoy, like fishing or sitting on a sandy beach somewhere. That would be peaceful. Right? The peace that Jesus is offering is a security within the chaos. It is steadfastness within the storm, knowing we'll not only outlast the current thunder, but death itself.

They are the swindlers who try to sell us snake oil when they preach a god that will make you healthy and wealthy. If you're looking for a god like that, you aren't looking for the real God, not even a god who is based in reality. If we're seeking after all this world has to offer, then it isn't Jesus we are in fellowship with. God loves the world, yes, but it isn't the system of the world, rather the people He created that He sent His Son to rescue. This world is dying. Don't go down with it. Walk with The One who overcame it. Choose Christ.