Hello and good Tuesday. You know what’s great about Tuesdays? Its’ pretty simple…It’s Taco Tuesday at Rosa’s Café! We love Rosa’s and didn’t have one on Maui so getting a 3 taco dinner for $4.39 is good for 2 reasons. 1) I love taco’s and 2) I’m cheap. It makes me think of the old saying…simple pleasures, simple minds. What can I say, tacos make me smile.
It’s going to be a big week around here as I start the new job and have a few of the bosses flying to Fort Worth for training later this week. It’s so exciting to be starting a new adventure, especially one that God has lined up so beautifully. I’m blessed with work!
I started chapter 16 of John this morning in my 5 minute challenge. Lets dig right in. Jesus is still expounding His discourse to the disciples and He doesn’t have long before He goes to the cross. I believe that any man’s last words are extremely important, and these are in essence Jesus’ last words to the disciples. He starts by warning and preparing them of the persecution and even death they will suffer by living and standing up for Him. (16:1-2, I have said all these things to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues (excommunicate you). Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering a service to God.) Have you ever gotten yourself into a job or task and half way through thought to yourself, “this isn’t at all what they said it would be”? Well Jesus doesn’t do that to us. He is truth and He is upfront about the struggles we will all be guaranteed to endure by standing strongly for the name of Jesus Christ.
He now tells them that He is going back to the one who sent me (v16:5). Now you can imagine how the disciples take this news. They are crestfallen and overcome with despair. I can only imagine what’s running through their minds right at that moment, “how can we EVER do this without Jesus?” But Jesus as always is so in tune with and aware of our emotions. He quickly senses their fear and in verse 16:6 acknowledges it, “But because I have told you these things you have great sorrow in your hearts.”
He then goes on to comfort them by reinforcing what He had told them back in chapter 14 about the Holy Spirit coming to help them. (V16:7, “nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away the Helper will not come to you. But if I go I will send him to you.”) How beautiful to hear the words of Jesus comforting the disciples as He tries to lovingly explain to them what will be happening in the next few weeks. I can barely comprehend it today, I can’t imagine what must have been running through their minds in that moment. If I were standing there on that day, I would still be stuck on, “Jesus, you’re leaving us?”
Jesus continues to expound and comfort them and it culminates in the last verse of the chapter. It’s one of the most powerful and comforting verses in God’s Word. McGee’s bible commentary was so spot on that I’m going to quote the scripture first and then quote directly from McGee’s commentary, Thru The Bible, volume IV, pg 476.
John 16:33 says “I have said these things 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.”
“Peace. He closes with peace. The child of God can have peace in this life because peace is found in Christ and in no other place. You won’t find peace in the church. You won’t find peace in Christian service. Peace is found in the person of Jesus Christ.”
“In the world you will have tribulation. Our Lord made that very clear. There is no peace in the world, only trouble. He was right, wasn’t He? But He has overcome the world! His victory is our victory.”
“I hear so much today about the victorious life. The only One who ever lived a victorious life was Christ. You and I cannot live it. We can let Him live it in us – that is all. When you and I learn to identify ourselves with Him, come into close fellowship with Him, then we will begin to experience the peace of God in our hearts. Also, we will be of good cheer. There is trouble in this world but in our lives there will be joy. Peace and Joy! How important they are. “These things I have said to you, that you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Praise God for His Word. Praise God for His Peace. Praise God for the Joy that comes through Him.
May you find His Peace and Joy in your life today.
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