The Gift of His Peace

The chapters preceding this verse in the Gospel of John depict many of the miracles performed by Jesus. Every healing that took place and every miracle He performed came with teaching for everyone willing to learn from Him. I believe Jesus was also trying to strengthen His disciples for what He knew was ahead: His death on the cross. Jesus knew that it was also a time of uncertainty for His disciples, as there were already rumours and plots to kill Jesus.

This beautiful verse in John 14:27 comes from a chapter where one can just sense Jesus’ love for His disciples. His words speak of comfort and encouragement. In the midst of the uncertainty they were experiencing Jesus gave them the best gift ever: His peace. He knew exactly what they were thinking and He came alongside them with a promise of never forsaking them.

The peace that Jesus promises is not the same peace that the world offers. The world’s peace is a superficial, temporary offer and is only visible in outward appearances and situations. When people feel their lives are under control and all situations are manageable they experience a feeling of peace. This kind of peace only lasts from moment to moment, and is dependent on circumstances and people.

The gift of peace that Jesus gives us is from within, because His Holy Spirit lives in us. His peace is always available to us no matter what’s happening around us. It does not come and go, depending on the situations we find ourselves in. It’s the peace we experience even when we’re in the middle of a storm, not only when the storm has
subsided.

Every time we choose to focus on Jesus’ gift of peace, it also strengthens our trust in Him and in His unfailing love. We choose to trust Him even though we cannot see the outcome of our situation and even though everything might not work out like we would like it to, because He promises in Romans 8:28 ‘that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them’.