My peace I give you. (John 14b)*

My peace I give you

John 14:15-31

Key Verse - John 14:27 “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.”

This was Jesus’ last word for his disciples. Peace is still what we need more than anything else. How can we have the peace that Jesus gives? This peace is different from what the world provides for us. It comes to us when we become one with Christ and with God. It transcends over all of life’s troubles, including suffering and death. Jesus is giving us that peace. I pray that we may find and enjoy it through today’s word.

Before we can know peace, it’s good to think about what takes away our peace. The world is filled with all kinds of hardships , including the formidable power of suffering and death that destroy our peace.

But when Jesus came, he demonstrated his power to undo all the effects of sin, such as healing sicknesses, driving out demons, and even raising the dead to life. For this reason, his disciples took Jesus as their Lord and he became the security for their life with hope and vision for the Kingdom of God. Simply, he was everything to them; So, wherever he went, they must follow him. Yet, Jesus said that he was leaving and they could not come with him. Even Peter’s determinative will to follow Jesus was frustrated by his warning that Peter would deny him three times. This was a crisis for the disciples, because they knew that they would be separated from Jesus forever through his death; his departure was also a death to their security, as well as their dreams and hope for the kingdom of God.

Likewise, out of our many, many reasons for fear and uncertainty, death is ultimately the most powerful force to rob us of our peace in life.

In this situation, Jesus taught his disciples three things, as we learned from the previous study:

1.      Jesus taught them that, by his suffering and death, he was going to the Father. His goal was to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house, and then come back to take them to be with him.

2.      He taught them that his suffering and death was the only way to the Father, and there was no other way.

3.      Jesus taught that all that he did was an exact representation of the Father. The disciples should have known the Father’s will and purpose through what they saw Jesus do. This included his crucifixion and resurrection.

In this way, Jesus appealed to them logically through the evidences they had witnessed in his teachings and actions. This is an essential element for anyone to trust, but was it enough for the disciples to commit their lives solely to Jesus, based on their experience? Jesus knew that, in their hearts, there was a big hole left by his absence, which could not simply be made up for by the persuasion of reason and love that had had been shown to them so far.

In the second half of his discourse, Jesus gave them his promises, regarding what he would do after he departed from them through his suffering and death. Jesus promised them three things.

A.     Jesus’ three promises

First, Jesus would ask the Father to send them another advocate (John 14:16-17).

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17).

When someone conforms to the truth contained in Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, Jesus will ask the Father to send another Advocate to help them, called ‘the Spirit of truth’. Just as he claimed to be the truth, particularly in regards to his return to the Father, another advocate would also be the truth to them. He would be with them forever as a life-long companion for Jesus’ disciples. He is to do and work with the disciples as their advocate, as Jesus had while he was on the earth. Jesus’ departure was a fearful shock, because his disciples thought that they would be left alone like orphans. But as they obeyed Jesus’ command to believe in him as the way to the Father, God would send another advocate in his place, to carry them along until they entered the kingdom of God.

Men cannot fight long and arduous battles in life; it is difficult, if not impossible, for them to hold onto God’s promises and sustain their faith. Up through v14, Jesus gave a good explanation of where and why he was going, how he would return, and promised them that they could do great things through his power. All of these are just promises paired with proper understanding. Though they are valuable, yet if men are to walk in the truth that Jesus walked by only holding onto his promises and their understanding of them, then there would be so many more failures and dropouts. Simply, the journey the disciples were to take, particularly the way of the cross, was often insurmountable for anyone to overcome. They needed an Advocate who would accompany them, not only in knowing the truth but also to walk in the truth.

Rebekah and I have so many differences in opinion and understanding; we often argue and upset each other. But she is still a very invaluable companion in my life, to keep me in truth and to fight the battles of this world’s ungodly living with me. Without her as my life-long companion, life would be a very difficult and lonesome journey for me. Likewise, Jesus knew his disciples’ weakness and that they needed a life-long companion, someone like himself. So the moment that they conformed to God’s truth, God sent the Spirit of truth as another Advocate to Jesus’ disciples.

Who else can be a better companion for us than Jesus himself? For the disciples, he was the truth, the life, and the way to the kingdom of God. He was everything for them; not having him with them was too much for them to bear. In this regard, another Advocate, who had the same power, authority, and truth as Jesus had, was so vital for his disciples, and also for us, as we walk the way of truth. He, the other Advocate, was the best companion for the disciples, as well as for us. The world has no idea who he is, because the world rejected Jesus and his truth. But, for us believers, we know him and his abiding presence with us, in the spirit and power of Jesus.

