BE OF GOOD CHEER This profound statement, made by Jesus to His disciples, was to encourage them, and to give them peace, in the mist of a storm. (Jn. 16:33). Jesus ministry is finished, He has only a few weeks, to prepare His disciples for His departure. Jesus knows that His disciples are fearful and full of doubt. Just when they were beginning to accept Jesus as the Son of God, Jesus tells them He will be crucified. For three years Jesus told His disciples that He was the One the prophets wrote about, and that He was on earth to direct the people back to God. Jesus performed innumerable miracles. He raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, and made the lame walk. Jesus fed thousands of people with a few fish and fives loaves of bread. But, when it was time for Him to die His disciples could not comprehend it, they thought Jesus was making a mistake, and when He told them to be of good cheer, they thought He must have drunk a little too much wine at dinner. Jesus wanted to bring His disciples to a higher level so that no matter what happened they would be able to stand on the word and not sense knowledge. When Jesus looked at His disciples and saw how worried they were, immediately He began to teach them how to overcome worry and doubt through complete trust in their Father. Jesus starts chapter thirtythree explaining how the disciples could have perfect peace and confidence through total trust. He explained to them that in the world there were trails, tribulations, distress, and frustrations; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, and not disturbed.]. For I have overcome the world. Now Jesus disciples probably thought He was crazy to talk like this at such a crucial time, but Jesus knew what he was talking about. The complete trust in His Father was the foundation of His ministry. Jesus said, "Without my Father I can do nothing. And I can do all things, but fail, because the Father is in Me" It was this mentality of total trust in God that caused Jesus to walk on the water, to calm the raging sea, and to raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus was so certain He could depend on God that He often did miracles in front of thousands of people, without fear of failure. John 14:27 Jesus is talking to His disciples says, my own peace I leave with you, not the peace that the world offers, but a peace that will overcome all types of worry. And stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful, intimidated and unsettled. Notice Jesus told His disciples "to take" control over every situation, cause He knew they had the power within to be in control, if they could only move themselves out of the way, and put trusting in Him and the words He spent three years giving them. Amazingly Jesus disciples were so worried that they forgot about all the miracles Jesus preformed, over a three-year period. When Jesus called the lack of remembering spiritual events a "harden heart," which does not mean one rebels against God, but one who does not completely trust in Him. Jesus knew having complete trust in Him meant his disciples would have been glad for Him to return to the Father who sent Him. The same principle Jesus gave his disciple apply to us, today. The next time you see someone worry, ask them about their trust in God. Many people will say they trust God, but have no idea who or what God is. Now how is it possible to trust God when you don’t know Him as your Father? Would you trust your husband, or wife without knowing them? No. Then why to we claim to trust God? How can we discern the word of God from the black and white of the Bible when we don’t have total trust in Him.? How can we do all things without complete trust? We cannot. That is exactly what happened to Peter when he stepped out on the water, and began to drown, remember Jesus asked Peter why did he doubt. But, I would like to tell you what Peter doubted. Peter did not doubt Jesus could walk on water and that Jesus could save him, but Peter doubted he could walk on water, because he did not know how to trust in what God would do for him, Peter trusted Jesus could do anything because he had seen great miracles, but Peter belief was limited to what he had seen (a harden heart), not what he knew. If Peter reminds you of yourself it is because we believe in what we see, and not the word. Everyone wavering in their trust to God, will have a harder road, filled with fear. When the doctors give you a bad report, you will be afraid. When bills stack up you will worry. When people talk about you, you will worry, and the list goes on. But, if we step away from our worries and see Jesus asking Peter why he doubted, we will begin to see the power of having complete trust in God. Reestablish your trust by remembering that Jesus said he would always be with us, until the ends of earth. Now if knowing God is always with us, for us, and through us, does not give you cheer, than maybe you should find out why Jesus told His disciples they had a hardened heart!