My Peace I give to you…

John 14

JOHN 14:01-31

1“Do not let your heart be troubled; *believe in God, believe also in Me. 2“In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4“And you know the way where I am going.” 5Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

8Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

15“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

16“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

18“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 22Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.

25“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26“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 said to you. 27“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28“You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29“Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30“I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; 31but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.

JOHN 14:01-07

7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.”

The word for troubled, Tarasso, is the same word that is used for the sea when Jesus walks out to the boat to save the fishermen from the storm, perhaps it would be more accurate to say the apostles were to save themselves from their doubt. This is exactly what Jesus is saying to us, “Save yourselves from your doubt by making a commitment, making a pledge.”

Usually, when we have doubts, it is because we are not acting wholeheartedly on what we believe. It’s not enough to recite the words or mouth the prayers, we need to take the actions that show we love the “least of these” just as Jesus loved them.

We are called to get out of the boat and anchor our lives in him.

· Troubled, Tarasso, [5015]; stir up, trouble, disturbed,

· Believe, pisteuō, [4100]; believe, entrust, pledge

In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

Theologians have often made this statement more difficult than it needs to be, bringing in such ideas as “alien worlds,” other countries or huge subdivisions (gated communities). Of course, our interpretation of heaven and hell often says more about our own fears and desires than what Jesus actually said.

But the phrase, “dwelling places,” refers less to a physical location than a spiritual relationship. It could well be interpreted as, “I go to create an opportunity for you to abide in relationship with God.”

What does spiritual joy and perfection look like to you? Is it a physical location or a relationship? Some might think of the lyrics from the popular worship song, “surrounded by your glory…”

Don’t automatically get images of cherubim and seraphim, flitting about with harps among the clouds, and God surrounded by archangels on a throne of gold. This Old Testament statement of eternity with God, didn’t allude to relaxing at a hedonistic all-inclusive resort.

In Isaiah 14, the glory of the Lord (the scepter of God—the symbol that indicates, “God is in charge”) means the cessation of oppression. That is the abode of God, a community where no one is oppressed. Jesus is preparing an opportunity for all of us to live without coercion.

As Jesus states in his prayer: “Thy kingdom will come, when thy will is done, on earth as it already exists in heaven.”

The kingdom begins when we begin freeing others of oppression. Heaven will be a place where oppression is no longer allowed.

If I had a title for this study, it would be this: “The kingdom begins when we begin… serving, giving, loving.” People speak a great deal about manifesting their dreams these days, but most of it seems like New Age tripe; that, if you think long and hard enough about something, it will come true. That’s not what this statement means. This statement means, “If you want something to occur, you need to act on it.” The Kingdom begins when we begin acting on it.

What steps am I taking to begin God’s community? To prepare myself for such a community, I need to ask how I contribute to oppression or acquiesce and allow oppression to be done in my interest.

· Dwelling Places, monē, [3428], abodes, abiding

· Prepare, hetoimazō, [2090], make ready, make arrangements

· Place, topos, [5117]; locality, opportunity

JOHN 14:08-14

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”

I’ve heard Philip—like Thomas—take a hard rap for challenging Jesus so much, but in truth, Philip simply says what most of the apostles—and we—are thinking.

The apostles had been dealing with a lot. Pressed on all sides by open threats of death, and knowing he is taking the apostles to his doom, Jesus marches into Jerusalem. He doesn’t enter quietly and without fanfare. He causes a major stir by bringing Lazarus (also an enemy of the State) back to life just kilometers from the heart of the city at the beginning of the largest festival of the year.

No wonder Philip wanted to see God NOW, not later. Undoubtedly, Philip says what everyone is thinking—especially Judas. Judas tries to tiptoe off to the Pharisees to force Jesus’ hand. Instead, Philip boldly asks a challenging statement outright.

Do you keep room for a Philip in your life? Someone who will challenge your beliefs if they feel you are inconsistent? Does your ego allow for such challenges, or do you only surround yourself with those who acquiesce?

