“In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to
you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves
you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came
from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world
and going to the Father.” His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly
and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not
need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it
has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me
alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 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 16:26–33, ESV)
I’ve been taking walking through Jesus prayer to the Father
just before His betrayal, but between a combination of looking back into the
wrong chapter (oops) and rereading these words, we are going to back up to
chapter 16 in light of yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling, last week’s mass
murder in a church, and the widespread terrorist attacks. The reason for this is
the combination of the words in verse 31, “Do you now believe?” and verse 33,
“But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus had been talking with His disciples and was ready to
begin praying to the Father in their presence as as if bringing them into the
greater conversation representing the truth that He was handing them over to
the Father. No longer would they go to Jesus, but they would go directly to the
Father in His name. Having said this, His disciples responded that they
understood clearly what He had said, affirming that they now knew without any
doubt that Jesus really did come from the Father.
To this Jesus asked them if they now believed. This was an
important question to ask because their faith was soon going to be put to the
test. At His arrest they would flee and after His resurrection and ascension to
the Father they would become the focus of the enemy’s attacks. There would be
those who would persecute them and even put them and other believers to death,
and in the face of this they would be scattered. Initially after His arrest his
disciples would be scattered to their own homes, but later believers would be
scattered throughout the world. There would be very dark and oppressive days
coming, and their faith was going to be critical to them. When it looked like
they were going to be crushed, knowing that God had them firmly in His hands
and was hearing their prayers was going to be vital to their walk and their
peace.
And today nothing has changed about the importance of this
truth. When things look their darkest and evil seems to be at its most
prominent there can be no greater contrast between man bound in the chains of
sin and enslaved to his father the devil and the light and freedom that is
found in Christ. John wrote, “This is the message we have heard from him and
proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say
we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not
practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from
all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not
in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:5–9, ESV) We are told
that God is light and that we are to walk in that light. Having said this we
know that even Christians can listen to lies and be led astray. But the truth
of God’s Word and the indwelling of His Spirit has been given to shine light on
those lies and draw us back to Him. Man’s response then is to admit his sin to
God (confess) and commit to living as He has called us to live knowing that our
sins have already been forgiven and the intimacy of our daily relationship with
Him can be restored.
Many Christians have been very faithful in standing strong
for those things that God has called good, even suffering for this. Many others
have faithfully prayed for and affirmed those who have been taking these public
stands. Others have quietly hoped that good would prevail in the face of
growing evil. Regardless of our place along this spectrum in the face of things
falling apart around us we are called, as maybe we have not felt before to
believe, take heart, and stand firm knowing that God is still in control. He
will make us to come out standing on the other side regardless of how hard
things might get here.
But there are those who are saved who have been silent and even
endorsed the lies based in the priority of the happiness of man and who might
even be rejoicing in some of these decisions. As things worsen, we can pray for
them with the assurance that God has not let go of them and that when they
admit their participation, complicity, or complacency He will hear them and
answer their prayers.
And for the rest we know that their chase after happiness will
never bring a satisfactory response. There will always be an emptiness that can
only be filled by the love of God. As we walk among and speak to them we can do
so knowing that God wins and He has an answer to their greatest need. We are
always to remember the words of Jesus, “Take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Knowing this we can tell them why we believe and why we live according to the
truth of His Word.
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