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1 John 5:5: whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.
John uses the root of the word "victory" (nik-) seven times in this letter. Mostly, it's buried in the word "overcome." Young men, he says, overcome the evil one, and we all overcome the world because the one in us is greater than he who is in the world. Because we are "from God" and our enemies are "from the world," we overcome them. Four of the seven uses of the root are found here in chapter 5. John ends his epistle on a ringing note of victory.
That sevenfold repetition, that sevenfold declaration of our victory in Christ, points in several directions. The seven words of victory that John pronounces remind us of the seven words of creation. The triumph that comes in Jesus is a triumph over the old world, and the beginning of a new.
The sevenfold declaration of our victory in Christ also points to a sabbatical theme. Through Jesus, we come to true rest, our enemies defeated or certain to be defeated, the world subdued before Jesus the Son of God, the Christ. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, who brings sevenfold victory, who gives relief to the weary, whose commandments are not burdensome.
This meal is the victory celebration of the church, an expression of our faith in Jesus as the Christ, an expression of our confidence that we will overcome the world through our Savior whose very name is Faithful and True. As we come to this table, we celebrate and share in the victory of Jesus. We enjoy the firstfruits of the new creation; we celebrate our Sabbath of rest, our sabbatical victory over all enemies.
Enjoy this meal in faith, which is to say, enjoy this meal as a celebration of Jesus' victory.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Sunday, January 28, 2007 at 08:47 AM
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