The Peace Of Christ

Introduction

            It’s been one of those weeks that has been filled with stress and anxiety. People often think that pastors are so spiritual that they never suffer from frustration, stress and anxiety. I mean, pastors trust God for all things and live stress-free, carefree lives, right? Well, I hate to disappoint you but that’s not reality. I am fully aware of God’s promises and I do trust God’s provision and sovereignty. But I’m also human—just like you. At some point, even pastors are not immune to stress, frustration and anxiety. Let me explain. Because I don’t solicit financial resources for this ministry, I rely solely on money I earn from my carpentry business and when something goes wrong, as it did this week, there is always a risk that I won’t be able to continue to support and continue this ministry. Both of my girls, who attend college half way across the country from me, are sick as they press on through the final days of this semester. My wife is likewise down to her last drop of energy as she completes her studies for the semester while enduring a grueling work schedule. I received distressing news about a nephew’s serious health issue. And if all these things weren’t enough, my personal demon of depression has visited me once again this week. Suffice it to say, my stress level reached its peak by the end of the week. I just wanted a break from the stress and turmoil that had my mind and body in its grip; I wanted to run away and hide; I wanted to be able to relax and clear my mind of everything. I finally realized that what I longed for was peace. I wanted the war that was going on inside of me to stop or at least subside. I got to thinking about how Jesus endured the final days of his life on earth leading up to his crucifixion. No doubt those final days were stress-filled and anxious. Nevertheless, Jesus always seemed so level-headed; always seemed at peace. Is it possible for us, in our times of greatest stress, frustration and anxiety to have access to this peace—The Peace Of Christ? I think the answer would be yes if we just knew what The Peace Of Christ is and how we can access that peace during the struggles of our lives—not to escape the struggles (although that would be nice) but to better endure them.

Subject Text

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.

Context

The setting for our subject text is important if we are to understand the promise contained in our subject text and why Jesus made such a promise. We have to go all the way back to the beginning of Chapter 13 to find that Jesus and the disciples are celebrating the Passover right before Jesus is arrested; it would be the Last Supper. To begin with, Jesus removes one of his outer garments and wraps it around his waist in the fashion of an apron. He pours water into a basin and washes the disciples’ feet. The exercise serves as an illustration for the disciples that just as He came to serve humanity, they are destined for a life of service. Some in their group believed they were destined for leadership and even asked Jesus if he wouldn’t assign them to positions of leadership and authority (Mk 10:35-45). Jesus makes it clear that life as one of his followers would be marked by sacrifice and servitude not privilege and prestige.

Jesus then discloses to his disciples that one of them is destined to betray him. Jesus identifies the betrayer as Judas whose actions are now under the control of Satan and would become the instrument of evil used to apprehend Jesus. Jesus, fully aware of Judas’ intentions, sends him on his way to accomplish what Satan has placed in his heart to do.

Jesus, knowing that the time had come for him to be put to death, discloses to the remaining eleven that he would soon be leaving them. The disciples still didn’t understand what was about to happen. Jesus gives them a very important command that they are to love one another as a sign of their discipleship—a command that I fear many of us have either forgotten or simply neglect. In any event, the brash Peter wants to know where Jesus is going and why he can’t follow. Brave Peter says that he would be willing to lay down his life for Jesus if he had to. Do you wonder if Jesus ever rolled his eyes at some of the things his disciples said? If so, I think this would be one of those times. In any event, Jesus paints a very different picture of Peter’s actions that would soon become reality when Peter denies knowing Jesus three times within just a few hours of saying he would lay down his life for Jesus!