Second, Jesus will come to his disciples (John 14:18-21)

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.” (John14:18-19).

Here, Jesus’ sudden departure truly looked like a parent leaving abandoning his or her children for good, or as if both parents had died in an accident. When a child senses that his parents are gone for good and he will never see them again, he truly becomes an orphan in a hostile world, left helpless, hopeless, and powerless. This is an awful feeling, a great sense of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. Likewise, death was the cause of the separation between the disciples and Jesus. Such an implication does not end there, but became real as the disciples believed that Jesus’ death meant the end of their relationship with him. Such a belief about death has always been embedded in the depths of people’s heart.

Let’s assume that Jesus did not come back after his crucifixion. Then the last image of him in the disciples’ hearts would have been his tragic death, gone away from them for good and leaving them like abandoned children. This was the kind of feeling his disciples had when Jesus left them and died. Though his promise is true and they believed in his promises, it would be awful to have their last memory with Jesus be his death on the cross, so they had to live on only the promise of his return until he came again in glory. However, Jesus would not leave his disciples with such ‘feelings of being an orphan’. He would come back soon, after his suffering, death, and resurrection.

Jesus appeared to his disciples twice (both in the Gospel of John). Also, as we know from the book of Acts, Jesus taught them for 40 days and showed them his ascension to heaven:

“After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3).

There were several reasons that Jesus ‘had to suffer’, one of which was that reasoning or plausible ideas could not bring about the needed change in his disciples’ faith. This meant Jesus must not only die and rise again, but he must also show the resurrection to his disciples in order for it to bring about that change. In this way, Jesus had to not only wash away their feeling of abandonment but also totally eradicate their doubt about life after death. This belief was further strengthened and supported by Jesus’ glorious ascension. Thus, they completed each of the first steps of the journey, i.e. Jesus’ return to the Father was proven to their eyes. What does it mean to see the resurrected Jesus and witness his ascension into heaven?

“On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:20).

Jesus’ ascension represented the final step in his journey to the Father. The last encounter they had with Jesus, i.e. his ascension, would be a lasting reminder for his disciples of the fact that he was in God and with God. So any misunderstanding or disbelief about the cross would be wiped away; instead, a firm conviction and faith that the cross was the way to life would take place in their hearts. This was how they would become one with Jesus in spirit, truth, and purpose.

Jesus explained what this means in this way: I am in the Father, you are in me, and I am in you. God’s truth was in Jesus and was now in his disciples as well. In this way, the truth prevails over all of His people.

The implication for Jesus’ disciples, and for us, is clear; when we accept Jesus’ way of truth, we will be one with him and be in him and he in us.

This signified a totally new beginning for them. For the first time, men’s will was well aligned with God’s will and purpose. For the first time since the fall of man, God was fully satisfied with men.

Thirdly, the Father and Jesus would come to the disciples and make their home with them. This was the third and final thing that Jesus promised to do for them:

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:23).

What does it means that God the Father and His Son, Jesus, would come and make their home with them? It is possible that this was a description of the extension of ‘spiritual oneness with his people’, but I believe that this is something different from being united in spirit. “God and Jesus will come to them and make their home with them”. This is the purpose behind Jesus’ departure and the final fulfillment of what he promised to his disciples (John 14:3); he didn’t make this up. Such hope was given to Israel through the Prophet Zechariah:

“Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord.” (Zechariah 2:10).

This new coming will be like the time when God’s literal presence dwelt among Israel during their wanderings in the desert, or like when David dedicated the new temple to the Lord and God’s presence descended upon it. Jesus also showed John a vision of his return (Revelation 21). What did this mean for the disciples? This marked the resolution of the series of events that began with Jesus’ departure by his death on the cross, and fully described what would follow, i.e. his return to the Father and their return to be with their disciples. In this way, everything ends with God and Jesus dwelling with his disciples.

B.     If you love me, keep my commands. (John 14:15; 23-24)

These three promises are great and Jesus has kept them, on one condition: that his followers keep his command out of their love for him.

In promising to send another Advocate, Jesus made this condition:

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever” (John 14:15-16).

In promising to show himself, Jesus again mentioned similar condition:

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:21).

According to the promise that the Father and Jesus, the Son, would come back to make their home with the disciples, Jesus made the same conditions again:

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:23).

In all three of these promises, Jesus made a clear condition that had to be met; that is, obedience to his commands out of love for him. Also John 14:15 is restated in v21, only in reverse order. John 14:23 emphasizes love and obedience equally. In this way, Jesus communicated that loving him couldn’t be separated from obeying his commands; they were two sides of the same coin.

