John 16:33.

[pawnraider]

I can't remember if I've posted this here but if I have I hope no one minds if I ask it again.

John 16:33 reads, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

What does this mean exactly?

 

[Bobinator]

Simply, that no matter how difficult your situation may seem, Jesus can overcome it. It also gives us hope that since he, in the flesh, was able to conquer sin, its temptations and live on God's terms, that we can do it too. It's this "Jesus- God in the flesh" thing that confuses us.

 

[Receiver]

...
John 16:33 reads, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

What does this mean exactly?

"my peace I give you: not as the world gives" John 14:27

His peace is unity with him, make that peace by receiving His Spirit (Acts 2:4) and living by Him.

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God,
neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
(Romans 8:7-9)

 

[TeknonTheou]

If I can add in my 2 cents, the context of John 16:33 is Jesus comforting His disciples with the fact that the world will hate them for the Message that they are telling. So in the immediate context, Jesus is saying that they should have peace because their Master has overcome the world through being the perfect sacrifice for all mankind (and also for suffering persecution at the hands of the Pharisees and Sadducees). For reference, see this Scripture:

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Hebrews 2:14-18 (ESV)

But in terms of living the Christian life today, I agree with the above posters.

 

[Steeno7]

I can't remember if I've posted this here but if I have I hope no one minds if I ask it again.

John 16:33 reads, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

What does this mean exactly?

It means that we can have peace and confidence knowing that Jesus has overcome, having conquered evil, ultimately depriving it of its power to harm us. He has promised us not a life free from troubles, but a life in which He will be with us in the midst of those troubles working it all together for good.

 

[pawnraider]

It means that we can have peace and confidence knowing that Jesus has overcome, having conquered evil, ultimately depriving it of its power to harm us. He has promised us not a life free from troubles, but a life in which He will be with us in the midst of those troubles working it all together for good.

This seems to me to be a much better explanation. No offense intended towards those that have answered. I appreciate your input.

 

[Daniel1611]

John 16:33 is my favorite verse. It means that whatever happens to us in the world, Jesus has already overcome the world and we have peace in Him because He has already won the war and already saved us.

 

[Job8]

John 16:33 reads, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

What does this mean exactly?

There is a lot of meat in this one verse. But first it needs to be read in context. These words were spoken between the time Judas left the 12 to betray Christ, and Christ and the eleven went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Therefore it was spoken just prior to the sufferings and crucifixion of Christ.

The Lord had a great deal to disclose to the eleven apostles before He was crucified, and there were four great truths that they needed to hear in this verse:
1. "That in ME ye might have peace".
2. "In the world ye SHALL have tribulation".
3. "But BE OF GOOD CHEER"
4. "I have OVERCOME the world"

These truths are not limited to the apostles but have universal application to all born-again believers:

1. It is only in Christ that a sinner can have peace -- first peace WITH God through the remission of sins, and then the peace OF God which passes all understanding. A Christian can be at peace under the most stressful circumstances because Christ is in him, and he is in Christ. We have peace because we are in God's hands.

2. Every believer's faith will be tested, therefore we all will go through afflictions, trials, tribulations and persecutions. Therefore tribulation is guaranteed to the genuine Christian.

3. Since "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh 8:10) every Christian can also have joy (not happiness but rejoicing in the Lord and the power of His might) in the midst of tribulations.

4. Christ overcame the world, the flesh and the devil through His own battle with Satan, and on the Cross and in His resurrection, He destroyed the power of sin, Hell, death, Hades, and Satan. When a believer "reckons" himself dead to sin and alive to God, he too overcomes the world. But it is always in and through Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

[ebedmelech]

I can't remember if I've posted this here but if I have I hope no one minds if I ask it again.

John 16:33 reads, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

What does this mean exactly?

This is a fallen world since what is referred to as "The Fall" in Genesis 3 where Adam and Eve disobeyed God. The curse of sin entered the world and knowing this there will always be "tribulation" in the world because of sin.

Consider Paul's writing in Romans 5:1-5:
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Even we who have been saved have tribulation because this world is a fallen one.

In Romans 8:18-25 it is made a bit clearer:
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

This goes back to the point Jesus is making. Because of sin we have tribulation living in a fallen world.

 

[Mark51]

In part, that the evil in the world had neither embittered Jesus nor made him retaliate in like manner. The world had not squeezed him into an evil mold. (Compare Romans 12:2) Even when dying, he prayed in behalf of his executioners.-Luke 23:34.

Jesus demonstrated-until his dying breath-that evil can be conquered. He urged his followers to fight their own battle against evil by heeding the Scriptural advice to “return evil for evil to no one” and to “keep conquering the evil with the good,” as Jesus had done.-Romans 12:17, 21.