Chapter 14 is one of my favorite chapters perhaps in all the Gospels because it contains so many promises for the life to come and to sustain us in this life. It is also one of the foundational texts in support of the Trinity. At the beginning of Chapter 14 Jesus gives his disciples and by extension us, a glimpse into what awaits us after this life when he tells them that he is going to prepare a place for them [us] and that one day he will return and take us there. Then he reveals to them that they in fact know how to get to where he is going. Thomas then says what I have no doubt the rest of them are thinking: Since we don’t know where you’re going, how can we know how to get there? This leads to one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture. Do you remember last week’s lesson about the absolutes of Jesus (See the lesson titled: What’s In A Name)? Let me offer you a quick reminder of the key text from that lesson: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).” V. 6 of Chapter 14 in John’s gospel is another one of those absolutes when Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Do you want to know why I love this text so much? It leaves not room for equivocation or guesswork. Reconciliation with God goes through Jesus and there is no other way. Furthermore, I can present that to anyone and everyone whether they like it or not without concern that I have perhaps misinterpreted Jesus in some way.

The Trinity takes center stage in vv. 7-26 (to learn more about the Trinity see the lesson titled: Defending The Trinity) as Jesus tells his disciples that they would know the Father if they really knew him [Jesus]. This is another one of those places where we lose the full force of Jesus’ words because we know the whole story but the disciples were living the story inside the story. Consequently, we can’t simply assume the disciples understood what Jesus was saying the way we understand what Jesus is saying. We understand Jesus in the context of Paul’s words to the Church in Colosse that Jesus is the image of the invisible God and that the fullness of God dwelt in him (Col 1:15). But the disciples did not yet perceive Jesus in this way. They did not perceive Jesus who they could see as being equal in essence with the Father who they could not see. So one of the disciples, Philip, asks Jesus to show them the Father and that’s when Jesus shocks them with a divine revelation when he reveals his essential equality with God the Father when he says that anyone who has seen him has seen the Father (v. 9). We take so much for granted when we read the Bible but the magnitude of Jesus’ revelation cannot be overstated. Remember that the disciples are Jewish; not priests or religious leaders but regular everyday Jews with no religious pedigree. What does this matter? They understood that the invisible God resided in the most host place in the temple—the Holy of Holies and only the levitical priests were allowed to enter that place to approach God’s throne and only after going through ritual cleansing and preparation. Anyone else who dared enter the temple would be put to death by God. In fact, it is believed, based on rabbinical tradition, that the priest would enter the Holy of Holies wearing bells on their robes and a rope fastened around their ankle or waist. If those outside did not hear the sound of bells for an extended period, they would assume the priest did something wrong in the presence of God and was dead and would use the rope to pull out the dead body. Jesus’ disciples knew this and now Jesus is telling them that they are in effect in the presence of God in the same respect as the priests who enter the Holy of Holies. That’s no small matter for a Jew! Especially a Jew who isn’t a designated priest authorized to enter into the Holy of Holies to approach the throne of God. Jesus is clearly communicating that something has changed. It is a hint of the New Covenant that will become finalized when Jesus dies on the cross and the curtain to the entrance leading into the Holy of Holies is torn in two from top to bottom (Mt 27:51). It is a hint that they are safe in the presence of God in Jesus. No one will have to fear approaching God through Jesus (Heb 4:16); Jesus has removed all barriers separating us from God. Jesus tells his disciples that when they see him they see the Father—from the perspective of divinity there is no difference between the Father and the Son.

Therefore, Jesus promises them that if they have faith in him and what he is telling them, they would be able to do even greater things than he had done. Imagine that for a minute. They saw Jesus heal the sick, raise the dead, feed thousands with a few loaves of bread and a couple of small fish, and walk on water and now he’s telling them that they would do even greater things.

In case the disciples’ heads weren’t swimming yet, Jesus tells them again that it wouldn’t be long and he would no longer be with them. He implores them to be obedient to his commands and faithful to follow his example. And that’s when Jesus makes his promise that he was not abandoning them but would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to them to teach them and guide them. Jesus introduces them to the third person of the Trinity. Again, don’t read past this too quickly. What just happened? Jesus just told them that he and the Father were the same in essence and now he introduces them to the Holy Spirit who is also the same in essence as the Father and the Son. The disciples grew up with a very important Scripture that they no doubt memorized at a very early age—it was called the Shema. “Hear O Israel! The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deut 6:4).” But now Jesus has turned their world upside down when he tells them that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit exist distinct from each other in personality yet identical in essence. If you think it’s difficult for us to grasp that reality even given the tomes of theological scholarship at our disposal to explain it, imagine what the disciples must have been thinking.

