John 16:33 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
Recently, on a Sunday morning at my home church I saw a dad and his son. The son is maybe five-years-old, and he is a spitting image of his dad. He is his dad in miniature. Many times you see such a pair, a dad and son or mom and daughter, and you think, “I know who he or she belongs to.” It’s obvious. You look at this kid, and you know exactly who his parents are. It may be something visual or something in their speech or personality, but you think, “Wow, I know who they belong to.” It should be the same with you and me. If we belong to the Lord, it should be obvious. There should be something that is pointing people to the peace and guidance that God gives. We belong to the Lord.
In John 16:33 Jesus ends this passage by saying, “These things have I 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.” So, I am either living in Christ or I am living in the world. Now, all of us are obviously in the world, but is the world in us? Is Christ in us and are we abiding in Him? The essence of the Christian’s life is Christ’s life. Christ’s life is the essence of the Christian life.
You find that to be true when it comes to the matter of persecution. In John 15:21 Jesus says, “But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.” Jesus is talking about the hatred that the followers of Jesus are to endure. Jesus says, “If the world hates you, you know it hated Me before it hated you.” No one wants persecution, and I don’t think we should seek it. We don’t need to seek persecution; we need to seek Jesus Christ. But it may well be that seeking Christ will bring to us opposition and trouble that we would not otherwise have. That is okay because the very essence of the Christian life is Christ’s life. You see that in persecution.
You see that when it comes to prayer. In John 15:7 and 16 Jesus indicates that prayer is a matter of getting answers from God because of the Son, that whatever we ask of the Father in Jesus’ name, He will give it to us. Again, in John 16:24 Jesus says, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” First John talks about things that were written that our joy might be full.
I don’t receive opposition because I am so incorrigible; I receive opposition because I am doing the right thing, following Jesus. When I have my prayers answered, it is not because I am a great person. My prayers are answered because I am in Christ. So, I can ask in His name when it is something that He would want to grant. I don’t always know what it is that He would want, but I can figure it out if I look to Christ and not to myself when I pray. So, prayer is a function of the life of Christ.
Peace is a function of Christ’s life and what He affords. In verse 33 He says, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation.” Well, Jesus has overcome the world.
So, persecution comes because of Christ. Prayer is answered because of Christ. Peace comes because of Christ. Just as a child may look just like his parent, similarly our lives should be in the image of Christ’s life. We should abide in Christ. We should find our life, our guidance, our answers, and our peace in Jesus Christ because Christ’s life is the essence of the Christian life.