INTRODUCTION
At least once a season we get into the car and work our way over to Seaway Drive to head downtown to the arena for a Muskegon Lumberjacks game. Hockey begins with a faceoff – all eyes of the roaring crowd are on the two hockey players facing each other from the opposing teams. Then the referee standing in between them drops the puck – and from the start of the quick reflexes and swing of the hockey sticks whoever gains control of the puck gains the advantage for their entire team. That one player overcoming the other in that one moment can make or break the outcome of the game.
Trouble in the Text
As Jesus is preparing not for his arrival, but his exit from the world – Jesus, the center of his disciple’s world tells them, in John 16:33 “I have told you these things (about my exit and my return), so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!.”
To overcome – to get the better in a conflict, to prevail over surmounting challenges, to gain the victory, to win against an opponent. To overcome requires a minimum of two parties like the hockey faceoff. based on these definitions.
Christ versus the world. But what world is Christ talking about? It’s not the John 3:16 world where Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,f that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. The overcoming Christ speaks to is the world of sin and pain an inferior creation blueprint of evil that seeks victory over Jesus and his disciples.
But then notice how amazing it is as to the verbal tense Christ uses. I have overcome the world. It is not a past tense – but at the same time the perfect tense used here is equivalent to the outcome being already in effect in present time. Christ doesn’t speak in a future tense in spite of the fact that his arrest, the crucifixion, the grave, the resurrection, the appearances, the ascension – none of that has taken place yet. It’s as if Christ senses his disciples encouragement can’t wait – they need it right now given their whole picture of the future has changed because to their eyes it will seem for a time that the world has won the faceoff against Christ.
But that word overcome is at the same time not to be underestimated. Christ doesn’t use a future tense that one day, he will overcome the world. Nor does Jesus speak tentatively to his disciples – confiding in them that he hopes he has the ability to overcome the world. Christ speaks definitively that he has overcome the world! And in turn, Christ’s overcoming the world was the good news – to soothe their anxieties in advance when their eyes would deceive them as it would seem for a time that the world had won the faceoff against Christ with the suffering death on the cross though that was God’s plan for bringing him here to earth in the first place. Jesus in turn tells his disciples this to replace their anxieties with a much-needed spiritual peace.
Meanwhile, we stand on the other side of time – Christ’s birth, his ministry, the arrest, the crucifixion, the grave, his glorious resurrection and his ascension -and we are in the midst of the Second Advent awaiting Christ’s return. His words spoken in John 16:33 still echo from when they were first spoken – I have overcome the world. Yet where we stand now it seems that our faceoff with the world is perpetually ongoing. More and more it feels like we are the underdog as immorality gets the upperhand with legislation that makes evil in God’s eyes appear to look good and even essential – and our defense of what is good under opposition. Michigan voters sadly accepted proposal 3 to codify the right to an abortion. Depending on interpretation to be determined, it has wide ranging impact on parental rights. Then another faceoff in the making with The Respect for Marriage Act – offering protections to marriage outside of God’s blueprint between one man and woman – And then the stakes on our anxieties are raised exponentially when we know someone personally who is same sex attracted or gender challenged. We struggle to hold up what is right while still embracing those we love so dearly. Against the outside critics and advisors as to what we should or shouldn’t do, this is where it is intensely personal – It feels like faceoff after faceoff the puck is dropping and caught in the chaos of it all.
From the church side, that from our viewpoint, the world has the advantage where it seems with our own eyes that we are on the losing team. The world has overcome us. And in turn we get filled with all sorts of anxieties and handwringing. The church in decline that no longer holds relevance to the world. Disregarded for moral guidance we have lost our place wrestling with what it means.
But that word overcome is at the same time not to be underestimated. Christ doesn’t use a future tense that one day, he will overcome the world. Nor does Jesus speak tentatively to his disciples – confiding in them that he hopes he has the ability to overcome the world. Christ speaks definitively that he has overcome the world!
It is symbolized with our Advent services and the earlier video where Christ overcomes the overwhelming pace of our anxieties if we would just slow down enough to hear the echoes of his voice spoken to his disciples. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart – I have overcome the world. I have told you all this so that you might have peace in me.
But unlike the disciples did in their day, we don’t have Christ incrnate – in the flesh here among us to soothe our anxieties with those words. Would like some of the cards now sent in the mail that there were an actual voice recording of his voice that opening the precious card would trigger. A go to we could keep on the mantle or on the refrigerator every time it felt like the body of Christ, his church lost another faceoff against the world.
In actuality, the Spirit inspired living Scripture provides us with the go to – forcing us simply to pause, slow down, and quit being overwhelmed by the circumstances we face in our corporate lives as the church and our individual lives as we fight for the win in personal challenges to be overcome. These verses form a precious hand me down to be regifted again and again. Listen as the promise of God’s peace is offered not just once but twice in our favor:
The first comes in verse 7 - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
This is the peace offered to us in the first finished Advent of Jesus Christ where in his ministry he gave us the precious gift of teaching his disciples to pray. Paul picks this up again with the Philippians with all their faceoffs it seemed where they were up against the world to make these faceoffs and ongoing focus of prayer. We come out of sincerity with all our anxieties and concerns and thanksgivings for the church and our own personal faceoffs and the pledge is we will come away at greater peace than when we first went in.
The second promise of peace occurs in verse 9 - 8 FinallyF brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. 9 Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Along with the lesson taught by Christ how to pray in his first advent – these verses point us to what we are to do in our faceoffs as we wait for the completion of the second advent to take place. It’s where the Spirit helps focus our mindset to stay the course and not throw in the towel where it seems the world opposed to Christ has won the upper hand. Furthermore God reveals in his word through prophecy and the revelation of John’s visions that if there is any doubt as to who wins the faceoff against the church – there will be no doubt whatsoever – Christ has overcome the world and with his victory comes a much needed peace that has been long promised.
It’s the proclamation of the angels to shepherds that the bringer of peace to the world has arrived. He is coming again to finalize it. If only we could just pause and slow down enough to take enjoyment in it already now.
‘Blessing and Glory and Wisdom and Thanksgiving and Honor and Power and Might be to Our God Forever and Ever!’: And because he has so will we
