“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Why would anyone be in love with the world? Why choose the world over Jesus? What does the world have to offer? One thing we see in this verse is that the world provides you with tribulation. As long as you are in this world, you will be battling to overcome tribulation.
As the word tribulation is used here, it can be thought of as pressure, affliction, anguish, or in general, just any kind of trouble. In other words, in this world trouble is the default. You don’t even have to go looking for trouble to find it. You have probably experienced some pressure in this life. The anguish that comes with it can even make it hard to breath or to take the next step or to get out of bed. This world can really get you down.
The encouraging thing about this verse (as well as plenty of others) is that Jesus does not sugar-coat the realities of living in a world of sin and corruption. In this world you are going to experience tribulation, you will at times feel the pressures of life, the anguish and affliction. You will have times of trouble. This is not just reserved for those who make nothing but bad choices and bring loads of trouble upon their own heads, it includes everyone. Jesus had plenty of tribulation during His years on the earth as a man.
So, what is it about this verse that is so awesome if the reality is that you will have tribulation in the world? The fact that you can have Jesus with you in the world, every day and every minute of every day. The Lord does not take you out of the world but rather keeps you in His hands as you go through this life and in so doing, He prepares you for the life to come as God’s plan for you unfolds into eternity.
As long as you have Jesus with you, you are in Him and He is in you. Then you can trade the tribulation and the pressure and all of the trouble of this life for the peace that passes understanding. The Lord never promised to keep you from every storm, but He has promised to never leave you or forsake you. That means if you are going through a storm then the Lord is going through that same storm because He is not going to leave you when the waves get high and everything seems to be falling apart.
The other thing to keep in mind is that the storms of life, no matter how severe they are, will pass. The clouds will part and the sun will shine again, the waves will settle down to reveal the ocean at rest, once again calm and peaceful. That is why you can have a cheerful countenance even though storms are raging all around you, for you know God’s plan reaches beyond the boundaries of today’s storms.
Yes, there are tribulations in the world and, even though you are not a part of the world still the Lord has you here in the world. Others all around you may be experiencing the same storm but not weathering it as well. The storm is the same, but the difference is Jesus. He is no longer subject to the frailties of man, for He has overcome the world. Cheer up!
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One response to “Jesus Has Overcome the World”
Yes. Every day is new. Every day is fresh in Jesus Christ. Thanks