I Have Overcome the World

A New Perspective

John 16:5–15 NIV

but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Jesus sees the hearts of his disciples. They are overcome with grief. Their hopes and dreams of what was yet to come are coming to an end. Jesus has made plain that his departure from this earth is at hand. Their hopes for the restoration of the kingdom of Israel are not going to unfold as they had envisioned. Worse yet, Jesus just told them that as a result of their faith in Him, the world would hunt them down and take their lives in the name of God.

So often, our hearts are consumed by grief because we are only able to look at our circumstances from our perspective. Jesus though sees what we face with a perfect perspective. He can see not only in the moment but he know every moment. With this knowledge, He turns to His disciples and spurns their hearts to trust in Him. It is for their good that He is leaving. It is for the good of the Lord that their plans are not going to unfold as they envisioned.

Jesus’ departure would mark the sending of the Spirit. This is the fullness of the gospel. God is no longer afar. He is not merely near. God is coming to indwell his people.

The Spirit comes and convicts the world of how far they have strayed from God. The people had deceived themselves to believe that their actions and deeds were not only good and just in their eyes, but in God’s eyes as well. The believed that in killing Christ, they were doing the work of God, but if the people could only see the heavenly perspective, they would know that their belief had gone astray for Christ was raised to sit with God and the enemy stand condemned.

The Spirit has come to preach this truth to our heart, to preach to our hearts the eternal, heavenly perspective. We are no longer limited by our sight. We have been given God to trust and know that tomorrow is His, that the victory has already been won.

Our Grief Turns to Joy

John 16:17–24 NIV

At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Jesus continues to emphasize the shift in perspective that comes from trusting in God’s plan. The world will rejoice, believing that they had done the work of God. Jesus flips this rejoicing on its head though. He states that the mourning that the disciples will experience as the world rejoices is temporary pain before overwhelming joy. Jesus equates it to childbirth and the pain felt by the mother that is quickly overrun by utter joy as new life is experienced.

Jesus

The world will rejoice for they will believe that in killing Christ that they have won, but really, this is God’s plan. As Christ rises from the grave, the disciples will be filled with joy for the work of Christ will be made complete.

The Jews believed that condemning Christ to death preserved their belief system, but what they failed to see was that their belief system was condemning them. Jesus came to redeem us, to save us from condemnation. He tells his disciples that this is the paradigm shift that is taking place. They will rejoice as Jesus raises and no one will be able to steal their joy for the Almighty One has secured them for all eternity with Him.

My brothers and sisters, our joy is held secure in the resurrection of Christ. He has raised and overcome.

I Have Overcome the World

John 16:

John 16:25–33 NIV

“Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. “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.”

Jesus further shows what happens when our perspective changes, we receive direct access to God. The disciples respond to Jesus’ words of joy by beginning to understand. But Jesus takes it a step further. Not only would the disciples experience joy, but now they would be united in perfect relationship with God.

Throughout all of history, the people of God needed an intermediate between them and God. The people never had direct access to God without fear of death. Now, Jesus would restore the line of access between the people and God. Now we can go to the Father on our own. We can beseech the Lord with the desires of our hearts.

It is out of this relationship that Jesus finds peace in the midst of what He is about to face. In the same manner, we can come to have peace as a result of knowing the Father. When you recognize who is in control, your heart can be set at peace even in the most trying circumstances.

This truth is even set further in stone as a result of the work of Jesus. He has overcome the world. Our trust in Christ is trust placed in the One who is not going to be victorious but rather who is already victorious.

We will scatter, worry, fret, and even doubt in times of trial, but our perspective must shift back to the Lord’s perspective. This is how we give testimony to the work of Christ.