Many of the greatest blunders in history are the result of powerful (usually men) surrounding themselves only with people who agree with him. Abraham Lincoln said in his inaugural address, “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make them my friends?”

Sun Tzu is credited with saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

If we want to have a life of growth, we need to get beyond the type of thinking that relegates truth-tellers in our lives to a level of enmity.

Surely this is a sign of confidence and great leadership, that I can surround myself by those who represent a different viewpoint and keep open to their ideas. This was the role of Philip, whether he knew it or not.

“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

The term, “In my name…” is rich with meaning. What it doesn’t mean is; “I will do whatever you ask me.”

The term actually means, I will do whatever you ask “in my character.” In a time when there was very little capital available to the majority of people (similar to contemporary society), your name was all you had. If you signed a document with your name, you were putting your own honor and the honor of your family on the line (that could have drastic consequences, if you were agreeing to a debt, then your children and wife could be held in bondage until it was paid).

When we see people placing their hand on a bible and pledging to uphold an oath—as, in example, to the constitution—it is symbolic of saying, “I will give my life—and even the life of my children—for this oath.”

To ask for something in Jesus’ name (character), means to make a vow in the context of Gospel justice. Jesus gives us only two commands; “Love God with all your heart and love others like I loved you.”

Jesus will provide for us whatever we ask if it is in line with the context of Gospel Justice. Yet it also means, we will need to work for it (the kingdom begins when we begin). The Greek language that John used did not differentiate between the verb asking and the verb doing. If you asked, you did… Asking for something was a commitment, it certainly didn’t mean we ask and then placidly wait for it to occur.

Asking for justice in God’s name meant being active daily in our communities advocating for others and lifting them up.

· In my name, onoma, [3686], in my cause, in my authority, in my character

JOHN 14:15-17

15“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

A commandment is not a convenience, nor is it an option. We can’t profess to follow Jesus and then choose which commandments we will follow. Jesus gives us “meta-commandments”; commandments that are above and supersede other commandments. In fact, all other commandments are based upon them.

A commandment—like a value—is something that directs our behavior, eventually directing our thoughts. But the commandment comes first, and all our actions flow from that. As Jesus called it, it is the STONE upon which to build (Matthew 16:28). Foundation stone and capstone, all measurements are taken from them and all the weight of our lives rest upon them.

Jesus’ command was to love. Not the wishy-washy love of our existing culture. In fact, love has become so watered down that it might not be a viable word to use anymore. The love of Jesus involves unconditional and intentional dignity. To love like Jesus loved is to purposely seek the dignity of other people, “NO MATTER WHAT!”

No matter how they behave, no matter how we feel, no matter what society says. No matter what…

When I seek someone’s dignity, I may not always agree with them, I may even at times have conflict with them—especially if their behavior undermines their life, my life or the dignity of those in our world.

· Commandments, entolē, [1785]; an order, requirement, instructions

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever”

When you have a friend that you can really trust and ask them to represent you (introduce you to someone else, tell your story or—in this case—testify for you in a binding court), you trust they will do their best to help you stand out. Jesus doesn’t just “ask God” to listen to our heart, he implores God, he begs his Father.

And what is it that he brings before his Father? To send us someone to stand by us (Encourager), to argue for us (Advocate), to give us guidance so that we are never alone (Guide).

Those three tasks are continually with us, for how long? For agelong, forever. For eternity…

What is the role of the Holy Spirit?

1. to Encourage

2. to Advocate

3. to Guide

The word for eternity (Aionios) was also used for warriors who had been into battle together, sitting around a fire and talking about the “old days.” That should give us a sense of what heaven is like. A warm space at day’s end where we can recall the stories of our accomplishments together. Of course, if you haven’t accomplished much or our time on earth was spent undermining those around us, then that won’t be a very accommodating space.

We would be wise to consistently reflect, who will surround you at that campfire and what stories will you tell?

