AP

PEACE IN A WORLD OF TRIBULATION (JOHN 16:33)

In the rough and tumble world of rugby league, one of the most unpleasant, and at times dangerous, things can occur when a player is ‘blindsided’. This happens when a player has just passed or kicked the ball, and there is a momentary relaxation of his body, and he is unaware of a tackler who is often to the side of him or behind him. There is no ‘brace position’, and the impact of the tackler is far more pronounced than it normally would be. Football can sometimes illustrate spiritual truths.

So, the Litany of the Book of Common Prayer contains a prayer which pleads for deliverance from ‘sudden death’. On the night before His crucifixion, Christ told His disciples of what would take place. It would have been rather bewildering: one of the Twelve would betray Him; another would deny Him three times; Christ would go away; the Holy Spirit would come; the world would hate Christians; but ultimately the sorrow of the disciples would be turned to joy. Jesus tells them these things that they would not be ‘blindsided’ nor even simply know the brace position, but rather have peace.

Before the High Priestly prayer of John 17, Jesus comforts the eleven who are left with Him: ‘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).

In the world there is tribulation

            Jesus is not just referring to the events that would unfold the next day – the injustice of the trials, the vicious mob, the cowardly governor, the mocking soldiers, the pain, and the unprecedented sense of being forsaken even by His Father in heaven. He is also laying down a general truth for all time, regarding the nature of the world.

The world is not realistic about itself, but the Lord is realistic about the world. This is a fallen, sinful, hostile and rebellious world. There are wonderful marks of its original goodness, both in nature and in humanity, but there is much tribulation. Near the end of his first missionary journey, the apostle Paul warned new believers at Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Pisidia, and, in a strange way, encouraged them, by saying that ‘through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God’ (Acts 14:22). He knew what he was talking about. As a Christian and as an apostle, he worked hard, was imprisoned many times and beaten, was once stoned and left for dead, shipwrecked three times, and faced dangers everywhere including from false brothers (2 Cor.11:22-33).

            If your most compelling goal in life is health, wealth, and a good time – a long life of ease and comfort – Christianity is not for you. We yearn for the quiet life, but tribulation is never far away. The world will hate Christians because it first hated Christ (John 15:18). To expect applause, acclaim and worldly honours when Christ was crucified is delusional. Ever since the Fall (Gen.3), this world has had ‘tribulation’ written all over it. When Amy Carmichael was included in the Royal Birthday Honours List, she was horrified, and wondered what she had done wrong: ‘It troubles me to have an experience so different from His Who was despised and rejected, not kindly honoured.’ We do not naturally think like that.

Christ is victorious over the world

            Tribulation in the world is not the whole story, for Christ tells us that He has overcome the world. In the context, nothing could have looked further from the truth. ‘Good Friday’ would look more like ‘Terrible Friday’. ‘Was ever grief like Mine?’ says Christ in George Herbert’s poem ‘The Sacrifice’. At the very time when it looked like the world had inflicted the most abject defeat possible on the Son of God, He declared His victory. He would be lifted up on the cross, to be sure, but also lifted up in exaltation and so drawing all people to Himself (John 12:32).

            The enemies that we have not defeated – sin, the devil, death, and the world – our Lord has defeated. God will hold us accountable for our sins, but we cannot escape sin, no matter how hard we try. And we should try very hard! Sin holds us captive, and so we are wretched before God (Rom.7:23-24). The world rejoices in its apparent freedoms, unaware that it is sin which enslaves us (John 8:34), and God’s commandments which enlarge our hearts (Ps.119:32). In the judgment every mouth will be stopped (Rom.3:19), because we will realise that any defence would be false and futile. Christ alone is God’s beloved Son in whom He is well pleased (Matt.3:17).

            We cannot defeat death. Years ago, there was a silly book published with the title ‘How to Live to be a Hundred’. The author died at 69. Death is the last enemy which we do our best to keep at bay – we try to eat well, to exercise, and to avoid dangers. But sooner or later we succumb. Only Christ has risen from the dead, never to die again (Rom.6:9). The wonderful news is that He shares His victory with His blood-bought people (Isa.53:12).

            In our fallen state, the devil is too much for us, but he has no claim on Christ (John 14:30). In the cross, the Lord disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in it (Col.2:15). Christ suffered – His heel was bruised; but the devil was defeated – his head was crushed (Gen.3:15). Christ succeeded in overcoming the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Any victories we enjoy in this life are intermittent, but Christ’s victory is forever.

The Christian knows peace in Christ

            Because of all this, we should take heart, and have peace. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through the blood of the cross (Rom.5:1; Col. 1:20). As John Newton put it:

            Approach my soul, the mercy seat,

            Where Jesus answers prayer;

            There humbly fall before His feet,

            For none can perish there.

            Thy promise is my only plea,

            With this I venture nigh:

            Thou callest burdened souls to Thee,

            And such, O Lord, am I.

Bowed down beneath a load of sin,

By Satan sorely pressed;

By war without, and fears within,

I come to Thee for rest.

Be Thou my shield and hiding–place!

That, sheltered near Thy side,

I may my fierce accuser face,

And tell him, “Thou hast died.”

This is the victory and the peace that awakened sinners yearn for, but cannot achieve. Christ wins it for us.

            The result is peace with God, and peace with others, whether believers or unbelievers, so far as that is possible (Eph.2:14; Rom.12:18; Phil.4:7, 9). ‘For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’ (Rom.14:17). Christian peace comes about not through appeasement with sin, nor negotiations, nor self-help feel-good exercises, but through Christ’s victory over the world. It is here that we find both rest and energy.

– Peter Barnes