Crack the Code on Peace in Tribulation

Do you put a lot of pressure on yourself to overcome the world and it’s tribulations? Does it rob you of peace? Americans tend to honor a “virtue” of invincibility. We’re expected to be, want to be, and often pretend to be “superman” or “superwoman”. Self-sufficiency and independence are some of the highest, most esteemed virtues in our culture. If you have young kids, you know they literally can’t live 30 minutes without you, yet they fight tooth and nail for self-sufficiency and independence. As adults, we do the same thing with God. The world makes us think that we’re on our own and that we have to do it ourselves. This is a lie. Jesus overcame the world for us and this truth should free us, and give us a sense of growing peace in tribulation. We’re also going to learn how peace can co-exist in tribulation. Jesus gave us a tool, the Cross, to be a barometer in pursuit of such peace.

32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. - John 16:32

Jesus often taught his disciples through parables and figures of speech, but now he is speaking to them more plainly. Just before this statement, Jesus explained his and their relationship to the Father in clearer terms. In the eyes of the disciples, their faith was solidifying, bordering overconfidence. But Jesus brings them down to earth, knowing what they are about to see the next day on the cross. Jesus did not doubt the belief of the disciples, but he warned them that their faith wasn’t what they thought it was. It would be shaken before it was settled. In response to their overconfidence, Jesus doesn’t say, “try harder”...“you can do it”...“I believe in you”. Jesus’ response was real and honest. He says, “No, you’re actually going to run away from me and scatter and leave me alone.” The disciples can’t be trusted.They’re unreliable. They’re going to mess up, but it doesn’t matter. Jesus was still going to cross. It’s not about their love for him, lack thereof, their degree of faith, courage, or lack thereof. Rather, it was about his love for them. Jesus was going to the cross regardless of what anybody believed about him. How’s that for grace? So that sets the stage for what he says next. Jesus presents to them an offer and a promise.

33 I have said these things 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

PROMISE OF TRIBULATION

Jesus promises tribulation. You might be thinking, “Well that’s not the kind of promise I was expecting!” The reality is, we may bring fewer problems upon ourselves as we obey Jesus’ commands, but we will definitely still have them. We have far less control over things than we think we do. Understanding this removes a false hope. And Jesus is about giving us real, living hope. We are promised struggle as long as we are in this world. There are big tribulations that rattle us quickly and comprehensively like September 11th, the 2008 Recession, getting laid off, personal tragedies (death of a spouse, child, or loved one), and significant persecution. COVID19 is another example of a bigger tribulation. It’s turning life upside-down, making us uncertain of the present or future. It’s showing us the fragility and instability of life. Many of us have a real problem with that because it’s showing us that we don’t have as much control as we thought. As a result of COVID19, reports are showing that due to the isolation we’re in, there’s a spike in cases of domestic violence, child abuse, and suicide. Peace is in very short supply. Life is also filled with daily, mini-tribulations like situations and conflicts that rattle us, and little persecutions for our faith. Even something like a red light throws us off the train tracks. Busted water pipes and broken down HVACs in the winter frazzle us. But Jesus pairs this promise of tribulation with an offer.

OFFER OF PEACE

In the midst of tribulation, Jesus offered His disciples peace. Jesus did not promise peace, he offered it. He said, “you may have peace.” People may associate themselves with Jesus, they may like him, use his name, or wear a cross necklace, yet be devoid of his peace. When Jesus wanted to comfort and strengthen His disciples, He spoke of his victory, not their victory. They have no victory in themselves, but Jesus knew that His victory would be theirs.It’s the same for us. We gain the peace Jesus offered by finding it in Him and through the Cross. It is received from Jesus through a relationship with him, not achieved by us.

Importantly, Jesus offers a peace that doesn’t merely whisk us away from tribulation or only attainable when the tribulation is removed. Rather, it is a peace that coexists with tribulation. It is a peace which is realized in and through conflict and struggle. Jesus had perfect peace that coexisted with his great suffering. He didn’t have to remove the cross for peace to arrive. He had it in the Garden of Gethsemane and he had it on the cross! 

When you look back at the Psalms, King David grew in this peace. In Psalm 23:5 he prayed to and glorified God by saying, “You prepare a table before me in the midst of my enemies”. David doesn’t say “apart from them”, but in the presence of them. Jesus essentially says, “in Me you may have peace, even in the midst of tribulation.” But how? If people can associate themselves with Jesus, like him, call upon his name, or wear a cross necklace, but not have peace, how exactly do I receive this peace and how can it co-exist in tribulation? 

HOW CAN WE HAVE PEACE IN TRIBULATION AND HOW CAN THE TWO CO-EXIST?

David received a profound peace that came from two truths he constantly wrote about in his Psalms. David experienced throughout his life a “crucifixion” of his heart that foreshadowed the actual Cross. As you read the Psalms, he pours out his heart about his deepening knowledge of his radical sinfulness and his deepening knowledge of God’s radical love despite his sin. On this side of time, the cross serves for us as a tool or an instrument, or a barometer, that ultimately reveals to us those two important things that God revealed to David. The two sides of the Gospel coin are:

Side #1

The cross reveals the radical nature of our sin. Our sin is so bad that Jesus had to die on a cross for us. It should be a humbling thought. Pride is at the epicenter of sin. Pride is me at the center of my life. Pride steals peace. Our pride is in direct conflict with the truth of our sinful nature. Our pride gives us Illusions of invincibility and sinlessness, or we just don’t think we’re as sinful as God knows we are. When tribulations happen, our pride - or position at the center - is infringed upon, and it causes us to be overcome by fear and panic. We need the humility that only the cross can give.

