Troubled and Peace
Daily Reading: (John 14:1, 27, John 16:33):
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
What I absolutely love about this text is that the promise is not an absence of trouble and fear but peace in it.
I have found that two real enemies to peace in my life are in fact trouble and fear. Jesus instead of listing all of the potential troubling things we could experience, uses the Greek word that describes the condition troubling things can bring (to agitate, to take away calmness of mind, make restless, strike one’s spirit with fear and dread, to render anxious). Do not let your hearts take away calmness of your mind and fear.
There is no need to allow those troubling things to cause fear in your spirit, rob you of the calmness of your mind, make you restless and anxious and lead about timidity in your life.
Those troubling things are the opposite of what God has given you as He has given us the peace of Christ that’s why Paul writes to his young protégé Timothy: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). God has given us a spirit of power (not timidity) a spirit of love- because perfect love cast out all fear, and of a sound, calm of mind.
Jesus guarantees trouble for us in this world (John 16:33). Even Jesus’ disciples thought that somehow their connection to Jesus meant an absence of trouble. This was obviously not their experience and it is not ours either.
You will have trouble in this world, and if that is where Jesus finished his sentence I guess all we could expect would be timidity, fear, a lack of calmness of mind. But that is not the final word over your trouble. The final word over your trouble is, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Take heart (tharseō) – be of good cheer, be of good comfort. Because “I have overcome the world.” If we understand this Greek word for overcome then we are enabled to have courage in trouble, we are able to have the peace of Christ in all things.
(nikaō) – I carry off the victory. I have been victorious over all of your enemies.
So because of Jesus’ victory over our foes (victory over our trouble), we can have peace and we do not have to fear when the already defeated trouble comes (John 14:27, John 16:33).
Don’t lose heart when trouble comes because Christ will carry you off in victory (John 16:33). Don’t let the calmness of your mind leave because of what is happening around you, instead, place your confidence in me (John 14:1).
At the cross the disciples thought their Messiah was being defeated. Jesus as He takes His last breath declares our victory in John 19:30 “it is finished.” God’s salvation plan, the masterpiece to redeem humanity is complete. He has overcome the world!!! “It is finished” comes from one Greek word (teleō). In the days of Jesus, a servant would use it when reporting to his master: “I have completed the work assigned to me.” Jesus said those final words to the Father. (John 17:4) The word means, “It is finished, it stands finished and it will always be finished!” Perhaps the most significant meaning of teleō is how it is used by merchants: “The debt is paid in full!” When Jesus gave Himself on the cross, He met fully the righteous demands of the law. He paid our debts in full! Today, it is not our works that will bring us the blessings, or will bring us to a settled mind, it is Christ’s finished work. It is confidence and trust in Christ alone (John 14:1, John 19:30). Our blessings are a result of Jesus defeating sin and death and granting us restoration in relationship with God as our Father- which means favor with God forever. Our blessings come by way of Christ’s finished work. It is not our works that gave us access to blessing, or that will bring us to a settled mind, it is Christ’s finished work. It is confidence and trust in Christ alone (John 14:1, John 19:30).
Maybe you are faced with overwhelming odds today. Jesus promises, “It is finished!” You are not going to be delivered, because you have already been delivered. You are not going to be healed because you are already healed! God healed you 2,000 years ago! Isaiah 53:5 declares, “By His stripes you are healed!” Keep resting in His finished work and it will manifest itself in your life! Our blessings have been bought by His blood! Live life knowing that there is nothing for you to do—only believe! It is finished!
So, you will have trouble in this world (we can testify to that) but you don’t have to be troubled. You can have confidence in Christ finished work at the cross (John 14:1). He offers to us healing, forgiveness, His righteousness, and He has given us the Comforter as our aid, (John 14:16) who will continue to point us to Jesus and His finished work.