overcoming

Here on earth you will have many trials. But take heart, for I have overcome the world.

John 16:33b

Jesus said this to His disciples late on the night before He died.

They had left the upper room where they had observed the Passover.

They were headed to the Garden of Gethsemane.

All along the way, Jesus had been stopping & starting an ongoing narrative;

kind of a series of last minute instructions, encouragements, & warnings.

Jesus knew what kind of despair His disciples would face in the next few days.

Their whole world would come crashing down.

But with these few words, He encourages them, in the hopes they will remember what He said, as they was through His death but also experience His resurrection.

But was Jesus just talking about those 3 days?

Probably not.

He also knew what His disciples would face in the days, months, & years ahead.

He knew all the stuff they would face,

He knew all the people they would encounter,

& He saw all the things the devil would fling at them over time to discourage & defeat them.

He wanted to tell them something they could hold on to.

But was Jesus just talking to His disciples?

Probably not.

I'm sure Jesus knew that John would record what He, Jesus, had said.

Jesus knew & knows all the stuff we each would face,

& the people we would & will encounter,

& saw & sees all the things the devil would & will fling at us over time to discourage & defeat us.

Jesus has told us something to hold on to as we walk through this life.

He tells us He's got our back.

All those things that try to overcome us He has already overcome for us.

How does that work?

I just now googled “overcome”.

It's defined as:

succeeding in dealing with a problem or difficulty,

defeating or prevailing over some one or some thing.

Jesus says He's dealt with the the things we face.

He knows whats going on in our lives, & will know what will happen.

He knows we're having & gonna have all kinds of stuff happen to us.

Some translations have Him saying, “fear not”,

or “be of good cheer”,

or “be brave”,

or “never lose heart”.

He has the situation under control.

I don't know where you are in your life.

I know that I need to read those words every day.

Maybe you can hold on to those words, too,

as you pass through life with it's up & downs,

triumphs & crashes,

good times & bad.

Maybe I should have that tattooed on one side on my ribs, or maybe on my chest.

Hmmmm... That might be problematic.

If I start doing that, given all the verses in the Bible I hang on to, I think I'm gonna quickly run out of space!

I'd end up with 2 sleeves, 2 legs, & a torso front & back!!!

Never mind...

Maybe I'll just memorize it ;-)