Then, what is the love that Jesus was asking from his disciples? It’s good to look at the meaning of the word for ‘love’ that is used here.

In each of his three demands, Jesus used the word ‘agape’, so it seems that Jesus was asking his disciples for genuine and godly love, the kind of love that he showed to them, as the condition for such promised blessings (**See note below). Before they had genuinely loved Jesus in this way and confessed that he was their Lord, the Son of God; that love must not be tainted by or hampered by the fact that he was soon going to suffer and die. Likewise, Jesus’ love would carry and sustain their faith through his suffering and death.

This is true for us as well. We all remember the goodness and power of Jesus’ love at some point in our lives. In his love for us, he took away our sins and gave us various blessings, which we experience throughout our lives. So our love for him has been building up since we met him personally. That love must continue in us and not change, even if we face hardships, like death. As we live in his love now, it will carry us through the most difficult times of life. Then we will surely be rewarded with great blessings from the Lord.

C.      The Advocate will help you remember (John 14:25-26).

“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.” (John 14:25-26).

Previously, Jesus had promised to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples as another Advocate. Here, Jesus reminded them again, particularly concerning their anxiety over how they would handle the crisis of his death. Jesus said so many things that the disciples could barely remember them all; they did not jot them down at all and their memories were limited. Moreover, how could they remember God’s words while their minds were filled with fear and anxiety during such a life crisis? Not knowing him or his teachings was like losing one’s grip on the truth, Jesus. Such ignorance would leave them in limbo, uncertain and afraid, but even then, they should not worry; instead, they were to remember that the other Advocate would be with them, even in such crises. The Advocate would do everything that Jesus did; He would teach them all things and remind them of all of Jesus’ teachings so that they might stand in his truth, even in the crises of life. Our memory and ability to act and react in a righteous way may be greatly compromised by fear and anxiety that we confront; however, Jesus said ‘do not worry’, because the Advocate is with us even through hard times. Jesus’ abiding presence is with us. We are to know his presence and stand firm and confident that, in all the crises of life, the Advocate is also with us. There is nothing that should make us afraid or undermine our confidence and trust in the Lord, because the Advocate is with us.

D.     Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. (John 14: 27).

Finally, Jesus concluded this discourse by giving his peace to his disciples.

“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.” (John 14:27).

First, this peace was from Jesus. When I say this, I mean that the path Jesus followed (i.e. his suffering, death, resurrection, and return to the Father) leaves us peace from all the worries of the world.  So knowing and accepting Jesus’ way of life is an essential part of this peace.

Second, Jesus gives his peace to his disciples. He personally suffered and died to appease God’s righteousness; moreover, by sacrificing himself, he also earned righteousness for our sake and gave it to us. So, this peace is his personal creation. Jesus said, “my peace I give you.” This peace solely belongs to and comes from Jesus; we cannot find it in anyone else. Mohamed, Buddha, Confucius, or Moses cannot provide this peace; no one but Jesus, the righteous Son of God, could do so. One thing we must know and accept is that no peace found in this world can endure through eternity.

We seek peace within ourselves, at home and at work, and in the world, but real peace is not merely a feeling of simple calmness, detached from reality; it is only in and from Jesus. Peace will begin in us when we obey Jesus’ commands and follow him in the way of the cross. This peace will be reiterated, enforced, and shared with us through the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name. May the peace of Christ be with you!

<**A note on ‘love’ in John >

In order to truly understand the word ‘love’ in this context, it’s good to look at how the author John used it in his Gospel. He used the two different words for love (Agape - 43 times; Phileo - 17 times) more than the other synoptic gospels (Agape - 16 times in Luke,12 times in Matthew, and 6 times in Mark). Particularly in John, when the subject of the word referred to God, i.e. indicating godly love, the author used agape. This indicates that John used this word to denote godly love, as opposed to the love among families or brothers. The subtle distinction between phileo and agape is shown in Jesus’ conversation with Peter (John 21). He asked Peter if he loved him. The first two times he poses the question, the word ‘agape’ is used. By the third time, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, using phileo. He changed from using agape to using phileo, implying that even if Peter’s love for him was brotherly love, yet as long as he had some love for Jesus, then he was to feed his sheep. Also, all of Peter’s answers were in phileo. Through this, it seems that, in John’s Gospel, the word 'agape’ was used to denote a particular love that God had for men in Christ (John 3:16) and was of a godly character and quality distinctively different from phileo. As noted above, in each of three of these demands (John 21:15, 21, 23), the word ‘agape’ is used. So it seems that Jesus was asking his disciples for genuine and godly love as the condition for such blessing from the Father.