Peacity Peace Peace

John 14:27-end

Peace
Jesus says he will leave his peace with us. Lets start by defining peace. Peace is more than the absence of war. Biblical peace is more than the lack of turmoil or chaos. That is part of it, but not all of it. The most common word used in the Bible for peace is the Hebrew word Shalom. This word encompasses several ideas that we use several words to convey. Shalom means the expected peace, rest, and calm. But it also means to be well, complete, whole, healthy, restful, safe. It conveys a feeling a familiarity, like when you walk in your house after being away for a long time and you smell your favorite dinner cooking and you think, “Ahhh, this is right.”
That’s Shalom. That’s what Jesus said he would give his followers. Just the fact that Jesus promises to give peace to his followers tells us a few things.
1. Stress, tension, worry, and anxiety (everything that is contrary to peace) have been around for a long time. Peace has never been something that comes natural to people. Even though this is the case it’s undeniable that stress and anxiety, or at least their effects on people, have increased dramatically in recent times. That’s really peculiar because of all the technology we have. There are thousands of gadgets that exist for the sole reason of making your life easier. Cooking takes too long, so we have microwaves. Changing the radio station is too tough, so we have remotes. There’s no way you can wait until you’re around a computer to check your email or Facebook, so it’s on your phone. They have self-cleaning litter boxes, automatic card shufflers, shoes that are mops, electrified fly-swatters, and robot vacuums, all advertised with the promise to make your life easier and stress free. But none of these seem to work. I mean, I’m sure the automatic card shuffler shuffles cards just fine, but they don’t seem to be relieving that much stress. And it’s not just gadgets. We have herbal supplements and sleeping aids and Dr Phil. It seems like all this stuff we’ve filled our lives with to take away our stress have only caused more busyness and stress.
But Jesus wants his people to have peace. From the very beginning it’s clear that peace is good. During creation everything was in chaos, then God brought order to it all. On the mountain Elijah watched as wind, fire, and an earthquake came by. But God wasn’t in those, He was in the whisper. God built rest and peace into His law making it mandatory that people do nothing one day a week. Then Jesus comes along and emphasizes the concept of peace all the more. Peace is not just something God has. Like love, it is part of who He is. It is ingrained in His nature. That’s why God is referred to numerous times in the scriptures as “the God of peace” and the Messiah is called the “Prince of peace.” And, like love, all true peace has its source in God. There is no Shalom apart from God.

2. The second thing we learn from Jesus promising us His peace is that believers are not exempt from the stressful situations in life. Think about it, if putting my faith in Jesus meant everything would perfect from now on, I wouldn’t need His peace. I would already have peace. We need His peace because we are still in a stressful world. In fact, 2 chapters over (16:33) Jesus says, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous, I have conquered the world.”
Contrary to what some preachers would say, suffering is not always an indicator of weak faith. It may be, but it may also be God’s method of refining and improving us. Or, I think most often, it is simply the reality of living in a broken system. In any case, Jesus said that in the midst of suffering we can have peace in him. Not just calmness, but completeness, rest, wholeness and goodness.

What do you think it means that Jesus doesn’t give in the same way the world does? The world (people and systems away from God) gives with the expectation of getting something back. It only gives for the purpose of what it can get back. Jesus has no selfish motives in loaning us his peace. He simply loves us.

Why is it so important that we have peace? I think there are 3 reasons. First, God wants us to have peace simply because peace is good and He loves us. Secondly, our having peace is proof of His Lordship over us. If we really believe God is all powerful, all knowing, and all good, and we if we believe we are completely His how can we be anxious or stressed about anything? Our level of peace is proportional to our level of trust in Jesus. If we trust Him as Lord, there is nothing to worry about.
The third reason is that our peace attracts others to Jesus. What does it do for others when we say we serve the God of peace who is in complete control of all things, but then we freak out about all the same stuff the world does (i.e. I don’t have enough money. What about this sickness? This politician is going to ruin America. But there’s a war in the Middle East. Why are they so mean to me? Etc.) The world is clearly looking for peace. We claim to have it, yet out lives show that we don’t.
It’s important to God that we have peace because our peace makes Him look good to others. John Piper said in his book Don’t Waste Your Life “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” When “things” are your treasure you have no peace because “things” come and go. When the eternal unchanging God is your treasure there is peace because He is absolutely constant. That’s a beautiful thing for the world to see.


Jesus going away.
Jesus again restates that he is leaving this world but will return. Why do you think he tells the disciples, “If you loved me you would be glad I’m going”? Its basic relationship stuff. Love always wants to the best thing for the other person. Merry is planning a trip to Cairo Egypt in the spring. I hate being away from her. Selfishly, I want her to stay. But I know that she is very excited and that going will make her happy, so I want her to go. The disciples could beg Jesus to say, but that would be selfish. Jesus is going back to the Father, which is in infinitely better than where he is now, so they should be happy for him and want him to go.

Jesus says he won’t speak much more because the prince of this world is coming. That should be understood as Satan in Judas. Jesus literally has only a few more moments before the crowd shows up to arrest him.