Peace in Wartime
Introduction: The False Peace of a Fallen World
The modern world, and tragically, much of the modern church, is on a desperate quest for a particular kind of peace. It is the peace of the padded room, the peace of the safe space, the peace that comes from eliminating all friction, all disagreement, all tribulation. The world believes that peace is the absence of conflict. And so, to achieve this peace, it must silence all dissenting voices, sand down every sharp edge of truth, and declare war on anyone who insists on making distinctions between good and evil, true and false, male and female.
The world's peace is a peace of surrender, a peace of compromise, a peace that is purchased by calling a truce with sin and rebellion. It is a fragile, anxious peace, because it is based on the lie that we can build a secure home for ourselves in a world that is under the curse of God and at war with its Creator. This is the peace of the armistice, not the peace of victory.
Into this delusional project, the words of Jesus Christ in our text land like a divine bombshell. He does not promise us a way out of the war; He promises us peace in the middle of it. He does not offer a truce with the world; He announces His total victory over it. The peace that Christ gives is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of the triumphant King in the midst of that trouble. This passage is not a manual for how to escape the battle. It is the field briefing for soldiers of the King, teaching us how to pray, how to think, and how to fight with courage and joy until He calls us home.
The Text
And on that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made complete.
These things I have spoken to you in figures of speech; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you openly of the Father. On that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.
His disciples said, "Behold, now You are speaking openly and are not using a figure of speech. Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God." Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.
(John 16:23-33 LSB)
The Open Treasury (vv. 23-24)
Jesus begins by describing a radical shift in the disciples' relationship with the Father. This is the new covenant economy of prayer.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made complete." (John 16:23-24)
To pray "in Jesus' name" is not to tack on a magical phrase at the end of our wish list. It is to approach the throne of God with the full authority of the Son of God. It means praying as His official, authorized representatives. It is to pray for the things that are on His heart, for the advancement of His kingdom, in accordance with His revealed will. When we pray in His name, we are praying for the very things that He Himself would pray for. It is to have the King's signet ring.
And notice the result of this kind of praying: "so that your joy may be made complete." The world thinks joy is found in getting what you want for your own selfish reasons. But Christian joy, true and lasting joy, is found in seeing God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is the joy of a soldier who sees his king's banner advance. It is the joy of a farmer who sees the harvest come in. It is the joy of answered prayer, the joy of being an effective agent of the kingdom. This is not the fleeting happiness of circumstance, but the deep, abiding joy of purpose.
From Enigma to Openness (vv. 25-28)
Jesus then explains that the relationship is about to become much clearer. The era of parables and figures of speech is drawing to a close.
"These things I have spoken to you in figures of speech; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you openly of the Father... for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father." (John 16:25, 27)
Before the cross, the resurrection, and the coming of the Spirit, much of what Jesus said was necessarily veiled. The disciples were looking at the cover of the book, and He was giving them hints about the plot. But Pentecost would be the turning of the page. The Holy Spirit is the great illuminator, the one who takes the things of Christ and makes them plain to us.
And the central truth that will be made plain is the astonishing reality of verse 27: "for the Father Himself loves you." This is the heart of it all. Notice the logic. The Father's love for them is bound up in their love for the Son. This is not because their love for Jesus earned them the Father's affection. No, it is because their love for Jesus is the very evidence that the Father had set His affection on them from before the foundation of the world. Faith is the fruit of election, not the cause of it. Because they have received the Son, they are brought into the very inner circle of the Father's love. They now have direct access. The veil is torn.
Jesus then summarizes His entire mission in one breathtaking sentence: "I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father" (v. 28). This is the great arc of redemption. It is the story of the King leaving His throne, entering the rebellious province in disguise, conquering it through His own death and resurrection, and returning to His throne in glory. This is the objective, historical fact upon which all our peace and courage rests.
Fair-Weather Faith (vv. 29-32)
The disciples, hearing this plain statement, fall into a common trap. They mistake a moment of intellectual clarity for robust, battle-tested faith.
"His disciples said, 'Behold, now You are speaking openly... Now we know that You know all things... by this we believe that You came from God.' Jesus answered them, 'Do you now believe?'" (John 16:29-31)
They think they have finally arrived. "Now we get it!" Their confidence is in their own understanding. And Jesus, with a gentle but piercing question, immediately exposes how shallow it is. "Do you now believe?" He follows this by predicting their catastrophic failure. "Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone" (v. 32).
Their belief, which felt so strong in the calm of the upper room, would evaporate in the heat of the crisis. When the swords came out, they would run. This is a permanent warning for the church. A faith that has not been tested is a faith that cannot be trusted. Our confidence must never be in the strength of our own belief, but only in the object of our belief. They would all abandon Him. But He would not be derailed. Why? "And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me." His stability was not dependent on their loyalty. His mission was not propped up by their courage. His strength came from His perfect, unbroken fellowship with the Father. Our security rests not in our grip on Him, but in His unbreakable relationship with the Father.
The Victor's Decree (v. 33)
Jesus concludes this entire discourse with one of the most powerful and foundational statements in all of Scripture. This is the summary of the Christian life.
"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
Here we have the entire program laid out. First, the goal: "that in Me you may have peace." Peace is not a location or a circumstance; it is a person. Peace is found "in Christ." It is a positional reality. We are in Him, the victorious one, and therefore we share in His peace, regardless of the chaos outside.
Second, the reality: "In the world you have tribulation." This is not a possibility; it is a certainty. It is a promise. The world system, in its rebellion against God, is fundamentally hostile to the citizens of heaven. If you are faithful to Christ, the world will give you trouble. If you are not getting any trouble, you should probably check your allegiance.
Third, the command: "but take courage." This is not a gentle suggestion. It is an imperative. Be of good cheer. Why? Because our courage is not based on a feeling. It is based on a fact.
And fourth, the fact: "I have overcome the world." Note the verb tense. It is a completed action. The victory is not a future hope; it is a past accomplishment. At the cross, Jesus engaged the world system, sin, and the devil in the final battle, and He won decisively. The war is over. The King has won. We are now living in the aftermath of D-Day, mopping up the remaining pockets of a defeated enemy as we march toward the final V-Day. Our courage does not come from thinking we might win. Our courage comes from knowing He already has.
Conclusion: Living in the Aftermath of Victory
So what does this mean for us? It means our prayers have power, because we pray in the name of the conquering King. It means we have direct access to a Father who loves us, because we are united to His victorious Son. It means that when our own faith falters and we are tempted to scatter, our ultimate security is not in ourselves, but in Christ's perfect faithfulness to the Father.
And it means that we face the guaranteed tribulations of this life not with a grim resignation, but with a defiant joy. We have peace in the middle of the storm because we know the one who commands the storm. We have courage in the face of the enemy because our King has already broken his back. The world can do its worst. It can rage, it can threaten, it can cancel, it can kill. But it cannot undo the victory that was won at a place called Golgotha. He has overcome the world. Therefore, take courage.