John
16:29-33
His disciples said, "Ah, now you are speaking plainly,
not in any figure! Now we know that you know all things, and need none to
question you; by this we believe that you came from God." Jesus answered
them, "Do you now believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when
you will be scattered, every man to his home, and will leave me alone; yet I am
not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said this to you, that in me
you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I
have overcome the world."
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How did Jesus convince his disciples that he was the eternal
Son of God? Jesus could read their hearts like an open book. He answered their
questions before they could even speak them out. And he showed them the glory
of God. For a Christian, believing in God cannot be separated from believing in
the One he sent into the world, his "beloved Son", in whom the Father
is "well pleased." We can believe in Jesus and in the words he speaks
because he is himself God, the Word made flesh. Since he "has seen the
Father," and is "one with the Father," Jesus is the only one who
knows the Father as he truly is and can reveal him to us. Our faith is
"certain" because it is founded on the very Word of God who cannot
lie. Faith is already the beginning of eternal life. Do you nourish and
strengthen your faith with the word of God?
In spite of their belief, Jesus warned his disciples that
their faith would be put to the test and that they would fail. Jesus spoke
plainly about the tragedy of betrayal and the triumph of the cross. Jesus knew
the hearts of his disciples better than they knew. He knew they would desert
him in his hour of trial. Such knowledge could have easily led to bitterness
and rejection. Jesus met the injury of betrayal and disloyalty with supreme
love and trust in his disciples. He loved his disciples to the very end even
when they left him alone to die on the cross. He knew that the cross would not
bring defeat but victory over sin and death. Jesus speaks the same word to
us today. "My love for you is unconditional and I will never
abandon you." While we cannot avoid all pain and suffering in this life,
Jesus, nonetheless assures us that he will guide us safely through any
difficulty or trial we may have to undergo for his sake. Jesus calls each of us
to take courage, because he has overcome the world. The Holy Spirit gives us a
living hope in the power of the resurrection and a confident trust in God's
abiding presence. Nothing can overcome this faith and hope in Christ's victory
– no trial, suffering, temptation, or testing. The Holy Spirit gives us the
strength and courage we need to overcome adversity and to persevere in faith.
Do you believe that nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ
Jesus?
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"Lord Jesus, help me to trust in your saving
power, especially when I meet adversities and trials. Give me your peace when I
am troubled and let me know the joy of your victory over sin and death."
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