Actually, There Is a Precedent.

The word “unprecedented” has probably never been used as much as it has been in the last couple of weeks. We keep hearing that we are living in “unprecedented” times. In many ways, that’s true. There’s never been another time in history where people have been quarantined so universally as we are now.

However, in other ways, these times are not as “unprecedented” as we might think. This is far from the first time that disease has ravaged a nation or even the world. There have been several large pandemics in history: the Spanish flu in 1918 and 1919, the Great Plague back in the 1300s, Smallpox in the 1500s are a few of the most famous, but there have been times of large, disruptive epidemics since the beginning of humanity.

Hope in Unprecedented Times

That might seem depressing at first, but it’s actually hopeful. Humanity has survived a pandemic before. The church has dealt with nationwide illness before and it has not only survived, in some places it has thrived. Christians in these times were often known for their bravery in serving the sick and giving people hope in the midst of sickness and death.

How can those who follow Jesus have hope and continue to serve even in “unprecedented” times? Jesus has prepared us for this. He warns us these kinds of things are going to happen.

In John 16, Jesus is continuing to prepare his followers for his coming death. He’s going to be taken from them. Things are going to change. He wants them to be prepared (for more on that, see this post). He ends three chapters worth of preparation for them with this is verse 33: “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.” There are some important things we can learn from this passage of Scripture.

Lessons We Can Learn

Trouble is going to come, but we have hope.

Jesus wants his disciples to know hard times are going to come. Following Jesus is a journey. It’s a journey with dangerous twists and turns and unexpected hardships along the way. It’s less like a hike in the park and more like the Oregon Trail. Trouble is going to come.

However, perhaps like the Oregon Trail, the destination is worth the trouble of getting there. Earlier in chapter 16, Jesus compares what the disciples should expect and the path they will walk to a woman giving birth. It’s not easy. It’s not fun. It hurts. Still, the joy of a child is worth the pain of childbirth. You can go through the pain because you know something good is coming on the other side of it.

Our lives in Christ are like that. We are going to go through hard times. We should expect that. We can’t get mad at God for something he’s warned us is going to happen. We can be hurt. We can grieve, but we shouldn’t be shocked. Trouble comes in all sizes, shapes, and shades, but it always comes.

We are facing a lot of trouble now as a nation and as a world. However, as followers of Jesus, we know that there is hope and joy on the other side. Whether that other side is Jesus’ return or just the other side of this pandemic, it is there. Though the sorrow may last through the night, joy comes in the morning. We know we can have hope no matter what may find us.

God has provided us with all that we need.

Two things are essential for Christians: community and the Spirit. Jesus expects his followers to love and care for one another. He also tells his disciples in John 16 that it’s actually a good thing for him to go away because then the Holy Spirit will come to them. The Holy Spirit will move them to do what they need to do. He will convict the world of sin. He will guide the disciples in the truth. He will allow Jesus’ followers to continue to have access to him and to God the Father. As Jesus tells them later in Acts, the Holy Spirit will give their fledgling faith communities a bold new kind of power.

We share this same Holy Spirit today.

He prepares us for whatever comes our way. The Spirit brings God’s word to life so we hear it clearly and are moved to act upon it. He gives us the boldness and courage to do hard things that need to be done. He supernaturally fills us and gives us abilities we wouldn’t otherwise have so we might love and care for one another more completely. The Spirit also allows us to experience God’s presence no matter what is happening around us.

Yes, we will go through hard times, but we will never go through them alone. God promises to keep us from evil but he doesn’t promise to always keep us from danger or illness. He doesn’t promise that everything in our lives will end “happily ever after.” He does promise to be with us and to guide us in every circumstance through the person and presence of the Spirit.

We can have peace because God is with us.

Jesus says that he tells his disciples all these things so they can have peace. God will provide. God’s plan will not be thwarted by anything that is happening in our lives or in our world.

Jesus’ words have proven true. God has provided for his people in the past. He provided for the nation of Israel. He provided for the early church. He has continued to provide for the church through the ages. No matter what plagues, wars, or other challenges have come about, the church has remained. God has remained.

Yes, we are living in strange times, but God has seen us through strange times before. God doesn’t promise that we won’t get sick or lose our jobs or be negatively affected by the world. He does promise that he will provide, that he will comfort, that he will be with us and that he will still win in the end.

Photo by Mr Cup / Fabien Barral on Unsplash