Tribulation

Do you ever think about all the times you have been discouraged?  Discouragement is a part of life, happening after sin entered into the world.  I don’t believe there has ever been a person that didn’t experience disappointment and discouragement in some way, if they had the privilege of walking the earth.

I think even Jesus went through discouragement at times, having to deal with fallen man.  Jesus said to His disciples, after teaching on different subjects, in John 16:29-33, “His disciples said, ‘Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe? Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.’”

At the time, Jesus was talking to His disciples, but we know that we as believers would experience these same things mainly because of the enemy of our souls.  He controls the non-believer and causes hatred between non-believers and believers by blinding their eyes to the Truth.  In the previous chapter Jesus warns the disciples about the hatred of the world when He said this in 15:17-25, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘ A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’”   

As long as Christians and Non-Christians live together there will be tension, strife and tribulation.  Jesus experienced it and the disciples did also and so will we.  Many times in church we are painted a much better picture about how life will be as a believer, but Jesus didn’t water down the Truth, He told it the way it was, He was not trying to lull His disciples to sleep.  He was preparing them for the battle of their lives and also preparing us, praise His holy name!

In 16:1-4 Jesus said this, “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you,” so that they, and we also, would be fully prepared for the battle that lay ahead of them, and us.

What these disciples needed was a Comforter because Jesus was going to leave them but He was not going to leave them all alone.  Jesus said this to them also in 16:6-7, “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”

Then He went on to say this in verses 19-20, “Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, ‘Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.’”

This was fulfilled in Acts 2, when all the disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter had come and the disciples were empowered and even though they faced trials, tribulation and persecution, they had the peace and joy that surpasses understanding in their hearts and lives, praise the Lord!  We believers today have that same Comforter to comfort and empower us, so that we can be overcomers also, and we can be of good cheer like Jesus said when He said, “be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.”  Because Jesus overcame, we can overcome and be victorious also.

So, let us walk in the Spirit and we will not glorify the desires of the flesh and the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, will help us overcome the world.  Hallelujah, praise the Lord!!  Something to think about, have a great day and may God bless you and yours!!