Have Peace, Take Heart

“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.” (John 16:33)

The IVP Commentary has this to say regarding the above passage:

[Jesus’] conquest, in turn, enables the disciples themselves to conquer the evil one…

Until death itself becomes a revelation of God the disciples can be troubled in the world, the place of death. Their joy cannot be stable and secure until they see him again and he sees them.. Then will they reap the benefits of his conquest by becoming one with him as he pours out the Spirit. They will not ask him, but rather they will be one with him, asking the Father in his name. So their joy will be full--the joy of union with God in Christ by the Spirit. They will know God's glory and will manifest his glory as they, in union with the living Christ by the Spirit, bear fruit as Jesus did, asking for what Jesus did. Their focus and source will be God, and thus they will have peace no matter what the world may throw at them.

IVP New Testament Commentaries

What does it look like to take heart and live with peace? If I understand it correctly, the commentator is saying that the disciples would be troubled until Jesus saw them again, after the resurrection and after he poured his Spirit out on them. My take on this is that, with the Spirit, they (and WE) are ONE with Christ NOW – therefore our joy is full and we know God’s glory and we will manifest his glory as we bear fruit as Jesus did. If my focus is on God, I will have peace no matter what.

I am one with Christ. My joy is Full. I know God’s glory. I not only can, but WILL manifest his glory as I bear fruit. Seriously? Grrr! When I read stuff like this I want to smack myself! Why do I ever complain? Why do I ever get depressed? I know God’s Glory! I can manifest his glory – Today! I love and hate that this actually is up to me. I have the choice today to bear fruit or not. To live "just another day" or to Live Today – looking for the Divine – looking for opportunities to be kind, gentle, faithful, peaceful, loving... I am also to “ask for what Jesus asked for.” In Jesus’ prayers recorded in the gospels, He asked for God’s kingdom to come, to be on earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6); the dead to rise (John 11); forgiveness for his enemies (Luke 23); and for oneness of His Church that the world would believe (John 17).

Lord, Show me your Glory today. Send down your presence. Fill me with your Spirit that I might bear your fruit today. Lord, I ask for your kingdom to come – for your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Hasten your return, Father – that we may enjoy the wedding of all weddings with you in Heaven. Raise up those are spiritually dead – fill them with your breath of Life. Feel free to raise up those physically dead, too, Lord, if it might bring anyone to a saving knowledge of you as it did for those around Lazarus. God – forgive your enemies… especially me for the times when I commit treason against you (so many more times than I care to admit) Forgive me Father. Give me the Spirit that I might in turn forgive my own enemies completely – letting go of resentments, hurts, and negative thoughts about them. Give me a love for them that is inexplicable but through the Power of You. Above all else, Lord, let me not partake in anything that contributes to the divisiveness of your Church. Let me be a unifying factor in my own small way. I pray against any denominational differences that keep us from acting as one body and ask Father that you would cause your Church to rise up and unite – that the world might know we are one with each other and we are one with you – in the same way Jesus and the Father are one. Praise be to God and to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.