The Word of Peace - John 14:25-31
This might be an understatement, but our culture and even evangelicalism is skeptical of the word of God. We no longer see any benefit to knowing it for ourselves. Perhaps someone else can give us the spark notes version at some point.
We want to interact with God’s Word as little as possible.
Last week, we looked at the famous words of Jesus, “if you love me, you will keep my commandments.” and from that passage we were reminded that our love for Christ is what compels us to keep the commandments of Christ.
Jesus is still speaking to his disciples in the upper room. And he’s transitioned from speaking about keeping his commandments to speaking about the work of the Holy Spirit.
And one of the main roles of the Holy Spirit is the preservation of the Word of God.
The Lord keeps, maintains, and preserves his Word to comfort you in the midst of trials. It might sound obvious to all of us sitting in this room today, but the Word of God will comfort your soul.
And we see this in three particular ways this morning: First, the Word will give you life (vv. 25-26). Second, the Word of God will give you peace (vv. 27-28). And lastly, the Word will protect you (vv. 29-31).
The Word gives life (vv. 25-26)
The Apostles will reflect upon the words of Jesus and the Spirit will, over time, help them understand it.
In verses 25 and 26, Jesus picks up right where he left off.
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
Again, these words were spoken to the apostles, who would witness Christ’s crucifixion and ascension then face various trials and persecution of their own.
How were they going to withstand it all? How were they going to get through those incredibly challenging times? Their helper. Their paraclete. The Holy Spirit.
But it wasn’t just that the Holy Spirit was going to be there to pat them on the head when things got a little tough. Jesus tells his disciples that the Holy Spirit was going to do something very specific: that is, teach them and help them recall the words of Christ to give them comfort.
As time elapsed, they would continue to ponder and chew upon the words of Jesus and as they spent time reflecting on what he said, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, they would better understand what Jesus had said and why he said it.
In other words, because of the Holy Spirit, everything was going to make sense! And we know that the Holy Spirit did just that! He helped them gain insight into what Jesus had taught them.
And that remembrance and insight would certainly help the Apostles as the likelihood of persecution increased.
The Holy Spirit helped them remember and understand the things that Jesus said. It’s quite profound when you think about it.
Because my son Eli has been asking me a lot to tell him stories about myself when I was a little boy… and I’m pretty much tapped out! I honestly cannot remember!
For me at least, events and experiences will often trigger memories. But to simply sit down and tell a story, it’s not easy. But the memories that tend to stick out in our minds are the moments that had a tremendous impact on our lives.
No doubt that was John’s experience. We’re just making our way through the book of John and the level of detail is amazing! The specificity is remarkable, isn’t it? He gives us a detailed recap of what was even said because Christ had a profound impact on him.
He eventually understood things that he didn’t initially. How many times in the book of John has someone been confused by something that Jesus has said? But what’s so interesting is that John has built that into his gospel, hasn’t he? He eventually understood what was going on because he captured it in his gospel.
He had to have been shaking his head as he wrote down his gospel, thinking about all the times they didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about, but he eventually understood didn’t he?
But again, that’s the work of the Holy Spirit. That’s even what we mean when we say they wrote down Scripture under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They didn’t become robots as they wrote Scripture, rather, what we’re saying is that they were able to recall stories, events, and parables, but not just that, but their significance as well!
But not only did the work of the Holy Spirit help them get through their immediate circumstances, the Spirit also gave them a deeper understanding of the gospel.
And it’s a deep love for the words of Christ and his gospel that is going to get you through the trials of life. Because Christ’s words are life-giving.
The Spirit helps us understand how to apply Scripture to our circumstances. I don’t know everything that everyone has going on, nor do I want to! But the Holy Spirit knows exactly what you’re going through and as you read the word, or hear the word preached, He knows how it’s particularly relevant in your life.
I don’t necessarily know how this particular passage is relevant to your life, but the Spirit knows. And again, it might sound obvious, but the more time you spend under faithful preaching or simply reading the word, the more you’ll understand.
The better you understand Scripture, the better you’ll understand how to please God. You’ll have greater clarity on how to handle difficult situations. And by the power of the Spirit, you’ll begin to trust the Word of God and lean on it more and more.
It will truly be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path.
