Peace I leave you – My peace I give you.

Peace I leave you – My peace I give you. That’s what Jesus said to His disciples. Sounds like an odd thing to say while He’s also telling them that He’s going to leave them soon. The disciples had to wonder, how can Jesus leave us His peace when He’s leaving us (alone)?

I’ve had issues with anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember. I also remember hearing this verse even as a little kid when my parents dragged me, probably kicking and screaming, to church. I’ve wanted that peace for so many years.

It took surgery for a staph infection and a month with a portable device attached to me to deliver antibiotics, I finally felt that peace for the first time. And now, with prostate cancer for the last 3+ years, I feel it again.

Better late than never?

Of course, better late than never. But probably also a case of being really stubborn and too depressed in general to see the answer that’s been right in front of me for fifty-some years.

I’m blessed that late actually came. Too many people never feel this peace at all.

So let’s look into what Jesus said. The context of physically leaving, but actually increasing His spiritual presence. Why it’s so important for us. And, for the curious who are wondering about my image choice on this one, why the dove?

Peace I leave you – My peace I give you. The context.

Here’s the passage where Jesus said, depending on the Bible translation you use, My peace I leave you, my peace I give to you.

Quick note – the title comes from the 1984 NIV – the previous paragraph from the NKJV – and other translations have various words to describe the same thing. My tendency with this is to go with either the King James or the New King James, since that’s when I first learned this – and it really stuck with me. However, since the NIV is the most widely purchased English translation today and it’s often used side-by-side with foreign language translations, I tend to use the 1984 NIV when writing.

Anyway – here’s the 1984 NIV passage.

Jesus Promises The Holy Spirit

Jn 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 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. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

Jn 14:22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

Jn 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

Jn 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, 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. 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.

Jn 14:28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31 but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
“Come now; let us leave.”

Let’s break this into a few pieces and see what’s going on.

If you love Me, I will give you something.

Let’s be honest. The first portion of this passage really does say, If you love Me then I’ll give you something. It’s conditional. This “something” isn’t given to everyone.

Jn 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. 

Do you see what I mean?

If .. then … . In more detail, if A is true, as evidenced by B, then C will happen. Specifically,

1. if you love me,
2. you will obey what I command.
3. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth

Then, in an expanded plain English (unless you’re using some translation method):

If you love me,
as evidenced by your willingness and attempts to follow me (you will obey what I command),
then I will ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to be in you (and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth)

Why did I go into so much detail here? I often point out that sometimes Christians point to a lack of faith as the reason why we don’t get things we ask for. For instance, healing. Requests for healing don’t get answered because we don’t have enough faith. There’s no such thing. The important factor for every request we have is that it be in line with God’s will.

Therefore, in this case, we will receive the Holy Spirit, without specifically even asking. It’s a gift that follows when we love God and when there’s evidence of the love.

Maybe you’re curious- doesn’t it just come from baptism? Well, getting baptized is part of obeying Jesus. And unless we’re trying to lie to God or ourselves (?), then there’s already some amount of love for Jesus, otherwise we wouldn’t even want to get baptized.

At least, not for the right reason(s). Getting baptized because everyone else is, or our bff is, isn’t love for Jesus. As such, I don’t believe it’s possible to essentially mislead/lie to God and receive the benefits of baptism if there’s no love involved. Others may disagree. Even you may disagree. But I just don’t see it happening. Not considering the full content and context of everything Jesus said.

But most of the world doesn’t want what Jesus is offering

The next part is sad. Very sad.

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.

Obviously, the first sentence above is sad because so many in the world don’t even see God, let alone know Him.

But the next one, if it’s possible, might even be more sad. It says that we know the Holy Spirit because He lives with/in us. However, as Francis Chan pointed out in his excellent book, The Forgotten God, even many Christians really don’t know the Holy Spirit, even though He does live in us. For more on that, I invite you to check out Blessed are the poor in spirit, which is part of a series on the Beatitudes. Blessed are the poor in spirit is the first verse of that portion of what is known as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Ultimately, those two sentences indicate that many, Christian and non-Christian alike, will not know the Holy Spirit. And without the Holy Spirit, we lose so much. As we’ll see, one of those “lost” things is the peace Jesus promised would accompany the Counselor He just spoke of.

Will we be orphans or children of God?

This next portion only makes sense with the assumption that we do love God, we have received the Holy Spirit, and we know the Holy Spirit.

