Easter

Happy Easter! I hope you have a great experience today as you celebrate the greatest event of all time. Today I want to show you something I found fascinating in the Easter story. I've seen it many, many times, but this time I noticed something odd.

It's down to the last few days before the crucifixion. Jesus is preparing his disciples for his death, for his resurrection, for that first Easter. In John chapter 16 is all about Jesus preparing the disciples for what is about to happen. I'll read a small part beginning in verse 1.

Jesus said, "I've said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. They'll put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. And they'll do this because they have not known the Father or me. But I've said these things to you so that when the hour comes you may remember that I told you about them."

Jesus goes on to say, "In a little while I'll be gone, a little while I'll be back," and they didn't understand. Read chapter 16. It ends this way. Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, and," and let me stop there, because Jesus goes on, but let me stop there. This isn't the odd part.

Jesus is telling his disciples to remember his words, to cling to his teaching, because they would have tribulation, and they did. There would be trouble, and there was. In just a few short days his disciples would see Jesus die on a cross, tribulation like they couldn't imagine: God on a cross.

Tribulation continues to this day, doesn't it? Jesus was right, then and now. There is trouble, there is tribulation everywhere. There's trouble on a global scale, and there's trouble on our individual scales as well. We've all been hurt, haven't we? Wounded, frightened, perplexed, depressed, discouraged, disappointed.

"In this world you will have tribulation." I wonder how the prosperity gospel preachers deal with this text. I doubt they do. Let me read to you the last words of John 16:33. We've done the first part. "These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

I love the last part: "But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Here's the odd part to me. Jesus said "I have overcome the world" before he was arrested, before the crucifixion, before the resurrection, before the first Easter. Doesn't this sound like something that he should say after the stone was rolled away? "I have overcome the world." That's the message of Easter, but he said it before Easter.

I've never paid much attention to that before. To Jesus it was all part of God's plan: his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection. Jesus is so sure of the future that he speaks as if the deed was already done. This makes the Easter story more amazing to me. Jesus knew what was about to happen. He knew all about it.

He tried to tell his disciples, but they couldn't fathom it. I believe that Jesus had to tell them this. In the days ahead they'd see him take his last breath, they'd see him placed in a tomb, they'd hide in fear in an upper room. Yet a seed was planted: "I have overcome the world." They were for a while focused on the tribulation, but they were soon to learn the truth that he had overcome the world.

In Luke 24 we read it, we read these words: "On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they," several women, "came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. Well, they were perplexed about this. Suddenly two men in dazzling clothes," angels, "stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but he has risen.'"

The angels could have added, "He has overcome the world." He did. You know, it really doesn't matter how this world today is going. He wins in the end. Jesus wins. Do you want peace in your life, tranquility in the midst of turmoil? Believe in Jesus.

Trust him with your life, with every circumstance in this world. Trust him. You will have trouble, but take heart, he has overcome the world. He is risen. Everything is different. Happy Easter.

Pray with me. Lord, I think about heartbreak and trouble in this world today, from grieving families to rnado victims to a war in the Ukraine, and I've just scratched the surface. There is trouble and difficulty, but Father, you have overcome the world. This world is not all there is. There's something much, much better, and today we celebrate that and look forward to it and long for it.

Father, thank you that you have overcome this world with one much better, and we will celebrate your work today. In Jesus' name, amen. God bless. Happy Easter.