Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1327
“Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.
WHEN these words were spoken, our Savior was about to leave His disciples to go to His death for their sakes. His great anxiety was that they might not be too much cast down by the trials which would come upon them. He desired to prepare their minds for the heavy sorrows which awaited them, while the powers of darkness and the men of the world worked their will upon Him. Now observe, Beloved, that our Lord Jesus, in whom dwells infinite wisdom, knew all the secret springs of comfort and all the hallowed sources of consolation in Heaven and under Heaven, and yet in order to console His disciples He spoke not of heavenly mysteries nor of secrets hidden in the breast of God, but He spoke concerning Himself.
Does He not teach us, then, that there is no balm for the heart like Himself, no consolation of Israel comparable to His Person and His work? If even such a Divine Barnabas, such a first-born Son of consolation as the Lord, Himself, must point to what He, Himself, has done, so He can make His followers be of good cheer, then how wise it must be in ministers to preach much of Jesus by way of encouragement to the Lord’s afflicted and how prudent it is for mourners to look to Him for the comfort they need. “Be of good cheer,” He said, “f—something about Himself—”/ have overcome the world.”
So then, Beloved, in all times of depression of spirit hasten away to the Lord Jesus Christ! Whenever the cares of this life burden you and your way seems hard for your weary feet, fly to your Lord! There may be other sources of consolation, but they will not, at all times, serve your turn. But in Him there dwells such a fullness of comfort that whether it is in summer or in winter, the streams of comfort are always flowing! In your high estate or in your low estate and from whatever quarter your trouble may arise, you can resort at once to Him and you shall find that He strengthens the hands that hang down and confirms the feeble knees.
A further remark suggests itself that the Lord Jesus must be more than man from the tone which He assumed. There are certain persons who deny the Godhead of our Lord and yet think well of Jesus as a man. Indeed, they have uttered many highly complimentary things with regard to His Character. But I wonder why it does not strike them that there is a great deal of assumption, presumption, pride, egotism and all that style of folly in this Man if He is nothing more than a man! For what good man whom you would wish to imitate would say to others, “Be of good cheer: I have overcome the world”? This is altogether too much for a mere man to say!
The Lord Jesus Christ frequently spoke about Himself, and about what He had done, and commended Himself to His disciples as one could never have done who was only a man and of a lowly mind. The Lord was certainly meek and lowly in heart, but no man of that character would have told others so. There is an inconsistency here which none can account for but those who believe Him to be the Son of God! Understand Him to be Divine—put Him in His true position as speaking down out of the excellency of His Deity to His disciples—and then you can comprehend His so speaking, Yes, it becomes infinitely seemly and beautiful!
Deny His Godhead and I, for one, am quite unable to understand how the words before us, and others like them, could ever have fallen from His lips—for none will dare to say that He was boastful! Blessed are You, O, Son of Man, You are also Son of God and, therefore, you not only speak to us with the sympathizing tenderness of a brother man, but with the majestic authority of the Only-Begotten of the Father! Divinely condescending are Your words, “I have overcome the world.”
If you look at this claim of Jesus without the eyes of faith, does it not wear an extraordinary appearance? How could the betrayed Man of Nazareth say, “I have overcome the world”? We can imagine Napoleon speaking thus when he had
crushed the nations beneath his feet and shaped the map of Europe to his will. We can imagine Alexander speaking thus when he had rifled the palaces of Persia and led her ancient monarchs captive. But who is this that speaks this way? It is a Galilean who wears a peasant’s garment and consorts with the poor and the fallen! He has neither wealth nor worldly rank nor honor among men and yet speaks of having overcome the world!
He is about to be betrayed by His own base follower into the hands of His enemies and to be led out to judgment and to death, and yet He says, “I have overcome the world.” He is casting an eye to His Cross with all its shame and to the death which ensued from it, and yet He says, “I have overcome the world.” He had not where to lay His head. He had not a disciple that would stand up for Him, for He had just said, “You shall be scattered, every man to His own, and shall leave Me alone.” He was to be charged with blasphemy and sedition and brought before the judge—and find no man to declare His generation. He was to be given up to brutal soldiers to be mocked and despitefully used and spat upon!