18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Since Jesus is coming to us in the person of the Holy Spirit, then this seemingly must be something that’s only recognizable to someone who knows the Holy Spirit, as pointed out earlier.

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

Therefore, if we don’t have the Holy Spirit, or don’t recognize the Holy Spirit, we will be just like the rest of the world. No connection with God the Father, or with Jesus.

Question – who is the Holy Spirit?

We’ve spent so much time on the Holy Spirit, I think it’s a good idea to include more on Him, for those that would like to know more about Him.

Jesus reiterates the condition

21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.

It’s not quite as obvious that this is a conditional statement. But it is. We should especially realize that when we compare it to the first statement in this passage.

It’s also important to note the significance of Jesus repeating something like this. There are two things we must take note of when Jesus says something twice as part of a single statement/scenario.

First of all, it’s going to happen. It’s not a statement of what might happen. Whatever is being referred to, it’s guaranteed that it will happen.

Secondly, there’s the more obvious thing. It’s important for us to take note of, to remember, and to know what it means. It’s like when we were/are in school. When the teacher/professor repeats something, you know it’s going to be on a test. And there’s nothing more important than this test. Our eternal souls depend on it.

A question addressed to Jesus

Next, someone asks Jesus a question.

Jn 14:22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

Did Jesus answer the question?

In fact, this is a question that any one of us might ask. But if you notice, Jesus didn’t directly answer the question. Instead, He re-reiterated something He started with.

Jn 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

Ahh. That again. For the third time. This is very important!

Also, notice that this time Jesus included something I said must follow from the full content/context of everything Jesus said.

He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.

Oh. Very, very important. If we do not obey Jesus, then we are just like everyone else. We don’t love Him. And therefore, it seems, don’t receive the benefits that follow from loving Jesus. And let’s not forget about the remainder of the condition set forth in the very first statement. Love, with evidence. Not unlike when James wrote about faith, with evidence.

Then, as Jesus said in other passages, He is only saying/doing what the Father gave him to say/do. The obvious implication is that failure to obey Jesus is also a failure to obey the Father.

But let’s take that a bit further. Failure to obey Jesus is also, since Christians should have the Holy Spirit, also a failure to follow the Holy Spirit. In other words, a complete failure to follow all three persons of God. No wonder this is so important. And no wonder we must take so much care to follow and obey Jesus.

Jesus leaves – and yet remains with us

Jn 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, 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.

Once again, if not it’s not already clear enough, Jesus speaks about the relationship between Himself and the Holy Spirit.

Of course, since the Holy Spirit is 100% spirit, while Jesus is both 100% human and 100% spirit, The Holy Spirit can accomplish more at any given time. After all, Jesus can only speak to those within range of hearing Him. There wasn’t any means of mass communication back then. Besides which, with the Holy Spirit being able to “speak” to us in non-sound-related conversation, there’s no such restriction there for Him. The Spirit can, if desired, speak to everyone who knows Him, all at the same time.

Therefore, we can see the importance of Jesus leaving this earth and of us having the Holy Spirit instead. We also have the added benefit of the Spirit being able to teach us and remind us of things Jesus said – at any time. It’s not like we have to locate Jesus, travel over hundreds or thousands of miles to get to Him, and then ask our questions of Him.

Clearly, we’re learning more and more reasons why it’s so important for us to know about and to know the Holy Spirit. To not relegate Him to the position of the forgotten God.

Finally – peace I leave you

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.

Finally, the part I remember. Ever since some time in grade school. This is one of two things I’ve always wanted from God. One was a father who actually loved me. And the other one was this peace. I never expected it would take more than 50 years to experience this peace. But then, I also never knew, until I experienced it, just how “peaceful” the peace of God is!

More on that after we finish the passage.

Strange words? – If you loved me

Jn 14:28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31 but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

Throughout the passage, we read If you loved me. Didn’t the disciples love Jesus? How else could they stay with Him for three years? How else could they remain, even when everyone else left Him when the teaching got tough?

Maybe it’s not so obvious to us, but they didn’t truly love Jesus. Not yet. Remember, the Holy Spirit wasn’t given to them yet. That didn’t come until, as Jesus promised, after He left. In Acts we read about the Pentecost. And in Acts we read how a bunch of ordinary people became extraordinary, because they received the Holy Spirit. They knew the Holy Spirit. They allowed the Holy Spirit to work through them. And because of that, they experienced love as God explains it to us.

Jesus told those listening to Him that they didn’t really love Him. I wonder what they thought about that?