Why is the context for our subject text so important? Well close your eyes for a minute and try to put yourself into the shoes of the disciples and consider this:

Ø  You just found out that following Jesus will mean downward mobility; a life of servitude and sacrifice not prominence and prestige.

Ø  They love Jesus but find out that one of them is destined to betray him.

Ø  They must decide if Jesus is, in fact, the one way to the Father as he claims to be.

Ø  Jesus, the one they have left everything to follow, tells them that he is leaving them.

Ø  Jesus introduces them to God the Holy Spirit who will come to them after Jesus is gone.

Ø  They have only known God as One but now they must try and process God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as three persons yet one God.

What do you imagine was going through their hearts and minds? Do you suppose they might have been confused? Troubled? Worried? Frustrated? Angry? Disappointed? Stressed? Anxious? How about all those things? I think that’s what leads Jesus to say what he did in our subject text. And the words I needed to hear this week. Maybe the words you need to hear today. But what did Jesus mean when he said he was giving us his peace—The Peace Of Christ?

Text Analysis

            Our subject text is really broken down into three parts: v. 27a—Peace I leave you; my peace I give you; v. 27b—I do not give to you as the world does; v. 27c—Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. I’ve given you the context for this verse so let’s look at what Jesus is saying to his disciples and by extension to us.

            What does it mean when Jesus uses the word “peace?” Eirenen  [“peace”] in the Greek in this context “Can describe both the content and goal of all Christian preaching, the message itself being called ‘the gospel of peace.’ In other words, the biblical concept of peace [Hb. Shalom] is primarily that of wholeness. This divinely-wrought reality exercises a mighty influence in the present world, though it still awaits final fulfillment. Soteriologically, peace is grounded in God’s work of redemption. Eschatologically it is a sign of God’s new creation which has already begun. Teleologically it will be fully realized when the work of new creation is complete…Christ is the mediator of peace. He brings in the kingdom of God and is the bearer of reconciliation…Indeed, he himself is peace, as is Yahweh in the OT.”[1]

            The peace Jesus extends to the disciples in v. 27a is the peace that Jesus modeled in his own life in the face of the constant pressure from the overwhelming demands of people desperately in need of healing, provision and salvation; the constant opposition by the religious leaders who feared losing grip on their religious business venture; the knowledge that his path was leading him ever closer to the cross. “Jesus’ peace would not guarantee the absence of trouble—for Jesus himself faced excruciating spiritual, physical, and emotional struggles in the coming hours. Instead, Jesus’ peace supplies strength and comfort for the burdens we are called to carry. Jesus gave the disciples peace that would help them through their own time of trial ahead.”[2]

            Jesus’ peace in v. 27b is not the kind of peace the world has to offer. It’s not the peace found in drugs or alcohol; it’s not the peace found in sex; it’s not the peace found in abundance; it’s not the peace found in elaborate vacations; it’s not the peace found in the control of power. This is not true peace. These are an anesthetic to blunt the conflict and turmoil in our hearts and minds; conflict and turmoil that signals an imbalance in our relationship with God. The peace given by Jesus is intended to “Restore the equilibrium and richness of humanity’s relationship with God. Nothing in the world can offer such a gift. Jesus’ shalom not only brings an end to the brokenness caused by sin, but will be the fruit of the Spirit given when he departs.”[3]

            Jesus reveals in v. 27c that he is keenly aware of humanity’s inclination to become overwhelmed and anxious in the face of change, uncertainty, and struggle when he instructs the disciples not to be troubled or afraid. What I want you to see in this part of our subject text is that Jesus is not condemning them or admonishing them because they may be anxious or afraid. Jesus is fully aware of the effects that stress and fatigue can have on the human psyche. In fact, you can get a clear picture of the full affect of that stress and fatigue a short while later when we find Jesus literally sweating blood droplets as he awaits his impending death in the Garden of Gethsemane (Lk 22:44). Jesus in Gethsemane is the picture of stress, anxiety, and anguish bound by the peace of knowing that he was being obedient to the Father’s will. “True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings; it comes from knowing that God is in control. Believers are given peace with God when they believe, and they have the inner quiet of the peace of God as they daily walk with him.”[4]

