Songs are powerful.
Have you ever had the experience of walking through a store on a normal day when a song comes on that just transports you to another time and another place? Maybe it reminded you of your childhood or a High School sweetheart. Maybe it reminded you of your college days or when your eyes were bright, and the world was your oyster.
Songs are powerful because they convey our emotions and memories. But in a general sense, our song is also a way of expressing the joy in our hearts. As Jesus-followers, our “song” is one of hope in Jesus and the faith that He will see us through.
In the last few hours before His death, Jesus is encouraging His disciples. He has taught so much, but their sadness was heavy in the room. They understood that He was going away. They knew He was going to be betrayed. But for all they knew, there was so much more they didn’t. Jesus continues in John 16:29-33:
Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”
John 16:29-33
“Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. “A time is coming and in fact 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 that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
New International Version
The disciples confess a new level of belief (as best as they could) in verses 29 and 30 because Jesus spoke without metaphors and similes. But as it’s been said, “No misunderstanding is more pathetic than that which thinks it no longer exists.” They really didn’t get it, and they didn’t even know that they didn’t know.
Jesus dropped the bomb on their so-called understanding by explaining the reversal of their confidence. In verse 32, Jesus said, “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered…”.
Instead of believing and standing with Him, they would, in fact, be scattered. And they would be scattered in a matter of hours from this conversation. The disciples would leave Him alone. They would abandon Him.
Yet, there is an important point to be made here, fellow disciples of Jesus. The glue of Christianity is not our willingness to “stick it out with Jesus.” The glue of Christianity is Jesus sticking it out with us.
Jesus wasn’t really abandoned because the Father was with Him. This was HIS plan, after all. This was THE PLAN for all eternity. Jesus told us these things so we could have peace. In this world, we’ll have trouble…we need peace. And the peace He gives is the reality that HE will see us through. Just as Jesus saw His mission of love carried through ALL THE WAY to Calvary, He will see you through too.
We struggle when we face trouble in this life. Perhaps our lives here are so hard because we are convinced that life is supposed to be easy. Some parts of Christianity attempt to convince us that we will supersede difficulties if we have enough faith. Yet, Jesus told us we WILL have trouble in this life (verse 33).
That doesn’t mean we aren’t victorious because we get Jesus and Heaven in the end. That doesn’t mean our lives will be immune from trouble.
Pressure does strange things to people. Pressure has caused people to leave their faith in Jesus and disown Him. Pressure has even caused some to profess “Jesus as Lord” under protest. These sad stories are repeated daily around the world. Our lives as Christians will not always be easy.
Nevertheless, our song doesn’t need to be diminished. We can sing from our hearts and sing loudly because of His victory.
“Take heart!” Jesus said in verse 33, “I have overcome the world.” Evil has been defeated, dear Christian. The war has already been won. Whatever the trouble we face in this world, we can have peace in Him because of His victory.
So strike up the band in your heart and let your song sing in your heart, on your face, and in your actions toward others. Our song is the song of victory!
Life Meets Theology 