There’s a song titled I said I loved you but I lied. It’s on my list to write about. When/if I get to it, I’ll add a link here. The thing is, it’s not Christian. It’s by rocker Michael Bolton. It’s about a man’s love for a woman. Certainly not Christian. But the thought behind it applies here.

The song is about thinking he loved someone, but in fact he didn’t really understand what love meant when he first said to her, I love you. Now, he looks back on that statement as a lie, because he knows more about what love really means.

Isn’t that what Jesus said here? The disciples likely thought they loved Jesus. And yet, after they received the Holy Spirit, their lives changed drastically. Love had a whole new meaning. And the same is true for us, as we go from a tiny amount of faith at baptism to an ever-increasing faith as we go on our walk to follow Jesus.

And then they left

Come now; let us leave.

End of discussion. Move on to a new topic.

But let’s not forget about this one.

Peace I leave you – My peace I give you. What is that peace?

Before we end, let’s get back to this portion of what Jesus said. With the full background, I think we can now get a better idea of the peace that Jesus promised.

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.

Remember, this peace is something I first heard about as a kid. Probably second grade. Even at that age, I knew I didn’t have it. And that I wanted it. Whatever it was. Most likely, I just hoped it was better than what I had. Just like the way I wanted that Father who would actually love me.

Little did I know back then that it would be another 50+ years before I knew what that peace was.

If I was capable of understanding, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

I didn’t know all the stuff we just read. I didn’t know this peace was something we had to accept. And I didn’t know what it meant to believe in God, let alone what follow God actually meant.

Yes, the gift of salvation, and all that comes with it, is free.

However, if accepted, it will cause a transformation to occur within us.

It will change our lives, forever.

How much peace?

Paul wrote about God’s peace at the end of Philippians. The title given in the NIV makes it sound almost like an afterthought. Exhortations. At the end. But it is very important.

Exhortations

Phil 4:2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Do you see what I mean? It’s like a bunch of closing thoughts. And yet, almost buried in the middle of it is this line:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Yes, the peace of God, the peace promised to us by Jesus, coming from the Holy Spirit, transcends all understanding.

And look at the thoughts just before Paul wrote that.

Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

That’s the same stuff Jesus spoke of. Give everything to God. Pray. Ask. Give thanks. Be gentle. And then we can begin to understand and feel the peace from God.

Conclusion – Peace I leave you – My peace I give you.

Here’s a thought on that peace.

If anybody had an excuse for worrying, it was the Apostle Paul. His beloved Christian friends at Philippi were disagreeing with one another, and he was not there to help them. We have no idea what Euodia and Syntyche were disputing about, but whatever it was, it was bringing division into the church. Along with the potential division at Philippi, Paul had to face division among the believers at Rome (Phil. 1:14–17). Added to these burdens was the possibility of his own death! Yes, Paul had a good excuse to worry—but he did not! Instead, he took time to explain to us the secret of victory over worry.

What is worry? The Greek word translated “anxious” (careful) in Philippians 4:6 means “to be pulled in different directions.” Our hopes pull us in one direction; our fears pull us the opposite direction; and we are pulled apart! The Old English root from which we get our word “worry” means “to strangle.” If you have ever really worried, you know how it does strangle a person! In fact, worry has definite physical consequences: headaches, neck pains, ulcers, even back pains. Worry affects our thinking, our digestion, and even our coordination.

From the spiritual point of view, worry is wrong thinking (the mind) and wrong feeling (the heart) about circumstances, people, and things. Worry is the greatest thief of joy. It is not enough for us, however, to tell ourselves to “quit worrying” because that will never capture the thief. Worry is an “inside job,” and it takes more than good intentions to get the victory. The antidote to worry is the secure mind: “And the peace of God … shall keep [garrison, guard like a soldier] your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). When you have the secure mind, the peace of God guards you (Phil. 4:7) and the God of peace guides you (Phil. 4:9). With that kind of protection—why worry?

If we are to conquer worry and experience the secure mind, we must meet the conditions that God has laid down. There are three: right praying (Phil. 4:6–7), right thinking (Phil. 4:8), and right living (Phil. 4:9).  ¹Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 94). Victor Books.

Not exactly something a kid in grade school is going to understand.

Not even something many adults will understand.

After we become Christians, we have much to learn, transformational changes to make, and then we can begin to understand something of the peace we can feel.

From my own experience, it just gets better and better. Below are two times when I felt that peace. The first was about six years ago. The second is 2022.

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Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

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Footnotes

• 1
  Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 94). Victor Books.