His Word will give you peace (vv. 27-28)
But it’s not just that the Word of God will help you navigate the stormy seas of life. The Word will even give you peace in the midst of the storms.
Notice what Jesus says there in verse 27: The Spirit impressing the Word upon you that Jesus is going to give you peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”
The word for peace there is the Greek word for ‘shalom.’This holistic sort of peace that extends to all spheres of life. And it’s the shalom sort of peace that Jesus had in mind in verse 27.
But he’s using ‘peace’ in a very specific way. It’s not necessarily a holistic sort of shalom peace, rather, in this verse it’s a reconciling peace. The sort of peace between God and man that only Jesus Christ can deliver. Which makes perfect sense in context of what’s going on. Jesus is telling his disciples that he has to go away, he’s going to die on the cross and then rise from the dead, and ascend to the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
All of that must take place in order for Jesus to reconcile God to man. It’s what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
You really see the depth of verse 27 when you realize that Jesus is using the word peace in a reconciling sense, “my peace I give to you.” My reconciliation, my peace that I make between God and man – I give to you. Incredible words.
A number of years ago, Lauren and I went to Hawaii and visited Pearl Harbor. And if you’ve ever been there you can tour the USS Missouri where the surrender ceremony for WWII took place. Japanese military officers along with many high ranking military officers from around the world were on board the USS Missouri to sign the peace treaty ending WWII.
Obviously, that peace treaty brought an end to bloody warfare and combat, but it didn’t just bring an end to hostility, that treaty brought comfort to people all over the world. No longer did they have to be prepared to hide in a bunker or live in fear every time a plane buzzed overhead. Peace that brings an end to hostility inevitably brings an inner peace as well. The two are deeply connected to one another.
And isn’t that true for the peace that Christ brings? He certainly brings peace between God and man, but he also gives an unassailable inner peace. We receive both through Jesus. We can approach God through Christ, but we have assurance, confidence, and peace in what he’s done for us!
But Christian peace is even different from wartime peace, because Christians can still have peace even in the midst of war! The peace of Christ transcends your immediate circumstances. No matter what hardships you face in life, because of the finished work of Christ you can still have peace. If you’re trusting in Christ and you're washed in his blood, then God no longer looks at you and sees you as an enemy, but rather, he sees you as a son or daughter and his love will never depart from you. That’s the peace that passes all understanding, isn’t it?
Which is totally different from worldly peace.
But the peace that Jesus provides is entirely different from the peace that the world gives. The peace that the world gives is temporary. Worldly peace is seasonal, and entirely conditional upon your circumstances.
And it’s interesting too because the world promises peace. Here’s all the things that you need to have for a content life, but it always leaves you unsatisfied. The peace treaty ending WWII was signed upon USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. Just five years later on June 2, 1950 the Korean War began!
Which is of course why Jesus says there in verse 27, “Not as the world gives do I give to you.” Because worldly peace in every shape and form does not last! It’s unsatisfactory and temporary! But the peace of Jesus Christ is eternal.
And it’s with that in mind that Jesus can say with all sincerity, “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Throughout chapter 14, Jesus has been comforting the disciples because he’s leaving them. And again here at the end of chapter 14, he’s giving them another reason to find comfort - he’s going to give them peace!
And the comfort and the peace of Christ comes to you through the Holy Spirit by the power of his word!
His Word will protect you (vv. 28-31)
The word and Spirit not only provide you and me with peace and comfort, they’ll also protect you.
Look at verses 29-31 with me.
“You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.”
In verse 28, Jesus says a few things that on the surface may appear to be a little odd. First, he implies that the disciples do not love him and then states that the Father is “greater than I.”
The disciples did love Jesus, but not entirely as they should because they should have realized that Jesus leaving them wasn’t for their hurt but for their good. Remember, right after Jesus ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit came upon them.
Which is why Jesus tells them that he’s going to come to them. Because just as Jesus is one with God the Father, he is one with the Holy Spirit as well. The Apostle Paul refers to the Spirit as “the Spirit of Christ” in Romans 8. But nevertheless, the disciples should have rejoiced when he told them that he was going to the Father.
But that statement, “the Father is greater than I” is interesting in verse 28 as well isn’t it? It seems to conflict with Jesus’ prior statements that he was one with the Father. How are we to understand this? I appreciate what John Calvin says about this particular verse. “[Jesus is] accommodating himself to our weakness, [by placing] himself between God and us; and, indeed, as it has not been granted to us to reach the height of God, Christ descended to us, that he might raise us to it.”
