”"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 16:33New International Version (NIV)
John 16:33 Devotional
Have Peace
In John 16:33, Jesus informed His disciples that He had told them the things He had told them (as recorded in John 13-16) so they could have peace in Him. And then He commanded them to take heart in spite of the trouble they would have in the world because He had overcome the same.
Moreover, Jesus told them the things that He told them just before His departure from this world. And at that time, Jesus had supper with His disciples, during which, He used actions and words to prepare His disciples for His betrayal, crucifixion, and ascension (departure).
The things Jesus told His disciples
Therefore, Jesus started by washing the feet of His disciples. And after He had done so, He told them many things as outlined below.
Consequently, Jesus:
- Informed them that He had just demonstrated to them how they were to serve each other (John 13:12-15).
- Revealed that Judas was His betrayer, and added that Scripture would be fulfilled through Judas’ betrayal of Him – therefore when it happened, they were to know that Jesus was the Son of God (John 13:21).
- Commanded them to love one another immediately after Judas had departed from their company (John 13:34).
- Foretold Peter’s denial (John 13:38).
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
After foretelling Peter’s denial of Him, Jesus told His disciples that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). They, therefore, didn’t need to be troubled. All they had to do was to believe in God.
Additionally, Jesus:
- Informed them that He would go and prepare a place for them (in His Father’s house) (John 14:2). And they knew His Father because they had known Him – He essentially declared to them that He is God.
- Revealed to them that they would do the works He did, and even greater works if they believed in Him (John 14:12). For whatever they would ask in His Name, He would do it to glorify the Father.
- Commanded His disciples to keep His commandments because that is the way they would love Him (John 14:15). And during His absence (after His resurrection), He would ask the Father to give them the Holy Spirit to be with them forever (John 14:16).
- Informed them that the Holy Spirit would teach them or guide them into truth. He would also help them remember His words (John 14:16, 26).
- Told His disciples that they would see Him when the world was not seeing Him (John 14:19). And because He would be alive again (He would resurrect), they would also live (eternally). But they had to love Him by keeping His word – for that’s how God would dwell with them.
- Left them peace, which was His peace (John 14:27). They, therefore, wouldn’t need to be troubled or afraid in this world.
- Told them to rejoice at His going away (John 14:28). That would be a sign that they loved Him. And they would come to believe that He is the Son of God and that the ruler of this world had no claim on Him – It was only that He was doing what His Father had commanded Him so that the world would know He loves the Father.
Jesus is the true vine
Furthermore, Jesus also told His disciples that He is the true vine and His Father is the vinedresser (John 15:1). Therefore, He was their only way to fruitfulness, and it was because they were in Him. And their fruitfulness would be the proof of their being His disciples.
Therefore, Jesus:
- Informed them that they would abide in Him by keeping His commandments (John 15:7). This would enable God to answer their prayers and they would be filled with joy as God is glorified.
- Commanded them to love one another as He had loved them (John 15:12). And He added that His love for them was greater since it involved Him laying down His life for them. Therefore, they were His friends, but only if they did what He had commanded them.
- Informed them that He had chosen them to bear fruit (John 15:16). And their fruit was to abide so that God would answer their prayers that they would make in His Name.
Love one another
Therefore, Jesus revealed to His disciples that His commands were geared toward them loving one another (John 15:17) – this was the third time He commanded them to love each other.
The hatred of the world
Consequently, Jesus informed His disciples that they would be hated because He had been hated by the world (John 15:18). Then He further informed them that they weren’t of the world because He had chosen them out of it (John 15:19).
Moreover, Jesus told them that when the Helper would come, He would witness Jesus (John 15:26). And they would witness too.
Jesus’ words were meant to keep them from falling away
Nevertheless, Jesus said these many things to His disciples to keep them from falling away (John 16:1) by their remembrance (John 16:4a). For at the time, their persecution was just around the corner (Acts 15:17ff). And He was about to go away from them (John 16:4b-5).
Therefore, despite the sorrow of the disciples at His words (John 16:6), Jesus told them that His going was to enable God to send them the Holy Spirit (John 16:7) – if He hadn’t gone away, then God wouldn’t have sent the Holy Spirit who guided them into the truth and glorified Him.
Furthermore, while the disciples wept, the world rejoiced (John 16:20a). But their sorrow would be turned into joy (John 16:20b) when they will see Him again (John 16:22).
Additionally, Jesus assured them that whatever they would ask the Father in His Name, He would give to them (John 16:23b-24). And the Father would answer their prayers, and their joy would be full (John 16:24) – the Father would answer them because He loved them as they had loved Jesus and believed that He came from God (John 16:27).
The disciples confessed that Jesus is all-knowing
The disciples, therefore, confessed to Jesus that they knew that He knew all things (John 16:30). And this is why they believed that He was from God.
The persecution of the disciples
Finally, Jesus told His disciples that the time for their persecution had matured (John 16:32). He told them that the time for them to be scattered to their homes and leave Him alone had come (John 20:10). And therefore, the things He had said to His disciples were meant to give them peace (John 16:33).
Therefore, Jesus’ words were meant to give His disciples peace (John 16:33). And He consequently prayed to the Father to “keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15 versus Matthew 6:13).
The purpose of Jesus’ words
Additionally, Jesus warned them of the persecution that they experienced because He wanted them to have peace (John 16:33). For peace is the antidote for anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7) – Jesus didn’t want His disciples to be anxious about the tribulations that would befall them after His departure.
Similarly, the words of Jesus, particularly His promises, are meant to give you and me peace in this tribulations-filled world. Therefore, there is a constant need to feed on God’s Word by reading and meditating/studying it.
Prayer/Blessing
May you, through God’s Word, experience God’s peace. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Exodus 32-34 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
