The Gospel of John: Come and See the Overcomer

Sunday we enter the last discourse of Jesus before his betrayal and crucifixion. It is a warning to the disciples that the world will not receive them. Their ministry for Christ will not be welcomed because those who do not believe will not merely reject their message and work, but it will oppose it. In fact, the world will believe they are serving God by opposing them. This religious zealotry will cost the disciples, some will lose their lives.

This warning is given so that the disciples can calibrate their expectations for the work they will engage in. Those who serve Jesus faithfully will not be the celebrated heroes of the culture. Rather, they will be the celebrated martyrs for Christ. Jesus accompanies this calibration with hope in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will not only equip them for the work, but he will engage the world with truth in such a way as to bring conviction.

In all the trouble that the disciples, and by extension the church, will face, Jesus ends with powerful words, “I have said these to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33). We don’t go looking for trouble, but as the Spirit brings conviction to the world, we anticipate being despised. But Christ has overcome and the day will come, when every knee will bow. So as you come to worship, join together in praise the One who has overcome for us.