"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." "Because I live you will also live." "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me." "Whoever does not love me does not keep my words." "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you."
And then the segue: But.... "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. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."
It is not a peace the world can give; there is no replication. It is peace that is true shalom, absolute peace with God, no matter how turbulent the tempest tossed seas that rock our boat. Inner peace. There is only One who can give that peace. Jesus.
"Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." The timing of those words on that specific night is significant. He knows they are going to be overwhelmed with grief because they do not see the whole picture. He infers they should be rejoicing because He is about to fulfill the mission He came for...but He knows their innate human response will be fear. And then He reminds them once more that He is telling them in advance so they will later remember and believe. He reiterates that He does as the Father has commanded Him.... And with that He bids them leave the Upper Room. And so ends John 14.
There are so many treasures in this chapter. So many affirmations for who Jesus is: fully God and fully human. Very clear teaching about the relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: and their relationship to us when we accept the sacrifice of the Son. And love.... The focus of what John conveys oozes with the love of God for us! It also clearly lets us know what love looks like for those who claim to love God: It is lived out in obedience.
The chapter began with "Let not your hearts be troubled." Toward the end of this discourse, Jesus repeated the same message again. (27) "Let not your hearts be troubled...." Choice is involved. There will be things that could completely unnerve us, but when we keep our eyes on Him, we choose to refocus - to stop focusing on trouble, and focus on Him. We begin to see trouble as a door for opportunity. We begin to live with HOPE instead of fear and dread. It isn't easy, or He wouldn't have had to urge that they not let their hearts be troubled....
In fact, it is easy to get our eyes off of Jesus and onto the realities around us. Last night I heard of the death of a woman I care for, and this morning, learned one of my dear friend's husband has suffered a stroke. It seems that every day we are reminded of the frailty of life. Last night my husband told me we need to be taking trips while we can, while we are able to. We are reminded over and over personally and through the media how quickly life changes.... It would all feel hopeless if we didn't know the One who is Hope!
In our storm, He is the anchor - and He is in the boat with us. When we are obediently following His leading, we can be assured that nothing that comes into our path is a surprise to Him. When His written Word is our plumbline, we are nudged and led by the Holy Spirit into all Truth. Into Him! He is Truth - Absolute Truth. He is the light shining in the darkness. Where the light is, darkness ceases to be. When I bring light into a room I don't have to speak against the darkness.... Darkness just disappears.
My hope is in You, Lord.
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