Opening the news app first thing in the morning can be one of our biggest mistakes. When we read about what is happening in our nation, not to mention worldwide, it is easy to allow sadness and discouragement to cloud our day. The world seems so troubled with people hating and hurting each other and natural disasters compounding that grief.
As troubled as our world may seem, we can know that we are not alone in our feelings. The disciples of Jesus also felt overwhelmed with the troubles of their world. In John 14-16, Jesus had just told his disciples that He would be leaving them and that they would face persecution from those who had hated Him. In John 16:6, Jesus acknowledged their fear, saying, “because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.” Yet Jesus did not just leave them with this troubling news. In John 16, Jesus gave His fearful disciples the formula for joy in a troubled world. The world may have been troubled, but they did not have to be. Like the disciples, we can have joy in a troubled world for four specific reasons that Jesus gives us in John 16.
First, we can have joy in a troubled world because the Holy Spirit’s ministry is working within us. After acknowledging the disciples fear about the troubled world He was leaving them to, Jesus told them about the “Comforter” that would come to “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” (John 16:7-8) They would not be left in this troubled world alone because they would have the ministry of the Holy Spirit working inside of them. John 16:13 says, “Howebeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” In Acts, we can see the mighty effect of the Holy Spirit’s ministry within the disciples and how it turned the world upside down for Jesus Christ! We have this same Holy Spirit power working within us! This Holy Spirit, this Comforter, can guide us to the truth and give us insight about the future. With the Holy Spirit’s filling, we can have a whole new world of wisdom and discernment opened to us that we wouldn’t have otherwise. As it was for the disciples, this is cause for us to have joy in a troubled world.
In addition to the Holy Spirit’s ministry, we have the promise of Christ’s imminent return. When Jesus told His disciples that He would soon be leaving them, they responded with fear and questions. In response, Jesus said, “Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned to joy.” (John 16:19-20) How could their sorrow over losing Jesus be turned into joy? Because that would not be the last that they would see of Him! Jesus continued in verse 22, “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” For those of us who have never seen Jesus before, this is an even more astounding and blessed promise. While we may sorrow over the troubles plaguing this world, we can have joy in the promise that Jesus will return at any moment. Our job is simply to be busy about His work so that, when He comes, we will be ready to meet Him! The world may take many precious things from us, but this joy—this Jesus—they cannot take away. They tried before when they nailed Him to a cross, and the disciples were afraid that maybe evil had succeeded in taking Jesus from them. Yet they were all proven wrong when Jesus rose from the grave three days later! Just as surely as Jesus rose from the dead according to His promise, we can know that Jesus is coming back for us according to His promise.
Yet another reason for joy in a troubled world, found in John 16, is the power of prayer. The disciples were afraid of Jesus’ physical absence, but Jesus assured them that His absence in body did not mean His absence in spirit. The end of their relationship on earth was not the end of their relationship. In John 16:24, Jesus said, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” Unlike any time before in history, the disciples would soon have direct access to the throne of God through the name of Jesus Christ. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection on our behalf, we can ask to have Jesus’ righteousness placed on our account. When we make that decision, God no longer sees a sinner but a child of His, a coequal heir with Christ the Son! How amazing is that! And this gift also comes with the privilege of prayer. As Jesus explained to His disciples, “At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.” (John 16:26) On our own merit, our prayers avail nothing. Yet when we go on Christ’s merit, He becomes our righteousness and our intercessor with God the Father. Christ gains us the grace of God the Father. When we pray, not in our own strength, but in the name of Jesus, we can know that we have access to the ear and power of God.
This leads us to a fourth reason for joy in a troubled world: we are overcomers in Christ. The disciples were understandably fearful of Christ’s leaving and of the coming persecution. Yet Jesus reminded them that He had told them these things to prepare them, not to scare them. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Jesus did not promise the disciples a trouble-free world, but He did promise them peace. Jesus did not promise us a challenge-free life, but He did promise us victory. Because we are in Christ, we are allowed to benefit from His victory over sin, death, and despair. Because Christ conquered sin, we do not have to be conquered by sin either. Because death did not have the last word on Christ, death will not have the last word on you or me either. In Christ, we are overcomers! Because Christ holds us in the palm of His hand (John 10:28), the troubles of this world have no hold on us. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess the truth that we already know—that Jesus Christ is Lord! We know the end of the story. We are overcomers, and that is a reason for joy every day.
So, the next time this troubled world gets you down, realize that you can have joy mingled with the sorrow. It’s okay to be sad over sin and death in this world, but it’s not okay to despair. Our sorrow is extremely temporary. Evil will not win. Jesus gave us at least four good reasons to live a joyful life in a troubled world. Remember: the Holy Spirit is working in you, the return of Christ is imminent, prayer is powerful, and you are an overcomer in Christ!