'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 ESV
The word “peace” is an interesting one in the context of the Bible. The peace spoken of in the Scriptures is not one without conflict. That is, when Jesus speaks of peace, as he does in the above verse, he’s not offering reassurance that troubles will not come. The peace of Jesus is not a promise that bad things won’t come our way, but it is rather a promise that, no matter how bad they will get, they will not overcome us.
Peace exists in troubled times, not times without trouble.
In the passage, Jesus’ encouragement has always stuck with me: “Take heart.” What a beautiful command. But what does it mean to “take heart?” In Greek, it is θαῤσέω, which means “to be of good cheer.”
How wonderful that even in the troubles of this life, through Him, we can be of good cheer.
Finally, there is an equally unique quality to the closing words of Christ in this passage: “I have overcome the world.” The conjugation of the verb remains between English and Greek, but the verb “have overcome,” in English, is not truly a 1:1 translation to the Greek νενίκηκα, which means “to conquer.” Christ here is not only talking about conquering (overcoming) the tribulations of this world, but he is speaking in what the Greek language calls the “present perfect indicative tense.” This tense represents an action that was completed in the past, but its results are still evident in the present.
Isn’t that such a beautiful picture of grace? And what a reason for cheer! That, because of what he did, the troubles of the world cannot touch us. So, today, take heart, and remember that He has won.
To Him be the power, the glory, and the kingdom forever.
So be it and let it be.
Amen.