December 9, 2020 -- John 16:33 -- Peace in a world full of tribulation

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 English Standard Version

It seems very odd for Jesus to put the words peace and tribulation right next to each other. No doubt you understand tribulation. There are great sufferings as the world is locked down because of Covid. There is great anguish because the government, in the middle of this pandemic promotes abortion and dead. In fact, so committed to death are our various governments here in Canada that the B.C. government went to court to force a hospice in British Columbia, set up to be safe from Medical Assistance in Death, to provide M.A.I.D. Sadness fills the heart and mind because famine kills around nine million people a year (to put this in perspective, Covid-19 and deaths related to it have, as of today killed an estimated one million five hundred and sixty thousand people). The U.N. reports there are over 2.6 million people living in refugee camps, right now! And war, famine, government instability and guerilla warfare has displaced over 79 million! Yet the greatest tragedy of all, is that our world walks in darkness, which is rebellion against God and against His Son and blasphemes the Holy Spirit by refusing the witnesses of the Spirit to Jesus Who is the world’s true light, Savior and peace.

Jesus has overcome the world. The might of the Roman Government was not enough to overthrow Jesus nor to crush Him and put out the light of His salvation. Religious leaders of the Jewish faith who were supposed to stir up in the Jewish people the anticipation of the arrival of Messiah—Jesus Himself—denied Jesus as they tried to hold onto earthly power. Mocked. Rejected. Betrayed. Homeless. He walked in a world ravaged by hunger. He saw the injustices of tyranny. He saw disease scourge the land. And Jesus saw the greatest tragedy of all: He walked among His own people and His own people received Him not. They were walking in darkness while the Light of Life was right there in front of them. Yet Jesus had great peace.

Jesus lived as a man in great peace because His eyes, His life, and His faith was fixed on our Father in heaven. How does this Jesus give peace? He defeated the power of sin at the cross. He overcame the world’s temptation to sin, the power of evil and the lusts of the flesh by His faithful obedience to His Father in the world. He never sinned—in word, in thought, in deed. Jesus did all the good He was called to do and no good expected of Him by the Father was left undone. Ponder that for a moment. Then, as the spotless Lamb of God, He stood in the place of sinners, receiving our punishment for sin at the cross. He was buried. And death could not hold Him. He rose from the grave and ascended to heaven.

Jesus taught us He has overcome the world. Jesus did in fact overthrow the kingdom of this world and its powers and the effects of sin. Jesus gives to us, by His Spirit, the power to live for our Father in heaven. When despair threatens us, we turn to Jesus. When we might waver seeing the evils of the world and tragedies there, we look to Jesus and find in Him peace that passes all human understanding. Living for Jesus is the gift of peace He gives and the powerful witness that speaks to our world torn by upheaval, tribulation and fear. In Jesus we have peace.

The prayer today is Isaiah 26:1-5. It speaks to the time of peace which is ushered in by Jesus.

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city;
    he sets up salvation
    as walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates,
    that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
3 You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. Isaiah 26:1-5 ESV

https://youtu.be/ZYrL9ea1XUg