The Promise Of Peace

John 14:23-29

Our Gospel passage today from this week’s Lectionary continues with the teachings the Lord Jesus gave His disciples in the upper room the night before His arrest and crucifixion.  There are four thoughts and truths that we find in this passage. Let’s take a look and see what the Lord might teach us.

The first thing the Lord Jesus says in our Scripture passage is that if we truly love Him, we will obey Him and keep His word (vs. 23-24). Those who want, and who have a close and intimate relationship with God, will show a willing, devoted, and joyful obedience to Him. In His extended teachings to the disciples that final night after the Last Supper, Jesus emphasized several times our need to be obedient to God’s commands (John 14:15, 21, 23-24; John 15:10, 12, 14).  It is really hypocritical and false to say that we love God, yet just toss all of His commands and words behind our back. Our obedience to God shows our love for Him.

A second comforting truth that the Lord Jesus gave His disciples that last night, and to us as well, is found in verse 26.  Jesus has promised that after He leaves He will send us the Holy Spirit. Here Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will bring to our mind the words He has spoken.  When we face difficult circumstances the Holy Spirit will bring to mind God’s Word to bring us strength, comfort and peace. When we are witnessing and speaking to the lost about the Lord, or perhaps some day brought before those who hate Jesus, maybe a government who opposes Christianity, we can depend on the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak.  However, He can’t really do that if we have never put the Bible in our mind to begin with. If it’s not there, if we don’t know what God’s Word says, if we have never read it, He can’t bring it to our mind. We need to be reading the Bible every day, meditating on its truths, and memorizing it.

Verse 26 is another Scripture verse where the Trinity is clearly shown.  Jesus speaks of the Father, He speaks of Himself, the Son, and also of the Holy Spirit. They are all equal and all divine. The Holy Spirit brings to mind the Words of Jesus because they are one (I Corinthians 2:10-16).  Each part of the Trinity is equal in their divine attributes. Yet each one relates to mankind in a different way because they each have a specific role in our life.  We do not have three gods. We have one God expressed in three Persons, functioning uniquely and perfectly.

The fourth comforting thought and truth is found in verse 27, where Jesus promises to give us His peace.  Peace is not just an absence of conflict, though that is a part of it. Peace is also confident assurance in any circumstance.  With Jesus we have no need to fear the present or the future. If our life is full of stress and fear, allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with His peace.  Believers can have peace in difficult troubles because of the peace the Holy Spirit brings us.

The peace that Jesus brings surpasses all comprehension (Philippians 4:7).  It will keep us from fear and worry. It brings us right to Him. No matter what our circumstances are, the Lord will sustain and strengthen us with His peace if we turn to Him.  When we become a believer the Holy Spirit then indwells us. We then have access to this peace, no matter how chaotic our lives may be externally.

Though God promises us peace, that doesn’t mean there will be no more problems or fearful events in our lives.  If we remember, Jesus had the disciples cross the lake in a storm. He permits these storms in our lives so that we will turn to Him.  When we do, He will bring peace in our souls. Our first response to troubling circumstances should be to call upon Jesus and to get into the Scriptures, reading and meditating upon them.  Only the Lord Jesus can give us true peace. Praise the Lord Jesus that we have peace in Him, because we trust that He died for our sins.