It was coming down to the end of things and Jesus was preparing His disciples for his upcoming death, resurrection, and ascension. As one could imagine the disciples had questions (revealing their confusion and fear) and Jesus patiently answered each one…careful to give extra clarity to His words. As He watched sorrow emote from His followers, He reassured them of the significance of His departure and the importance each one of them held in spreading His Message.
At the conclusion of His meeting with His followers, Jesus leaves them with a farewell that has echoed through the years of history, and still resonates in the souls of men and women to this very day.
“My peace is the legacy I leave to you. I don’t give gifts like those of this world. Do not let your heart be troubled or fearful.” --- John 14:27 (VOICE)
As I read these words, my heart bulges painfully, as I let the weight of their significance wreck my conscience. No sweeter words have been spoken, and yet so often I’ve approached them and gave them the same value as my own “well wishes” that I’ve said too many people before. God forgive me for ever thinking my sentiment and Your gift of peace could ever be related.
“My peace is the legacy I leave to you.”
What separates Jesus’s farewell words of leaving His followers peace, from my own farewell to others when I have wished them peace in their life, is the word, “MY”. You see, when I wish people peace for their lives, that’s all I’m offering…is my WISH that they have peace. Jesus on the other hand was offering His followers and even us today, far more than a mere wish.
The form of expression “_______ that is mine”, is common in the Gospel of Christ.
“The joy that is Mine...” (John 3:29) “The judgement that is Mine...” (John 5:30) “The commandments that are Mine...” (John 14:15) “The love that is Mine...” (John 15:10)
Peace that comes from Christ is His own creation. He is the source! If we will accept God’s gift of peace in our life, then there will be no room left in our hearts for trouble and fear.
“I don’t give gifts like those of this world.”
Here, Jesus is giving distinction between His gifts to us, and the gifts the world gives to us. To better understand His meaning, it’s best to consider from “what” place the world offers us gifts.
The world gives from a place of self-interest. It’s fine to give a gift, but it wants just as much, if not more, in return. Often, it gives to friends and withholds from enemies. It gives what costs it nothing (especially compared to what Jesus sacrificed), or gives what it cannot keep anyway, and sometimes pretends to give that which is not its own…like when we wish “peace” to those folks that we definitely do not have peace with in our hearts.
Christ’s gifts to us are the total opposite. Jesus gives what is His own, what He might have kept, and what cost Him a life of suffering and a cruel death to endure. His gifts are open to friend and enemy alike. He gives to those who have nothing of their own to give in return.
“Do not let your heart be troubled or fearful.”
This phrase and the way Jesus expressed it in meaning, is the only place in the New Testament it can be found.
Jesus must have seen the weakness and fear rising up in His followers and knew that they would face a time of idleness because of it. So He implored them to not get overwhelmed by His leaving and cowardly sit back in fear…unwilling to continue His work simply because He was not physically with them anymore.
He wanted more for them and HE WANTS MORE FOR US.
Brothers and sisters, God’s legacy of peace is still on this earth. It resides in the souls of all who call Him “Father” and is available to those who do not know Him yet. Furthermore, I encourage you to always remember that no matter what you’re facing in life…God’s peace gives you the power to overcome all trouble…all fear…all doubts…and all excuses. The only way to overcome these things is to accept His peace, grab a hold of it, and fight to never let go.
It’s important that we never forget our place in this world, brothers and sisters. We are not the authors of peace. We are merely the blessed few who get to show the world the reality of its CREATOR.
“Is He worthy of this? He is…”
--- Andrew Peterson
Comments