Daily Dose of Hope

October 6, 2025

Scripture – John 16

Prayer: Lord, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth! We magnify your precious and powerful name. How often we forget how mighty you are. You created all. You created us. Thank you, Lord, for who you are. Most of all, thank you for loving us with all our flaws and brokenness. In all we do, in who we are, help us to be more like you. We pray for humility, mercy, and compassion. Help us see others through your eyes. In Your Name, Amen.`

Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that goes along with the New Hope daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida. We are going through the book of John currently as part of our deep dive into the Gospels and Acts. Today, we are taking a look at John 16.

Jesus starts by telling the disciples that he is teaching them all of this because things are going to get hard. He wants them to know just how hard. Not only will Jesus be arrested and killed, but the disciples themselves will experience persecution. I'm not sure that this has crossed their minds. Remember, they are still thinking that Jesus will establish an earthly Kingdom that will overthrow the Romans.

Jesus reiterates that he will be going away, there will be grief, but then there will be joy. He uses the analogy of a woman having a baby. There is lots of pain during childbirth but when the child comes, it's all worth it. There is so much joy in holding that new baby. So Jesus says that the disciples will have tremendous grief but then they will have tremendous joy. They question him, of course, because they really don't understand. This is still very confusing to them. This doesn't fit their idea of what it supposed to happen.

But the final verse of this chapter is one of my favorites and definitely worth memorizing. "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." Jesus knows that they don't get it and that the next few days are going to be excruciating. Really, the next few years will be hard. But we live in a broken world. He didn't come to take away pain and suffering. In fact, he says that in this world, we will have trouble. Expect it. But because of Jesus, we can actually have peace in the midst of trouble. We can have the kind of peace the world does not offer, a peace that only makes sense connected to Jesus. Jesus is the one who conquered death, he overcame evil, he won victory over Satan. Because of his victory, we also can experience victory. Because of his resurrection, we also can experience resurrection. All the troubles of this world won't go away for us, but we can get through them. Jesus can make a way when their seems to be absolutely no way. He can bring peace to our chaos. He is the one who overcame the world. And that, my friends, is such great news.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki