In the Gospel of John 16:33 Jesus shares this comforting message with His disciples, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Why did Jesus feel the need to share this with His band of early followers? Was Jesus forecasting pain and suffering? Why wouldn't Jesus just cover the disciples with a special blanket protection plan that would ensure they did not face hardship, medical issues, challenging situations, or even persecution to the brink of death? He could have, but look at the life of Jesus himself. Yes, Jesus was fully God, born of a virgin, a man who lived a sinless life, and what was His reward here on earth? As Jesus was sharing this message with the disciples, He was also preparing for what was inevitably coming, His arrest, undeserved humiliation, cruel torture, and then death on the cross. Why did God allow this to happen to His Holy Son? Well, if this conversation had been held between Jesus and His disciples in today's vernacular, Jesus may have said something like this, "Guys, just because you follow me doesn't mean that you get a pass on the pain and suffering of this world. In this world you are going to have to deal with medical conditions, relational devastation, unthinkable circumstances, and possibly unbearable situations, because their ain't no free rides. But, hang in there, because just like I, the Son of God, have been given a bad deal to bear, you are not alone and I will be with you through it all!" Jesus did not face the cross alone, nor did His disciples, most of whom suffered cruel, inhuman deaths while in service to God. But through it all they were not alone and that truth is the same for us today. There ain't no free rides, but there is a reason for that and that is what we are sifting through today.
What was Jesus sent to this earth for in the first place? In the Book of John we are told that Jesus was sent to this world to save the lost and provide a path to salvation for mankind. (John 3:16). Jesus didn't receive a free pass, He knew what was going to happen before He was ever sent to this world, and He willingly accepted His called purpose. Jesus knew there was a much bigger purpose than what His human existence could accomplish, but He would be required to endure the cross. Did Jesus want to be beaten, tortured, humiliated, and then painfully nailed to a wooden cross to die an excruciating death? Jesus was flesh and bone, of course He did not want to endure that type of treatment, but because He was also fully God, He did it as a sacrifice for you and for me, so that we would have a path to eternal life with Him in Heaven.
So, what does that mean for you and for me? Jesus suffered for us, Jesus died for us, and Jesus rose from the grave and ascended into Heaven where He rules at His Father's right hand. He did that so we can have a pathway to that same eternal life in Heaven, but He did not die on the cross so that you and I would receive that golden ticket to bypass pain and suffering. Remember what Jesus told His disciples in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble...", but just as in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, we are not alone, He the triune God will be with us through it all and just as Jesus Christ overcame the cross, you and I will overcome whatever trials, tribulations, and other hardships that we face and endure.
You may be thinking that you are enduring something that you shouldn't have to endure. You may have been born into circumstances or conditions that seem completely unfair and possibly unbearable. You may have suffered a loss or numerous losses that make you question how your life could have a positive outcome or impact on you or on anyone else for that matter. Wouldn't it be nice if your life was paved with gold and you had a silver spoon to eat each meal along the way? If we believe and we proclaim that we have given our lives to serve God, and if Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, then why would we have to suffer here on this earth?
For me the answer is in direct correlation to today's post title. There ain't no free rides. "In this world you will trouble.", basically Jesus was saying troubles are part of the plan. Troubles are part of your plan. Your plan has a purpose connected to it and whether that purpose directly impacts you or if your purpose is for the benefit of someone else or a full directory of others, God foreordained you to encounter trouble. The promise is not that you will be trouble-free, but instead the true promise of John 16:33 is that you will not face your trouble alone and the good news is that Jesus overcame the world and so will you and I.
Today, you may be sitting in a nest of hornets with a landing pad of vipers at your feet, you may be suffering through pain, loss, or the results of bad decisions in your life that make you feel like you can't endure another day. I have not walked in your shoes nor have you walked in mine, but what I would say today is this, each day you have a choice. You can wallow in your despair of which Jesus warned us we would face in this life, or you can turn to Christ who promised He would not allow us to face those challenges by ourselves. Either way, regardless of the choice you make, there ain't no free rides. So, why would you choose to face life's challenges alone? God is there, He always has been and He always will be. Amen.
Coach Carter
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