From time to time, I get the privilege of sharing with you some of the words and phrases which were uniquely used by the Lord Jesus. That Christ said things which no one else ever did, shouldn’t surprise us. When someone moves to our neighborhood from another country, we aren’t surprised when he says things which we’ve not heard before. And again when someone is a lot smarter than we are, he may say things that we’ve not heard. In this case Christ Jesus came from a far country, and He is certainly a few hundred notches above us.
I say all that to point out that Jesus is the only person in the Bible to use the word “tharseo” (thar-seh’-o). It is translated “be of good cheer” five times and “be of good comfort” thrice. Obviously it is a word of encouragement which exhorts us to both cheerfulness and courage. Living in a world of problems, dominated by sin and the curse caused by sin, it is difficult to be “tharseo.” But there we have it, the exhortation of Christ. And it is not just an empty exhortation, but with it there is the actual God-given ability to “be of good cheer.” To “be of good cheer” is not only something good to strive for, it is a Christian duty.
This morning, several of us looked at Elijah running from Jezreel just after the great victory at Carmel. We saw him sitting under a desert juniper and wishing that he was dead, before Jezebel could catch him. We heard him whining to Jehovah from the mouth of the little cave on Sinai, and we said to ourselves, “What a whimp.” We wondered how he could go from such a great victory, to such emotional and spiritual depths. But we forget that we do the same – except that perhaps our highs are not as extreme as his. Do we really have in our power to control our emotions better than we actually do it? That crippled man, laying before the Saviour had as great a reason to be depressed as anyone. Yet the Saviour told him to “buck-up” – “Come on; be happy!” But in this case, those were not mere empty words.
As I hope that we shall see over the next few minutes, Christ Jesus never tells people to cheer up without giving them a reason to do so. Immediately preceding or following “tharseo” (thar-seh’-o) Christ gives the person something upon which to build that good cheer. When the world comes to us in the midst of our cancer treatments, our worrying over car repair bills, or in our grief over the death of our unsaved loved one, and says “cheer up” it is nothing but empty air. Christ Jesus never vainly encourages – He gives ample reason for the things which He enjoins.
The first time that Jesus exhorts anyone to be of good cheer He basis it on the FORGIVENESS OF SIN.
Have you ever encouraged someone with a bad toothache by saying, “Well, at least no one died”? Even though there is some logic in the thought, there is really very little encouragement there. Our Lord looks that this man and seems to offer him a very irrelevant blessing. He wanted to be able to walk and play soccer with his ten-year-old son, but Christ gave him forgiveness. His friends wanted him to once again be a productive member of society, so that they wouldn’t have to help him feed his family. But Christ said, “Son, thy SINS be forgiven thee.” The Lord knew that the man’s palsy was sin-related, if not actually sin-caused.
I know that you are a professing Christian, and perhaps this helps me in my illustration. For most of us, we are most depressed, not after a great Carmelian victory, but after a disgusting sin. There is nothing that so drapes a souls with darkness as the consciousness of unforgiven sin. Can you remember back to those hours, days or weeks, when the Holy Spirit was convicting you of sin, righteousness and judgment, just prior to your regeneration and redemption from sin? For some of us those were the darkest days of our lives.
I know that there is plenty of superficial cheerfulness in this world. You have a few coins in your pocket, your ball team is winning, and your achy knee is feeling much better. But as the scripture says, it is nothing but “the crackling of thorns under the pot” – and the faster they crackle and burn the more quickly they are gone. Unless our comforters can come to us and say, “Thy sins be forgiven thee,” then they may be as bad or worse than the comforters of poor old Job. How can there be cheerfulness when I know that coiled up in my heart is the viper of sin, consciously keeping me from fellowship with God?
The second of the eight places where Christ said “tharseo” (thar-seh’-o) is found later in this chapter. The woman with the issue of blood came sneaking up behind Him and touched the hem of His robe. “But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.” There are many miracles recorded in the Book of Matthew, and many are so similar that I don’t see how I’ll be able to get by without repeating myself, but here I go even anticipating them. This woman by touching Christ, illustrates in a tangible way, the nature of true faith. The consciousness of a living connection with God through faith in Christ is an indispensable part of this “tharseo” (thar-seh’-o) – this good cheer. Apart from that connection, a person may have cup of gladness, but not a long-lasting barrel of joy. He may have a bit of excitement, but no lasting calm – as when the Lord stilled the raging storm.