Side #2

The cross also reveals God’s infinite and costly love. Despite my sin, Jesus willingly and gladly died for me, thus securing me. Insecurity steals peace, it makes us unsure of ourselves. Our insecurity gives us illusions of our unlovability in God’s eyes. When tribulations happen, our insecurity causes us to be overcome by fear and panic. We need security that only the cross can give.

Like David, we need to have a growing belief in both aspects - our radical sinfulness AND God’s radical love. All Christians wrestle with this and vary in depth of belief of either or both sides of the Gospel. For example:

Christian #1

Some have a deeper understanding of their radical sinfulness, but a shallow understanding of God’s radical love. This is why there are Christians that struggle with peace because they’re self-demoralizing. They say/think things like, “Of course this is happening to me!” They tend to have a defeatist mentality and say/think things like, “I’m doomed!’ They also say/think things like, “I have to stop sinning so much! I have to do better!” They think tribulation is happening as punishment for their sin. But they forget the cross in the sense that they forget God’s radical love for them. They forget that the tribulation isn’t happening as punishment because Jesus bore it on the cross on their behalf. 

Christian #2

Some are on the opposite side of the pendulum. Some have a deeper understanding of God’s radical love, but a shallow understanding of their radical sinfulness. This is why there are Christians that struggle with peace because they can be so self-righteous. They say things like, “How can this be happening? I'm not perfect, but I'm mostly good!” They tend to have an entitled mentality and think, “I’m invincible.” When tribulation comes, they say things like, “I have to love God more, I have to do better!” Tribulations are an inconvenience to them. They may be prosperity-driven, meaning, “If I’m good, God will bless me.” They forget the cross in the sense that they forget their sinfulness. We simply live in a broken world, mired by sin, and we aren’t exempt from trouble. Jesus was the best and still suffered. 

In both of these Christians are the destructive subtleties of works-based religion, in which salvation and peace depend on me. This explains how we can religiously associate ourselves with Jesus, like him, call upon his name, or wear a cross necklace, but not have peace. Like the disciples, we simply don't trust God as much as we think we do. When my righteousness is based on my effort, not Christ’s righteousness, peace will be in short supply. If salvation depends on me, then everything in my life depends on me, and peace will be in very short supply. Whether you say, “I have to stop sinning” or “I have to love God more,” both are putting the responsibility of achieving peace on yourself. You see, the more “me” that is involved in my life, the less peace I have. The more Jesus, the greater peace we will have. In Christ, we are neither invincible nor doomed. We are victorious in Christ and in him is our peace. It’s not in us and we can’t create it. It's received, not achieved. It’s through an intimate relationship with Jesus, not a religious association with him. 

Crack the Code

This is why David could say something like, “You prepare a table before me IN THE MIDST of my enemies.” David didn’t have perfect peace, but he knew where to go for it. He knew where to kneel. He had an intimate relationship with God. He grew in increasing knowledge of his sin and it humbled him. This knowledge made God’s love for him increasingly radical and real. This is where the tango of a relationship with God happens. As a result, David could pray things like, “This is happening, but I know you love me, and you’re working everything for my good.” 

To begin this lifelong journey of increasing peace, we must crucify the flesh by first repenting of our pride, sin, and self-righteousness (the things that separate us from God) and put our faith and trust completely in Christ and his finished work on the cross as the payment for our sin. Paul said to the Galatian church (Gal. 2:20), “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Christ in me is the key. As Jesus lives in and through us by way of The Holy Spirit, we must continuously kneel at the cross, rest in Jesus’ finished work, and rediscover and grow in our knowledge of both our radical sinfulness and God’s radical love on a deepening heart-level, so we can have the humility and security that cultivates peace.

Today we can say because of the cross, “This is happening, but I know you love me, and you’re working everything for my good.” Because of the tribulation of the cross and it’s victory, our tribulation is an opportunity and it is purposeful. We can say, “Your will be done, Lord.” and mean it.

CHALLENGE

If you haven’t put your faith and trust in Christ, do so now! In tribulation, at best, you have self-help and positive self-talk. These things are only surface level strategies that never get to the root of your problem. If you haven’t put your faith and trust in Christ and his work on the cross, then you’re at the center of your life. Everything depends on you and as long as you’re at the center of your life, you will have a surface level peace at best. You may have apathy disguised as “peace”, a sort of calm that really comes from just not caring about what’s happening, but that’s not right. We should care about what’s happening.

If you have put your faith and trust in Christ, which of those two aspects of the Gospel do you struggle with? Which side of the pendulum do you tend to sway to? Do you tend to have a deepening knowledge of your radical sinfulness, but a shallower understanding of radical God’s love for you? Or do you tend to have a deepening knowledge of God’s radical love, but a shallower understanding of your radical sinfulness? Or do you struggle with both? 

CONCLUSION

No one lives a life of automatic and constant peace. We all encounter both little and big tribulations that throw us off kilter, confuse us, and catalyze worry. Profound peace in tribulation comes from the shedding of our pride through a deepening humility over our sin. And profound peace in tribulation also comes from the shedding of insecurities through a deepening understanding of God’s love despite our sin. It all begins with Jesus and the cross. Through his crucifixion, Jesus overcame sin. Through his resurrection, he overcame our greatest tribulation: death. Take heart, he has overcome the world for us. And he has given us the instrument before which we must continually be kneeling and resting - the cross. Jesus was always telling his disciples to believe. But despite their belief or unbelief, Jesus was going to the cross regardless. Jesus knew that when they saw the cross and then his resurrected body, The Holy Spirit would reveal just how deep their sin was, but also how deep the Father’s love was for them, thus cracking the code on peace. This same offer is also for us today. Receive it. Let the sheer grace of God in Jesus Christ transform your heart and relieve you of the pressure of having to overcome the world yourself.