“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may
have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have
overcome the world.”
The Upper Room Discourse, chapters 13-17 in John’s gospel, contains a series of messages which Our Lord gave to His disciples on the night prior to His death by crucifixion. The focus of His discourse seems to be in preparing the disciples for His departure and the assurance that they will not be left on their own without provisions needed to carry on His work.
Specifically, He mentions that the Holy Spirit will be given to them as their helper to remain with them forever (14:16) and to guide them into ‘all the truth’ (16:13). The Lord also focuses on assuring them peace during the time of His absence (14:27). It is this subject of peace which He sums up the16th chapter.
He declares in 16:33 that what He has spoken to them was to assure them that they “may have peace”. The word peace in the original Greek [εἰρήνη] means “by implication, a state of peace, tranquility.”1 This passage does not emphasize peace as some type of an emotion – a feeling or a euphoric sensation. Instead, it signifies a status quo – a condition in which they are no longer in the midst of a conflict. So that in the midst of pressure and adversity they can have a relaxed mental attitude knowing that these adversities and tribulations are precipitated by the world.
When John states that “in the world you have tribulation” he is proclaiming that there is a battle raging, not with flesh and blood (although it may entail this) but with the unseen forces of the Evil One, Satan. Paul describes this in Ephesians 6:12:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
What Our Lord determined to provide for them was this promise: that by a sound understanding of His teachings they possess peace and tranquility, to be applied in the midst of any pressures that they are confronted with. It was not necessarily a feeling of peace which He provided them, but a realization that they should not fear or despair when met with challenges to their faith. That is why He emphatically affirmed in verse 33 the fact that while they are in this world they will continually have tribulation.
And with this in mind, He commands them “but take courage.” He begins the command with the word ‘but’, the conjunction of adversity. It indicates a contrast or opposition to what has just been stated. What the Lord is saying is: “In contrast to the evil machinations of the Evil One, you are to keep on being courageous.” The word ‘courage’ infers not only courage but confidence. Without the confidence in believing His promise that they possess a status quo of peace, they will not be victorious in the midst of the battle.
The final phrase of this verse proclaims the proof that our Lord has provides them with this status quo: “I have overcome the world.” The perfect tense of the verb ‘overcome’ designates the eternal victory of Jesus Christ over the evil powers of the world.
Specifically, what is the full significance of the word world of which Jesus can claim He has emphatically overcome?
The word world in the original Greek is transliterated as cosmos. Its root meaning is order or arraignment like that of a person’s apparel or a woman’s cosmetics. The philosophical usage came to denote it “as the sum total of everything here and now, the (orderly) universe.”2 This world as understood by the Scriptures is concisely described by the theologian Lewis Sperry Chafer:
The cosmos is a vast order or system that Satan has promoted, which conforms to his ideals, aims, and methods. It is civilization now functioning apart from God – a civilization in which none of its promoters really expect God to share, who assign to God no consideration in respect to their projects; nor do they ascribe any causativity to Him. This system embraces its godless governments, conflicts, armaments, jealousies, its education, culture, religions of morality, and pride. It is that sphere in which man lives. It is what he sees, what he employs. To the uncounted multitude it is all they ever know so long as they live on this earth. It is properly styled the satanic system, which phrase is in many instances a justified interpretation of the so-meaningful word, cosmos. It is literally a cosmos diabolicus [i.e. the devil’s world].3
How is this applicable to us today?
First, we still live in the same world as the apostles did 20 centuries ago, just as Paul stated in Ephesians 6:12 (see above). It is naïve for us to believe that certain men or groups are the sole architects of the evil in our culture. So it is essential that we understand that there is a demonic influence which persuades and manipulates the structure of our culture.
Secondly, we should consider exactly how Jesus Christ has overcome this world:
- As the unique person of the universe, the God/Man was able to be born into this world to fulfill the redemptive plan of God the Father. Overcoming the subterfuge of King Herod, Matthew 2:16-18.
- He overcame intense pressure from Satan himself, Luke 4:1-13.
- He overcame many times the evil machinations of the religious leaders, Matthew 16: 1-4; 19: 3-12.
- He endured the scourging, the mocking and humiliation of Pilate’s soldiers, John 19: 1-3.
- He overcame the crucifixion, for He chose the moment of His death, John 19:17-30.
- He overcame death itself, for He rose from the dead, Matthew 28:1-7.
- His finale of overcoming this world: He ascended physically into heaven, Luke 24: 50-51.
Therefore, since He has overcome the world and has given to us the status of peace, it is crucial to project a confident witness within this evil culture, no matter what may be devised or concocted by the minions of Satan, i.e. those who may be of a political, entertainment or state controlled media consortium.
And to keep the Biblical perspective that Paul has stated:
“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37–39)
[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G1515
[2] Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1979). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 445.
[3] Chafer, L.S., (1976), Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 2.77-78.
© 2023 David M. Rossi
EXCELLENT !
ReplyDeleteThanks, Frank!
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