Overcome The World

Luke recorded this about Herod Agrippa I: “Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.” This was the James of the Twelve Apostles, the brother of John, and it took place about 44 AD. After this, Herod “saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also.” Peter was put in prison so that he too could be killed, but “prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” This time the Lord came to the rescue of his chief apostle, and “the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands” (Acts 12:1-7). He was miraculously brought out of prison through the power of God, and Peter’s life was preserved at this time. The natural question is why the Lord saved one but not the other. Surely James was no less righteous or faithful than Peter, but for some reason the Lord allowed him, like Stephen, to be killed. Though Peter was saved then, ultimately he gave his life too for the Savior. In fact, one of the reasons that Peter wasn’t killed at the same time as James was that the prophecy of the Savior had to be fulfilled: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God” (John 21:18-19). Peter was to be crucified in similitude of the Savior (tradition has it that he was crucified upside down), and that would take place about twenty years later in Rome. So, in the end both James and Peter suffered death by the hands of their enemies, just as their Lord and Redeemer did.

                Shortly before His death, the Savior gave these words to His apostles: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me” (John 15:18-21). These words must have been a source of comfort for the apostles knowing that if the world persecuted and even killed them, it was all in similitude of the Savior Himself who was persecuted and killed. This is why they could suffer terribly and yet still be “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41). The Savior had also told them, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Christ overcame the world, and they had seen how He had triumphed; though killed, He had risen from the dead in a glorious resurrection, and they knew that it would be the same for them. He had also given them these comforting words, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul… Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:28, 32). And so, while the Savior did allow His faithful disciples like James and Peter to suffer at the hands of their enemies, ultimately He will raise them all from the dead in a glorious triumph over their enemies.