I overcome

This blog was really made for last summer, and I'll be using it again this summer, but I wanted to go ahead and start using it a lot more, so here's a thought I had tonight.

I'm doing a little studying for a Greek quiz on Friday. As I was going through a long list of verbs, I came to one, νικαω. which in English would be spelled nikao I think. In either case, I read the translation next to it.

I overcome

That's all it said. I overcome. Just reading that simple transition made me stop and think... wow, I can say that! Not by my own power, but I have the ability to say that with confidence.

νικαω - I overcome

It's the word Jesus uses in John 16:33 when He says "Take heart, I have overcome the world." In that passage, the word "have" is implied by the perfect tense. This verse just became a million times more meaningful to me. Basically what Jesus is saying is "In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart! I overcame the world, and for the rest of eternity, the fact will remain."

Jesus has overcome the world. You see, perfect tense is used for a past action that has present implications. It's the same tense used with the verb τελεω when Jesus is on the cross. Teleo is the verb meaning "to complete, end, or finish." This word was used in legal transactions to show that a debt had been paid off. It's the word Jesus said right before He died.

Τετελεσται. "It is finished"

But it doesn't mean that Jesus's life was now over. It does not mean that His Earthly ministry was over. This specific word implies "The debt has been paid off. I have done it now, and the implications was last forever. To reach all peoples, for the rest of enternity.

To reach to us. Today.

It is this word, spoken by Jesus, that allows us to say "I overcome." Praise Jesus!