IT WAS A deeply troubling, confusing evening for the Twelve. The story of the Last Supper, as we read it in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, comes near the end of what must have been a glorious, exciting week for the disciples. It began with the joyous cries of “Hosanna!” from the massive crowd of pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover. Later, in a display of divine authority, Jesus angrily purged the temple of those who were using the temple courts for business purposes instead of worship. Later still, in the temple courts, he told parable after parable condemning the faithlessness and hypocrisy of the religious leaders, and went toe to toe with them in debate, until no one dared to challenge him further.

But there had been ominous moments as well. As Jesus and the disciples left the temple, he spoke to them darkly of its destruction and of the persecution that would accompany it. He told them, again, that he would be crucified. And in Bethany, when a woman anointed Jesus with expensive perfume, Jesus told the Twelve that she was doing that to prepare him for his burial.

How could they make sense of all these things? Could they reconcile the good with the bad? And did any of it prepare them for what Jesus would say during the Last Supper?

To them he was the Messiah and their Master, but also their mentor and friend. They saw themselves as his closest and most loyal followers, who would stand with him no matter what.

But then Jesus predicted that one of them would betray him. He predicted that they would all fall away, and scatter like frightened sheep. And when Peter objected, Jesus said that even he — stalwart Peter, the Rock — would disown him three times.

In the first three gospels, the story moves quickly from the Upper Room to Gethsemane. But in the gospel of John, Jesus first engages in a time of teaching known as the Upper Room Discourse. After he predicts his betrayal, he tells them not to be troubled. He reassures them that even though he will be leaving them shortly, he will send them the Holy Spirit, and eventually, he himself will return. In the meantime, they are to show the world what it means to be a disciple of Jesus by their love for one another.

But he also tells them of the trouble that awaits. The world will hate them. People will persecute them even to the point of death, thinking they’re doing God a favor. And having said all this, Jesus ends the discourse with these words:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33, NIV)

Peace? After everything he just said, it’s hard to imagine the disciples feeling at peace.

But that’s not what Jesus means. He’s not saying that they will always be serene, and he’s certainly not telling them that life here on out will be smooth sailing. No: they will have trouble, serious trouble. Paul uses the same word as John to speak of the “troubles” he and his comrades had experienced in the province of Asia. How bad were these troubles? Paul says, “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death” (2 Cor 1:8-9). That’s trouble enough.

And that’s what the disciples should expect, Jesus insists. The book of Acts bears out his prediction. So why should the disciples have peace? Because when trouble comes, they will remember that Jesus, the crucified and resurrected one, told them it would come.

I imagine the lesson just beginning to sink in on Easter. Although he had told them multiple times that he would be arrested and crucified, it’s not clear in the gospels that they ever really understood this until it happened. Despite their confident vow of loyalty, they scattered when he was arrested. They hid in fear after he was crucified. But after the resurrection it all began to make sense: He told us all this would happen, remember? The world did everything it could to stop him. But not even death could do that. He really has overcome the world!

And in that knowledge, not in the absence of trouble, they would find peace.

AS WE’VE SEEN, Jesus has been telling his followers not to worry about the necessities of life. It’s not that they shouldn’t care about having enough to eat; again, this is the man who miraculously fed thousands of hungry people. But he wants his followers to trust the providence of God, who already knows what they need. He wants them to be freed from undue anxiety, so they can spend their energies pursuing the kingdom of heaven instead.

But when Jesus tells them not to worry, it’s not a promise that they won’t have worries. He’s not promising them a trouble-free life. Indeed, the final words of Matthew 6 make this clear:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34)

There’s that word again: “trouble.” But it’s not the same Greek word as before. Elsewhere in the New Testament, this word is usually translated as “malice,” or “evil,” or even “wickedness.” It’s not just about things going wrong, as in “car trouble.” It’s about people doing wrong, and doing so intentionally. In this narrow sense, then, Jesus could be telling his hearers to expect that people will make trouble every day, a possible reference to persecution.

Typically, though, interpreters take Jesus to be making a general point to a general audience: Listen, people — there will always be something to worry about. Today has enough trouble of its own; why worry about tomorrow? Moreover, as Jesus has already suggested, worrying is a useless pastime. It won’t hold tomorrow at bay and it won’t make tomorrow’s troubles vanish. Worry changes nothing, so why waste the energy?

Our own troubles may be small or large. It could be something as serious as persecution for the faith. It could be something as basic as an empty stomach. But whatever the nature of the troubles we may face, we should expect them to come. We can’t take his teaching about providence and turn it into the promise of a carefree Christian life. Despite what the world says we should pursue, we are to pursue the things of the kingdom, trusting God to be with us all along the way.

And when troubles come, we can remember that Jesus told us so. The Christian life is lived one day at a time, in the company of the one who has already overcome the world.