Application

            To think that we could live in and daily engage a sinful, self-prioritizing world without being affected mentally, physically, and emotionally is a fantasy. When we became believers, we didn’t suddenly become like impersonal machines nor have we become like lobotomized zombies. However, this is not really the issue here. What is important is how we are affected spiritually. If we are set in our beliefs and trust in Jesus’ promises, we will have the spiritual fortitude to endure and eventually overcome the stresses, anxieties, fears and troubles of this life.

            Jesus has promised to give us his peace and the coming of the Holy Spirit has sealed that promise as a reality for our lives. So why do so many of us seem to lack peace more often than not in our lives? In truth, I don’t think it’s because we actually lost the peace we may have once enjoyed, I think it’s because we’ve forgotten that Jesus has promised to give us his peace —The Peace Of Christ. In the course of our lives, we neglect some, or maybe even all, of the spiritual disciplines that serve to cleanse our hearts and minds and remind us of Jesus’ love and promises. Disciplines such as prayer, Scripture reading, silence, solitude, service, fasting, personal reflection/journaling, Sabbath, worship, submission to the lordship of Jesus, learning, and spiritual friendships. I know this to be an absolute truth in my life. The more of these disciplines I neglect on a regular basis, the more pronounced is my lack of peace. Consider this for yourself and see if it isn’t true for your life as well.

Finally, our lives are marked by anxiety and inner turmoil because we have certain expectations of peace for our lives. We want to feel good, secure, happy and healthy. We always want to be satisfied physically, emotionally and spiritually and when we’re not, we lack peace. But this is not the way of Christ. When we insist on life on our terms instead of God’s terms, we are, in essence, fighting against the will of God. The result is stress, struggle and turmoil because we cannot attain what we desire and believe will provide the peace we so desperately seek. We do what Jesus’ disciples did during Jesus’ lifetime, they tried to fit Jesus into their theological framework instead of allowing Jesus to redefine their theological framework. And when he didn’t or wouldn’t accommodate their framework, they became anxious and confused. Isn’t this what we do as well? Instead of seeking peace through the aforementioned disciplines, we seek to assuage our anxiety and turmoil through the worldly comforts of money, sex and power. If we only had more money, we wouldn’t have the anxiety associated with financial want. Except that so many who are not in financial want are obsessed with how to keep the money they have—there is no peace. We feel we deserve physical satisfaction represented by the things that appeal to the senses (i.e. sex, food, drink, entertainment, comfort, etc.) If we could have all the things we want to satisfy our physical desires, we wouldn’t be anxious about always wanting more. However, constantly seeking to fulfill our own personal needs and desires is like trying to put out a fire with gasoline—there is no peace. If we had more power and control then we could control our own destiny with the power to demand and attain anything we desire. The problem with that power, however, is that there is always someone else who desires the same power. The result is that no single person cannot have perfect control or absolute power in order to satisfy every selfish desire—there is no peace. The only place that we find the peace we so desperately seek in our lives is in the person of Christ and his promises. Jesus has promised us that peace and the Holy Spirit residing in believers attests to that peace. We simply have to be reminded from time to time through the practice of spiritual disciplines. If we are diligent to pursue the lay hold of the promises of Christ, we will once again experience The Peace Of Christ.

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[1] Colin Brown, ed., New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol. 2, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), pp. 780-781.

[2] Bruce Barton, Philip Comfort, Grant Osbourne, Linda K. Taylor, and Dave Veerman, Life Application New Testament Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), p. 438.

[3] Gary M. Burge, John, The NIV Application Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), p. 399.

[4] Barton, et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary, p. 860.