He Has Overcome

Read This Week: John 16

“Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. “A time is coming and 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 you may have peace in me. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:31-33 NIV

John 16 is a gripping and suspenseful chapter for the disciples. Jesus tells them what life will be like when ascends back to the Father, leaving them on earth to carry out His mission. He does not sugarcoat it for them and says they will suffer persecution and opposition from the authorities and religious leaders and experience grief, unlike anything they’ve dealt with. The Lord is preparing their hearts for the glorious ministry of the gospel and warning them that there will be a cost to proclaiming and living out God’s truth.

But Jesus doesn’t foreshadow all this without a promise of His presence and power. He tells them in verse 7 of sending an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to guide their lives and ministries. Verses 13-14 lays it out like this:

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak what he hears and 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. 

The Savior also assures them of His sustaining presence by giving them what they need for the journey. All they have to do is ask in His name, and Father God will provide. He declares in verses 23-24 that the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Ask, and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. The assurance of God’s spiritual provision was a pledge to give the disciples and all other followers of Jesus joy and peace when everything around them would suggest otherwise.

And these are the promises and affirmations that God gives us today. As we read this passage, we are in front of Jesus as he taught and encouraged His followers. We relate to his prediction that suffering and trials would come and experience comfort when He said our sorrow turns to joy. We find inspiration in His promise that the Holy Spirit is active and will be our Helper at all times. We find boldness in His proclamation that truth will always guide the way. Most importantly, we are lifted by the hope that Christ has overcome it all. His resurrection power has overcome the fallenness that invades and plagues this life.

He has overcome relational discord. He has overcome hunger and poverty. He has overcome politics and in-fighting. He has overcome senseless violence. He has overcome disease, depression, and shame. He has overcome tragedy and confusion. He has overcome sin. Take heart; he has overcome the world. It was true that day in the first century. It is true today at the end of 2022 and will be true in the future. He has overcome.

6 Comments

  1. Heidi on December 30, 2022 at 10:15 am

    John 16:7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the [a]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].

    What God was saying to me
    Jesus had to leave them He had to die otherwise there would be no salvation for us.
    And He had to return to Me so that the Holy Spirit could come to to us all. Then who ever believes in in Jesus will can know Him personally by means of My Holy Spirit.
    I have given you My Holy Spirit so you know the truth about Jesus and Me.
    So when you know you can share the good news that they too can have a wonderful life with us. There will be tribulations and hard things that come from this world but I am with you and My Holy Spirit will help you to understand what you read in the Bible and help you to grow in My ways which is good for you so keep seeking, listening and responding to Me.
    I love you ❤️

    What that means to me is I have been blessed by being a child of God and Father God blessed me with a great example of who Jesus is and I have His Holy Spirit living in me He helps me, counsels me guides me, comforts me the list goes on!
    My favorite part is when I get prompted to share Jesus with someone
    Thank you Father God I Love you so Much❤️

  2. Heidi on December 30, 2022 at 3:11 pm

    I love this song
    In everything that goes on in our life it’s all about worship and be led by the Holy Spirit
    And trusting in Him to help us because He is our friend and He loves up too.

