John 16:25-33 CSB
"I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. [26] On that day you will ask in my name, and I am not telling you that I will ask the Father on your behalf. [27] For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. [28] I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father." [29] His disciples said, "Look, now you're speaking plainly and not using any figurative language. [30] Now we know that you know everything and don't need anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God." [31] Jesus responded to them, "Do you now believe? [32] Indeed, an hour is coming, and has come, when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. [33] I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."
Luke 24:18-21 CSB
The one named Cleopas answered him, "Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn't know the things that happened there in these days?" [19] "What things?" he asked them. So they said to him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people, [20] and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. [21] But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it's the third day since these things happened.
Conquered the World
In the Lord, our faith becomes our strength. We are not just followers; we are children of a good Father who loves us with a special intensity and delights in giving blessings to us. Just as He revealed His compassionate nature to Moses in Exodus 34:5–7, the Creator of the Universe still leans down to hear the deepest desires of those who are in Christ.
The easiest way Satan can weaken the testimony of a believer, even to the point of turning away, is by attacking the faith that the believer has laid claim to. When this happens, our armor becomes tarnished, our words grow shakingly unsure, and the banner we hold for the Lord becomes tattered. To counter this, we must guard our faith with the same pure sincerity with which a small child believes.
This battle for our focus began long ago. Just as the Evil One deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden, he still seeks to weaken us through deception—often through the false words of wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing. We see this today when we put sports stars, singers, or actors on a pedestal and listen to their words over God’s. We see it in false religions that contain just enough truth to be dangerous. When we chase after the things Satan dangles in front of us instead of trusting God, a dark shadow falls on the soul. It is a sobering and terrible thing when a Christian struggles with faith.
Jesus again tells His followers to ask in His name. We are special to the Father, and He hears us. Prayers are powerful. As humans, we sometimes think we are above failure. We think, “Maybe others will stumble, Lord, but not me.” This is exactly what happened with the disciples. They finally thought they understood. They saw Jesus speaking plainly about coming from the Father and returning to Him.
This truth of Jesus having the essence of the Father is captured beautifully in the Nicene Creed:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth… and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father… who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven…
Jesus is not a created being; He is born of the Father, God’s only Son, returning to His Father in Heaven.
The followers of Jesus are like school children who think they are ready for a test, only to have the teacher tell them they are not. Jesus tells them plainly of their coming failure—perhaps to increase their faith later when He shows victory over death and the followers knowing that Jesus knows all things.
He warns them that their faith will be shipwrecked and they will scatter. We see the result of this in Luke 24 on the road to Emmaus. Cleopas, speaking to the risen Lord without realizing who He is, says with a heavy heart: “But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel.” Their “hope” had been buried in the tomb with Jesus.
But Jesus restores faith. He did this for Cleopas and He does it for us. He shows power over the world and power over death. He takes us to be with Him, and in Him, we have nothing to fear. We have peace. When the strong ocean billows and the waves try to splinter the body, Jesus will see us through—not by our power, but by His. He has conquered the world.
Reflection Questions
- Are there voices in culture (celebrities, media, or “wolves in sheep’s clothing”) that you have allowed to tarnish your armor or make your words for the Lord unsure?
- Have you ever experienced a “Luke 24” moment where your hope felt shipwrecked because things didn’t happen on your timeline? How did the Lord eventually show His victory in that situation?
- Jesus says the Father loves you because you have loved the Son. Does knowing you have a “direct line” to the Father change the way you handle the “suffering in this world”?
Prayer
Father,
I thank You for Your grace. I thank You for being a Father who hears my deepest desires and loves me with a special love. Forgive me for the times I have put the world on a pedestal and ignored Your voice. Strengthen my armor today. When the storms of life billow and try to splinter me, help me to stand firm in the peace that Jesus has already conquered the world. I don’t rely on my own strength to stay afloat, but on Your power to see me through.
Amen.
