Let The World Rage - Christ Is Enough
Text: John 16:23-33
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
As Jesus was
preparing His disciples for His departure, He did not offer them comforting
clichés or promises of an easy life. Rather, in John 16, Jesus speaks with a
clear honesty. He tells them — and us — that life in this fallen world will be
marked by trouble. Listen to what he said:
"In the world, you will have tribulation."
Now, just to make
sure we are clear, this tribulation is not a possibility. Jesus does not say that we might face
trials. Instead, Jesus states it
plainly: we will have tribulations in this world.
But how do we understand
these worldly tribulations?
Dear friends, it
is essential to recognize that the world’s tribulations are not merely
occasional inconveniences. Instead,
tribulations from the world are the ongoing pressure — the squeezing and distress
that Christians endure in this fallen world. In other words, the tribulations
from the world are not always a firestorm of persecution. Sometimes it’s the
slow, grinding weariness of being surrounded by a world that is hostile to
Christ and His Word. Think of a city surrounded by an enemy army; that’s the
picture Jesus gives — an ongoing pressure from the outside world.
Now, please
listen! This is crucial to understand:
the tribulations that Jesus speaks of in John 16 are not the internal struggles
with our sinful flesh — the old Adam. It’s not even the spiritual assaults from
the devil, as real as those are. No, this tribulation comes from outside the Christian. It is the opposition,
ridicule, marginalization, and violence that come from a world bent against
Christ. These tribulations might be blatant, or they might be subtle. That is
to say, sometimes the world rages; sometimes the world just sneers. Either way,
the world will press against us Christians with tribulation, affliction,
pressure, and persecution.
Let’s continue to
flesh this out a bit; when tribulations occur, especially here in America, we
Christians naturally want to minimize their impact. We see the tribulations of the world, and we
want to tame the world. And so, we aim
to manage, mitigate, and, if possible, eliminate the tribulation altogether.
Now, please do not
misunderstand what I am saying. This desire isn’t wrong. As Christians, we are
called in our vocations as citizens to vote for Godly laws. We should desire rulers who govern with
wisdom, fairness, and justice. We can say with absolute confidence that Godly
and competent Christians make the best rulers. And so, when God blesses a land
with peace through godly and competent rulers, we give thanks.
But here is the
temptation: if the only thing that we do is to try to elect the right strongman
who carries the banner of Christianity, then we are severely misguided. You see, scripture warns us about putting all
of our eggs in the same basket. Listen
to Psalm 146:
“Put not your trust in princes . . . in whom there is no
salvation.” (Ps. 146:3)
That is say, we
must be careful to look to earthly princes and Christianized politics as the
only means of rescuing us from the world’s tribulations. We must be careful not
to believe that if the world is simply made friendly enough, then we’ve reached
the goal.
* * *
Baptized Saints, consider
John 16 again. Jesus does not
say,
"Take heart, I’ve given you a safe world."
But instead, He
says,
"Take heart, I have overcome the world."
You see, the
catch-22 is that you and I can think that we can conquer and tame the world and
its tribulations on our own. However, if we manage to make the world a nicer
place for us Christians, there is always a temptation to forget Christ in the
process. Hear this loud and clear: a
tamed world without Jesus is no better than a hostile world with Jesus.
Actually, it is worse.
Consider this for
a moment: when the world persecutes, we Christians have historically clung more
tightly to Christ. But when the world is tame, we Christians are always tempted
to loosen our grip. We start to think the world is our friend. We get
comfortable. We forget that our peace is not in politics or policies but in a
Person — the crucified and risen Lord.
And so, the
difficult news for us to hear today is that we often try to escape affliction
by trying to tame the tribulations of the world. While it is good to oppose the
wickedness of the world, if we are successful in creating a world that likes
us, a culture that agrees with us, and a society that makes room for us, we then
have this tendency to think that we don’t need Jesus. Subconsciously, we think: if we’re at peace
with the world, what else do we need? Complacency can erode our faith and
undermine our trust in Christ.
There is another
aspect to this as well. If we fail to
realize the need for Christ, when tribulations do strike, our false sense of
security can collapse like a house of cards. And then, once it has collapsed, we
become disillusioned. We wonder why our Christianized systems didn’t protect
us. But here’s the sobering truth: the world will always be the world. It will
always oppose Christ and His Church, regardless of how much we try to keep it
at bay.
Baptized Saints, we
must be clear here: the goal of Christianity is not to build heaven on earth.
Our hope is not in a perfect utopia fashioned by our efforts or secured by
politicians. No, our citizenship is in heaven. Again, it is not wrong for us to
try to influence culture with Christianity. Instead, it is wrong when this becomes
our primary and only goal for peace. We must remember that Christ’s kingdom is
not of this world, and our peace does not come from a worldly calm. But our peace is in the Word that endures
forever.
Baptized Saints,
we would do well to remember the examples of the saints who went before us. The
early Christians did not live under friendly regimes. They faced tribulation,
and yet they sang hymns in prisons. They faced lions, and yet they confessed
Christ boldly. They were not triumphant because Caesar loved them, but because
Christ had already triumphed. Their peace was not found in civic approval but
in the sure promise that their Redeemer lives.
We need to say it
plainly: the true church does not need the world’s approval. The true church is
not propped up by popularity, comfort, or compromise. It is upheld by the Word
of God. And even if the world disdains that Word, mocks it, or tries to silence
it — the church still stands. The confession of the faithful is not silenced by pressure but
sharpened through it.
So let this be a
comfort: the world may hate you, but your Savior does not. The world may not be
for you, but your Savior is. When the
world presses, Christ upholds. When fear rises, Christ gives courage. When hope
flickers, Christ rekindles it with His Word and Sacraments.
Dear Baptized Saints,
hear the Gospel: Christ is your peace. Christ
is your courage. Christ is your victory. He has not promised to remove every
tribulation, but He has promised Himself amid the tribulations. In Christ, you
are not alone. In Him, you are not undone.
Jesus says, “Take
heart!” That’s not a command to muster up courage. That’s a gift. He is your
courage. He is the one who faced the wrath of the world, the accusations of the
devil, the burden of sin, and the jaws of death — and He conquered it all - for
you.
Baptized Saints, you
do not have to pretend the world isn’t hostile, and you do not have to despair
when it is. Furthermore, you don’t need to look to rulers, revolutions, or
earthly power to deliver you. You already have a Deliverer – His name is Jesus
Christ.
And so, rejoice.
Yes, rejoice in your vocations. Elect wise leaders. Advocate for justice. But
do not place your peace in those things. Your peace is in Jesus. Your courage
is in Jesus. Your joy is in Jesus.
Let the world
rage, or let it rest — it does not change Christ. He is the same yesterday,
today, and forever.
His cross still
stands.
His tomb is still
empty.
His Word still
delivers.
His Sacraments
still strengthen.
And you, dear
Christian, are still baptized.
Jesus has overcome
the world. And in Him, so have you (1 John 5:4-5).
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