“My Peace I Give You”

John 14: 15-31

 “All this I have spoken while still with you.  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” 14:25-27 – from my cousin, Hannah

This section is the promise from Jesus that the Holy Spirit will come to us.  He will live in us and will be in us.  Jesus could not stay on earth because He had a job to complete.  He had to defeat Satan.  He had to die and then come alive again.  But He still could not stay, He had to return to Heaven.  The fact that Jesus came to earth in the first place shows such an intimate relationship with us.  Yes, God molded us, created us, breathed life into us, created us in His image, and walked with us in the garden.  But the relationship He had with man was severed the moment they listened to death.  From that point on, God had interactions with His people and took care of His people, but He never dwelt with His people – until He sent His Son.  He wanted to be with us, to save us, to spend eternity with us.  He loves us that much.  And in this passage, Jesus is foreshadowing to His death, resurrection, and ascension.  The fact that He had to leave us is not how God wanted to leave it.  He wanted to continue the relationship He rekindled with us and sent Himself to live inside of us.

And for this reason we do not have to be afraid.  We do not have to be troubled.  We will have peace.  The peace that passes all understanding.  The peace that the world cannot give and cannot understand.  

At the end of this passage, Jesus explains that Satan is coming.  It is coming close to the time for Him to be nailed to the cross.  His explanation of why Satan is coming is one of the most powerful messages in the Bible.  “…for the prince of this world is coming.  He has NO HOLD over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I LOVE THE FATHER and DO EXACTLY WHAT MY FATHER HAS COMMANDED ME.” v. 30b-31 If we are to be like Jesus, this is who we need to be.  The one who Satan has no hold over because we love the Father and do exactly what He has commanded us.  Praise God, Hallelujah!!!