Today’s Scripture: John 16:25–33
“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 (ESV)
Reflection
In today’s passage, Jesus says that there will come a time when Jesus no longer talks in figurative speech, but talks plainly. He also says that when we pray in the spirit of Jesus’s name, we can speak to God directly through God’s love for us. He reveals that he is leaving the world and going to the Father in plain terms. Jesus reveals himself to the disciples, and they understand Jesus’s words, but they get overconfident in their faith. Jesus foretells that the disciples will soon leave him, but he will not be alone, since the Father is with him. Jesus offers us peace in a world where tribulation is guaranteed. Take heart; Jesus has overcome the world.
I really understood this passage because I’ve seen it in my life. I think I’ve had the experience of the disciples and I will continue to have these experiences of where Jesus reveals his Word to me. Oftentimes, I hear words and write them down, but I don’t understand it in my heart until I experience or hear something else that really hits home, and sometimes, it even takes multiple light bulbs to make it really apply to my life. But whenever we understand these things, it’s important not to think you know everything now. A new understanding of something should invoke a feeling of humility because there is so much more that God will reveal to us that we do not yet know.
One thing that hasn’t sunken into my heart yet is the reality of trials. I don’t think I’ve been tested like other people have, which means I can’t relate to people who talk about their trials. But even without this experience and understanding, I still know that Jesus is in charge of this world, and that he gives peace to those who ask. As strange as it seems, I ask God for trials, so that my faith can be tested and strengthened (Romans 5:3-5). Let this reality be instilled into my heart.