    Spirit Lead Me

    This is my worship, this is my offering
    In every moment, I withhold nothing
    I’m learning to trust You, even when I can’t see it
    And even in suffering, I have to believe it
    If You say, “It’s wrong, ” then I’ll say, “No”
    If You say “Release, ” I’m letting go
    If You’re in it with me, I’ll begin
    And when You say to jump, I’m diving in
    If You say, “Be still, ” then I will wait
    If You say to trust, I will obey
    I don’t wanna follow my own ways
    I’m done chasing feelings, Spirit lead me
    O Spirit lead me
    It felt like a burden, but once I could grasp it
    You took me further, further than I was asking
    And simply to see You
    It’s worth it all
    My life is an altar
    Let Your fire fall
    If You say, “It’s wrong, ” then I’ll say, “No”
    If You say, “Release, ” I’m letting go
    If You’re in it with me, I’ll begin
    And when You say to jump, I’m diving in
    If You say, “Be still, ” then I will wait
    If You say to trust, I will obey
    Teach me how to follow in Your way
    I’m done chasing feelings, Spirit lead me
    Holy (Spirit, Spirit lead me)
    Holy Spirit (Holy Spirit, Spirit lead me)
    (Yeah, just sing it out, yeah)
    O Spirit lead me (Holy Spirit, Spirit lead me)
    When all hope is gone and Your Word is all I’ve got
    I have to believe, You still bring water from the rock
    To satisfy my thirst, to love me at my worst
    And even when I don’t remember, You remind me of my worth
    I don’t trust my ways, I’m trading in my faults
    I lay down everything ’cause You’re all that I want
    I’ve landed on my knees
    This is the cup You have for me
    And even when it don’t make sense
    I’m gonna let Your Spirit lead (Spirit lead me)
    I’m gonna let Your Spirit lead (Spirit lead me)
    I’m gonna let Your Spirit lead (Spirit lead me)
    I wanna let Your Spirit lead (Spirit lead me)
    Spirit lead me, yeah, O
    Spirit lead me
    Spirit lead me (Holy Spirit)
    Spirit lead me
    If You say, “It’s wrong, ” then I’ll say, “No”
    If You say, “Release, ” I’m letting go
    If You’re in it with me, I’ll begin
    And when You say to jump, I’m diving in
    If You say, “Be still, ” then I will wait
    If You say to trust, I will obey
    You’re the only Truth, the Life, the Way
    I’m done chasing feelings, Spirit lead me, yeah
    Yeah, yeah
    O (Spirit lead me)
    Spirit, O Spirit lead me (Spirit lead me)
    Spirit lead me (Spirit lead me)
    Even when it don’t make sense
    Ohh (Spirit lead me)
    I’m gonna trust in You, I’m gonna trust in You (Spirit lead me)
    Oh, yeah (Holy Spirit)
    Spirit lead me

  3. Jeri Centers on January 1, 2023 at 9:56 am

    John 16 verse 33
    A peaceful mind is full of calm the word of God is healing. Don’t fret just put your trust in Him.
    A peaceful heart is full of ease. It’s not to the world instead in Jesus completely transformed.

    Gods saying
    A peaceful life, is a life worth living.
    So pray for everything and feel
    My peace through it all.

  4. Alma on January 2, 2023 at 8:27 pm

    This week I have a song in John 1

    We worship you worship you we worship you our Lord you’re our counselor our teacher of truth our helper who will guide us through with you we can accomplish so much more your our light in the darkness Your our joy in sadness your our healer when we are broken we are blessed because your spirit lives in us helping us through trials tribulations getting closer to you we worship you we worship you we worship you our Lord amen

    Our Lord loves us so much he wants the best for you and me. It’s about having a relationship talking listening and doing. He has a plan for all of us. Thank you Lord we love you Amen

  5. Javaid on January 3, 2023 at 4:21 pm

    God took my attention to John 16 verses 20-22
    20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 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. 22 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.

    What God said to me about this is:
    “You know we’ve always talked about friction. Friction is what makes the tires rotate and vehicle move on the ground. Sometimes there is hardship in place so that Joy can be overwhelmingly amazing. When you work out your muscles you are in pain in the moment but rejoice at your health and results. The same goes for your working with Me. You may have challenges in life but they are NOTHING compared to the wealth of joy you will receive for hurdling over those challenges with Me.”

    God makes our footsteps lighter and our speed faster. When we have challenges to face they are much less daunting with God. With God we can “view obstacles as exciting rather than dreadful. Perceive them as fun and necessary rather than frustrating. Know they were put there by God for your benefit”. I always go back to knowing that when there’s pain there is joy ready to greatly overshadow that pain, but the pain is necessary. When we have God with us we are unstoppable and will turn the largest mountain into a grain of sand to overcome.

  6. reachchurch on January 8, 2023 at 12:33 pm

    This Week in the Life: John 16

    For the best experience, we suggest you listen to the first song, the message, and the second song.

    1. Sunday Worship: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-01-Woeship1.wav
    2. Sunday Message: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-01-Message.wav
    3. Sunday Worship: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-01-Worship2.wav

    Join the Party Line Live – Schedule: https://reachchurch.org/connect

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