· I will ask…, erōtaō, [2065], implore, beg, make a request, please

· Helper, paraklētos, [3875], called to one’s aid, advocate, appealer, beseecher

· Forever, aiōn, [165], agelong, eternal, ancient, continued, an age. Also aiōnios [166] eternity

…the Spirit of truth

The breath of God is the Breath of Life. In Genesis, when God breathed into the nostrils of man, the person came to life.

GENESIS 2:7

Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

The breath of God is also the breath of Truth and God’s Breath is the Spirit of Holiness (Sacred Wholeness). The first use of the word, “Holy [qodesh, HSN6944]” referred to the consecrated and sacred ground that Abraham approached to encounter God in the form of a burning bush (that was not consumed by the fire). See Exodus 3:5.

No one can doubt the miracle of a child’s first gasping breath—and with it—we are also “qodesh (holy).” Some people would like to argue that we only become holy when we are consecrated into their version of religion, but by and large that has been used by denominations to cause fear in the hearts of parents and convince them to commit their children to that denomination. It doesn’t take a special indoctrination to make a human holy, we are born that way. We are consecrated with life, sacred ground, holy and to be honored; not to be trampled upon.

Jesus tells us he must die so that the breath of life—the Spirit of Truth—can become our advocate. If he did not die and become spirit, we would cling to his human form and then none of us would be able to know him without a physical encounter. That would have surely limited the spread of Christianity.

And yet, throughout the ages, people have been trying to become their own version of the Messiah making the spiritual, tangible and tying it their personal adulation. That’s not a faith, that’s an economic sales pitch, after all, perceived need times scarcity equals profit (Pn * Sc = Pr). Whenever you see or hear of a sect or leader that is trying to diminish access to the freedom of the Holy Spirit, you can assume there is some kind of profit, or power-motive, behind it.

Is this also one of the beliefs that religious conservatives fear when they fight so strongly for life at conception? That they will lose control of who “owns” our holy breath? If life begins at conception, then does that lead to the belief that religious institutions should baptize that child and “own” them as soon as possible? Some denominations say that life begins at infancy, some argue that it is at cognitive ability. But all want the parents to fear that child’s eternity in the event of death.

The Spirit of Christ is as free as the air we breathe and just as available.

· Spirit, Pneuma, [4251], breath, to blow

…whom the world cannot receive

In the movie, “A Few Good Men,” a soldier has died, and Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) thinks Col. Jessup (Jack Nicholson) has something to do with it. In a heated courtroom interrogation, Kaffee says he wants the truth, to which Jessup barks, "You can’t handle the truth!"

For many of the same reasons as Kaffee, we can’t handle the truth. When we only seek a convenient truth (one that will affirm our biases) the whole truth is unavailable to us. What truths am I unable to handle because of my own biases, because of things that I’d rather believe?

Tessa Koumoundouros wrote an aticle for Science Alert1 entitled, These 4 Factors Can Explain Why So Many People Are Rejecting Science

Her four factors include:

1. Distrust in the information source

2. Tribe loyalty

3. Information goes against personal beliefs

4. Information is not presented in the right learning style

Tessa Koumoundouros, Science Alert, These 4 Factors Can Explain Why So Many People Are Rejecting Science, https://www.sciencealert.com/distrust-in-science-is-causing-harm-but-these-researchers-have-a-plan, 26 July, 2022

Such reports and research are critically important today when so many people are rejecting the science right in front of their faces and choosing instead, their own person viewpoint or one presented by someone else with a personal, political or economic agenda. One could say this was a life and death issue in an age of democratic demise and international pandemic.

If my truth makes me more close-minded or leads me to deny the holiness of others, it is preventing me from seeing the truth that Christ speaks about. I cannot see the truth if my mind is closed.