Another source of “tharseo” (thar-seh’-o) is when we realize that CHRIST IS OUR COMPANION.
Turn to another very familiar story beginning in Matthew 14:22 – “And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”
I trust that you remember the background of this scripture. Christ was teaching until meal time, and the people were growing hungry and restless. In order to meet their needs, and to further prove His deity, the Lord fixed a feast for five thousand. After that, He sent the disciples away on one of their little fishing boats, while He escaped into a quiet place in order to pray. Later that night, when the disciples were in the midst of the Galilean sea another terrible storm came up. The ship was tossed in the waves, and the disciples could make no head-way into the wind. Then came Jesus, walking on the water, and saying “tharseo” (thar-seh’-o) “it is I; be not afraid.”
Some of you remember years ago, during family camp, when several of us were fishing out on Lake Pend Orieille, and the wind came up. I didn’t think that we were in any danger, but we certainly got very wet, mostly from the waves breaking over the bow. Some of life’s storms are snowy; some of them are rainy; some of them are windy and rainy. I have never been in a tornado or a hurricane, but millions of other people have. We all have different kinds of storms coming and gong in our lives. Isn’t wonderful to see the figure and to hear the words of the Son of God, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” As one commentator put it, “He who recognizes Jesus Christ as drawing near to his heart over wild billows may well ‘be of good cheer,’ since the storm but brings his truest treasure to him.” If Christ can walk across treacherous water and waves, and then quietly say, “it is I” then He has every right to also say “Be of good cheer.” It is never a waste of time to bring that Christ into your boat.
Another important use of this word “tharseo” comes from JESUS’ VICTORY OVER THE WORLD.
You may turn to John 16:28 if you like – The Lord Jesus had been giving His disciples some important instructions, and they responded well. He said, “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 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.”
This is one of those important statements which has to be accepted by faith – aren’t they all? Jesus was just a few hours away from the cross, and yet he says that He has conquered the world. That world – the aggregation of everything evil and sin-corrupted – is being taken back from the god of this world and once again placed in the hands of the true King of kings. In the game of chess there is that penultimate move – that which sets the stage for the checkmate move. And for Christ this was it. 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.”
Now let me ask you, even though Christ has overcome the world, has the world ever overcome you? Hadn’t the world overcome Elijah as he was racing south out of Judah? Has there ever been a period in your life, when you were more occupied with useless or even sinful things than you were of Christ? Have you ever thought to yourself, “I’ll never escape this wicked Jezebel. It is better that I die here and now than to die at her hand”?
What would have happened if Elijah, while still sitting in the gate of Jezreel, with the wicked queen inside…. What if Elijah had leaned over onto the shoulder of his Saviour and admitted his fear and faithlessness? Whosoever will lay his weakness on that strong arm, and open his emptiness to receive the fulness of Christ’s victory will be “more than a conqueror through Him that loved us.” Christ says “be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Stand up Elijah, I will stand with you, and Jezebel has nothing on me. Stand up Joshua, with me at your side, there is no walled city which will not crumble before you. Stand on your own two feet Peter. I know that you are in the devil’s courtyard and the fire in front of you is his, but I am in this place as well. You can and you will bring glory to my name, when you remember that “I have overcome the world.”
I won’t keep you long this afternoon, leaving you with one more thought.
Christ Jesus is STILL USING THIS WORD “tharseo” – be of good cheer.
In Acts 23 Paul had been arrested in Jerusalem, accused of bringing heathen into the temple. First he defended himself on the step of the Roman fortress. Then he defended himself before the Jewish council. In neither place was he treated with respect, nor were his words even heard. It looked like he was headed toward the same death as his Master. As Paul contemplated the end of his life at the hands of the Romans, the Lord Jesus met with him. “And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.” In essence the message was, “No man – no demon, no act of nature – can touch you until I permit it, and nobody shall touch you until you have done your work and given your testimony even in Rome.” In some ways, Jerusalem was a little auditorium, but Rome was a huge amphitheater. “Cheer up Paul, I have much work for you to do as yet.”
The spirit of that encouragement may go with us – as well as with the great apostle. We have every right, within certain restrains, to let the words of the Lord Jesus produce in us the same calm, courage and cheerfulness. No matter who might oppose us; no matter what the enemy might throw at us, no matter what dangers or evils may seem to ring around us, the Master who bids us to be of good cheer, will give us charmed lives, and nothing shall hurt us until he says, “Well done, good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
As David says in Psalm 27 – “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”