John 16: 33 In Jesus you may have peace
We can find peace in our lives through the Lord Jesus Christ. However, we are warned in verse 33 of John chapter 16 that we may face tribulation, but Jesus tells us to stay positive in our thoughts as he has overcome the world.
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.”
The pressures of the world
Most people will feel the pressures of the world. This is what it means when it says in verse 33 “In the world you will have tribulation”. The word “tribulation” in the original Greek is “thlipsis” which means literally “pressure”. Those who are disciples of Jesus will suffer from this pressure of the world as they are concerned more with spiritual values than with the actual physical situation they find themselves in. Therefore, it is comforting when the Lord says that in the world you shall have pressure but stay positive as he overcame the world.
The tribulation of Paul and Barnabas
In the first century, the man Saul changed his way of thinking and eventually accepted the Lord God and was converted. To signify this change, his new name was Paul. He is introduced as one of the selected brethren in Antioch, and is appointed to partner Barnabas for specific tasks, but ultimately assumes the prominent position of God’s appointed apostle to the Gentiles.
Paul preaching in Antioch of Pisidia demonstrated the violent reaction of those around him that Paul often received for teaching about the Bible. But this did not stop him and he defiantly continued to faithfully perform the work of God. Paul and Barnabas had a lot of success in Antioch and this made some of Jews envious. Paul turned to the Gentiles and many of the Gentiles were glad for the offer of eternal life. As a result, the chief Jewish men of the city jealousy caused them to expel Paul and Barnabas from the city.
They moved on to Iconium where a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. But once again they were threatened by both Jews and Gentiles and this leads them to fleeing from the city.
The next town was Lystra. Here he healed a crippled man but the people mistakenly saw Paul and Barnabas as gods and wanted to worship them. Paul pointed out they were not gods but men who brought good news relating to Jesus. What happened next is recorded in Acts chapter 14 and verses 19 to 23.
But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Paul once again had been persecuted in that he had been stoned and was severely injured, yet he continued on with his purpose. There is some sense of relief for Paul and Barnabas as they meet some who heard the message they were teaching and wanted to rejoice in the fellowship of people with a similar way of thinking.
Verse 22 in the passage above has been highlighted as it is relevant to the verse we are considering in this article. In a similar way to John chapter 16 and verse 33, we will face tribulations in life yet we must endure and “continue in the faith”. Paul was an example of someone who went through tribulations including being stoned yet this did not stop him in his single minded goal of telling the Jews and Gentiles the good news of the coming of Christ.
Continue in the Faith
In verse 22 of Acts chapter 14 (above), Paul says they must continue in the faith. Merely knowing “the faith” and accepting “the faith” will not, on its own, help someone to enter the kingdom. It is necessary to “continue in the faith”. The word “continue” in verse 22 occurs in three other passages (Acts 28:30; Gal. 3:10; Heb. 8:9). In Hebrews 8:9, it is related to the fact that Israel failed to “continue” in the covenant they had adopted, and because of this God said he had no concern for them.
It is used with equal force in Galatians 3:10 where it is clear that Paul felt a strong sense of responsibility to encourage the brethren to maintain their hold on the purity of the Truth; not merely in intellectual understanding, but in their way of life. They must not deviate; they must not allow themselves to be diverted from the way, either mentally or morally. Paul and Barnabas appealed to the brethren to become deeply affected by every consideration of influence to remain steadfast in the faith, unwavering in their loyalty to their Lord and King.
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16)
This is the answer of what we must do when we face tribulation. It means resolutely holding onto your faith and maintaining their way of life. If we are not overcome by life’s challenges then there is the promised blessing of the entry into the kingdom of God.
strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22)
A sense of gratitude
ONE of David’s greatest qualities was his gratitude towards God. It helped to shape his character, to become “a man after God’s own heart”. Even when he was engulfed by trials and persecutions he praised God continuously. Have a look at Psalm 100 for an example of this.
Life challenges us with situations that contribute to our spiritual growth. An old master in the art of making violins always used wood from the north side of the tree for his instruments. He found that the wood which had stood the force of the cold fierce wind, icy snow and raging storms, gave a finer tone to the violin and produced sweeter music.
As it says in Acts 14 and verse 22, life will have its challenges but there will also be promised blessings. If we have committed ourselves to God then no matter what the problems we have more reasons than any other human beings to be thankful to our heavenly Father. We should experience joy when things go wrong as well as when they are going right for us.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (James 1:2-3)
As we saw above, Paul perhaps suffered more than any other disciple of Christ. Yet, despite this, his letters are full of gratitude and thanksgiving. He states very clearly in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 that we should “Rejoice always”. We cannot possibly rejoice if we keep complaining and counting our misfortunes. Our attitude is wrong if we forget the will of God.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Rejoicing, prayer, the giving of thanks, is commanded by God.
Conflicts for the believer
In the verse we are considering, John 16:33 it talks of there being tribulation for the believer. Jesus had spoken about a similar thing in the previous chapter of John:
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. (John 15:18)
In these two verses, Jesus warns his disciples that the fundamental dislike that exists between God and the community of God on the one hand, and the world on the other, will from time to time lead to antagonism of the world to the Christian community, even to the extent of persecution.
The life of a Christian involves a turning away from the world and its standards and dedicating his/her loyalties to God alone. It must result in painful conflicts from time to time between the Christian and his environment. His domestic and social environment could clash with his religious environment. It is important to emphasise that these conflicts are not sought by the Christian. The Christian is taught by his Lord to live at peace with all men, obeying the powers that be and praying for those who are set in authority over him. And so, from time to time, there will be conflicts, for the world loves its own and will not tolerate a way of life so incompatible with its own natural and normal interests.
The reward
A reward was promised to those who conquer, who overcome, who endure to the end.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Matt.24:13
As we saw in the verse we are considering (John 16:33), in the world the disciple of Christ might have tribulation but the promise to them came from the One who had overcome the world.
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.”
The believer can overcome as his Lord conquered. If he/she overcomes there will be a reward. That reward will be the granting of immortality, the promise that the victor’s life will be lived in bodies free from every human disability. It is difficult for us to visualise a life that knows no end but when this is associated with freedom from every human disability we are attempting to use human language to express ideas for which it is inadequate.
It will help if we think of Jesus. He was subject to disabilities similar to those experienced by his followers. The Lord suffered hunger, pain, fatigue and death. The apostles were his companions in that life and then, for 40 days, they saw him alive, freed for ever from all such disabilities. The Lord Jesus fully reflected the glory of God. He had a perfect immortal body.
We have the offer of the same if we overcome the tribulations we face in this current world and endure to the end.