In other words, Jesus is stating that the Father is “greater” than him because the Father is in heaven and he’s on earth. So Jesus isn’t merely speaking out of his human nature but rather speaking out of his role as mediator.
So, Jesus isn’t denying his equality with God the Father, but making a reference to his specific role when he said that the “Father is greater than I.” Jesus came to earth in order to take Christians to their heavenly home.
I’m not a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but sometimes it’s just easy to see what’s going to happen before it happens. One time I was riding in stop and go traffic and this guy next to me kept gunning it to move three feet forward. I think Lauren was with me, and I said, “he’s going to rear end the car in front of him.” Not even two minutes after I said that, boom, he rear ended the car in front of him.
Jesus is going to leave his disciples to be with the Father in heaven. And obviously, he tells them that before it takes place. And he tells them for a very specific reason: “so you may believe.” That’s certainly one way to get people to take what you say seriously! Tell them exactly what’s going to happen before it happens.
But it was important for Jesus to do that because when he was hanging on the cross barely clinging to his life, things were going to look incredibly bleak. His ministry, everything that he had done up to that point probably seemed like a waste of time to his disciples. In fact, it would seem like Satan was winning at the moment.
But Satan cannot overthrow Scripture.
Which is why Jesus said in verse 30, “...the ruler of this world is coming, but he has no claim on me.” The reality is, Jesus had to go to the cross not because of any sin or wrongdoing on his part, and certainly not because Satan had finally gotten him, but Jesus went to the cross to accomplish the will of God. And in these verses, Jesus is referring to Satan, because everything that was going to happen would cast doubt on what he had said.
But the reality is, Satan cannot overthrow, thwart, or undo the Word of God. Despite his best efforts Satan cannot hinder the Word of God, but he can, has, and will continue to cast doubt on it.
He just recycles the lie he told Adam and Eve in the Garden, “did God really say?...”
Satan wants nothing more than to cause you to call into question the Word of God. He wants you to doubt it! Just think about all the ways doubt is heaped upon the Word of God today: what God says about the exclusive nature of Christ and the gospel is consistently called into question. Biblical morality is regularly doubted. Things like marriage, the family, and sexuality, are called into question.
And of course on the one hand we should point people to Christ and proclaim the truth of his Word. But on the other hand, we shouldn’t be surprised when the message of Christ isn’t warmly embraced. I tend to think things are going to get darker before they get brighter. Jesus makes this point in the Olivet Discourse when he says, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.”
And I tell you that because as things continue to spiral into darkness, don’t be surprised - Jesus told us that would happen! And he told us that, not to discourage you, but to encourage you. So that when bad things come your way, you’re not surprised! The word of God told us this would happen!
And we’re told these things in order to help, encourage, and protect us. It’s for our good.
And so Jesus tells his disciples up front, this is what’s going to happen, so that you might believe, even in the midst of uncertainty!
I recently read that, “According to a report by the University of California–San Diego, the average American consumes about 34 gigabytes of data & information every day. That is estimated to be the equivalent of 100,000 words heard or read every day– or about how many words in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit (95,356 words).”
That’s an incredible amount of information! And within all of that information we have to distinguish propaganda from reality, honesty from deception, and truth from lies. It really shouldn’t be a surprise that conspiracy theories have flourished!
The reality is everyone is trying to convince you and me of something every waking minute of the day!
And it’s in the midst of the chaos of our world we must remember that the Holy Spirit has kept, maintained, and preserved the Word of God. The Word will give you life (vv. 25-26). The Word of God will give you peace (vv. 27-28). And lastly, His Word will protect you (vv. 29-31).
The reality is, we need the grounding truth of God’s Word. Not fleeting words of comfort, but words that we can lean on when our faith is under assault.
Isn’t that precisely what’s going on for the disciples? The Holy Spirit brings to mind things that Jesus had told them can only comfort them and give them peace - right before their faith is attacked.
And it’s what we need as well. When we’re either attacked or overwhelmed with information we need to recall the words of Christ.
The Holy Spirit reminds us that in the midst of uncertainty we must reflect upon the foundational truth of the words of Jesus Christ. May we rest in it.
