Take courage
John 16:25-33
25 ‘I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father. 26 On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for 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 have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.’
29 His disciples said, ‘Yes, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure of speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God.’ 31 Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe? 32 The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!’
There is a lot going on in this passage.
First, vs. 26. For John the death of Jesus is the pinnacle of the book, and in the death of Jesus the division between God and human beings, which prevented human beings from speaking directly to God, that division has been torn down, it is gone. We can speak directly to God without an intermediary. And we have the promise of God’s love.
Second, vs. 28 and 29, Jesus says clearly who he has come form and who he is going to, and the disciples are grateful for the clear speech. And on the basis of everything they have witnessed and known, the disciples believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Third, 31-33, even though they believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that does not mean that they will stay with him when the danger boils over later that night. Jesus says, “You will leave me. But God the Father will not leave me.” There is hope for us here – while human beings, including we ourselves are fickle beings, unable to be faithful – God the Father is faithful, and will be faithful forever. So even while we may feel that people are abandoning us, God will not abandon us.
We need Jesus’ final words – “Take Courage”. In a world that is full of challenges and feels like it is in chaos – we have the promise that what we see is not the true story, the true story is that the Triune God of grace in fact has won the victory, is winning the victory, will win the victory. Christ is the Victor.
PRAYER:
God of grace, we rejoice that we can come to your directly in prayer, to pour our hearts before the Almighty God, and know that you hear us. We rejoice that you will be faithful to us, even when everyone else may abandoned us. Help us to be of good courage. In Jesus’ name. Amen.