· Of truth, alēthia, [225], true, real, certainty

· The world, kosmos, [2889], the order, the world

· Receive, lambanō, [2983], accept, caught, grip, marry, seize, take

JOHN 14:18-24

“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

We are back to understanding the meta-commandment of Jesus, “Love like I loved…”

It is as we love others that Jesus is revealed. That revelation begins when we begin to act on it (The kingdom begins when we begin…) Many people suggest that love is like an oxygen mask on an airplane and that we must put our own mask on before helping others. This statement of Jesus reveals a different perspective; it is only when we love that we start experiencing the love of God (that Jesus’ love is manifest).

· Disclose myself to him, emphanizō, [1718], disclose, reveal, manifest, make clear

“We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

This is an amazing promise! When we begin to love like Jesus loved, he will make his home in us. God will dwell within us (Emmanuel). His light begins to shine from the inside-out.

How do we know that God dwells within us? Because we are filled with a deep river of compassion and purpose. We can’t resist but to love others. When Jesus saw those who were outcast or downtrodden, he could not help but reach out to them. It was his nature and our nature becomes like his nature when he is dwelling within us. I’m not referring to a “giddy” euphoria here, more like a smoldering ember that lies deep in the fire. Giddy euphoria is rarely sustained and is usually just a temporary, unsustainable, emotional high. The deep, abiding longing for justice that is the result of God’s in-burning fire burns steadily for decades. It can be seen in the determination of people like Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu and Mother Teresa, but also in world-changers like Gandhi, Stephen Hawking, Voltaire and Thomas Paine

This deep abiding doesn’t come forth as pride or pseudo-confidence. We don’t start acting like we are privileged or “special.” We don’t become “experts,” we become vessels. We start giving with humility—a humility deeply based in inner joy. That manifest joy becomes evident to others in our actions. In the early stages of Jesus’ ministry, he went out to others, but very soon, people began to desire to be with Jesus. At first, many were called because of his miracles, but, in the end—as we see here in his final hours—only those who were called to relationship stayed.

When Jesus dwells within us, people are called into enduring and meaningful relationship with us. If that isn’t occurring in our lives, then it is doubtful that we are loving like Jesus loved.

· Our abode, monē, [3438], dwelling place, enduring place

JOHN 14:25-31

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

Here are seven differences between the pseudo-peace of this world (contemporary culture) and the enduring peace of Christ:

The peace of this world

1. Is a false peace demanding homeostasis

2. Is a false peace minimizing chaos

3. Is a false peace requiring dominance (either might makes right or wealth dictates policy)

4. Is a false peace requiring constant novelty (new possessions, new relationships; underlying a fear of self-discovery that accompanies abiding and enduring relationship)

5. Is a false peace that remains internal (doesn’t reach out)

6. Is a false peace that prevents pain

7. Is a false peace that is based on the absence of fear

The peace of Christ

1. Fosters an openness of heart and mind

2. Requires inclusion of the least of these

3. Is a peace amid chaos

4. Is a calm that is most present in times of trial

5. Is a peace that supersedes pain

6. Is a peace that is independent of possessions

7. Goes out to the world

Like the love of Christ, the peace of Christ is manifest when we give it to others; “The Kingdom begins when we begin…”

· Peace, eirēnē, [1515], to join, peace, welfare, undisturbed

· I leave, aphiēmi, [575], to send, to forgive, permit, initiative

· I give, didōmi, [1325], bestow, grant, add, allow, pour out

“I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me

The ministry of Jesus went through many stages, adapting frequently to the circumstances around him. His techniques changed but his values did not. This is wise for us to remember as we go through the phases of our lives as well.

We might say the beginning of Christ’s ministry was his responsibility to his family. His baptism began the public phase of his life. In this phase, he began building solid, mentoring relationships that would last for his entire life. His teaching style could be summed up in the words, “Come, live with me [John 1:39].”

This phase of his ministry included verbal teaching but underlying all his teaching was always living by example.

No matter what we do with our lives, it always comes back to that… what kind of an example am I setting for those around me?

Finally, and regarding what Jesus is saying in this phrase, the ruler of this world had so permeated the religious and political institutions of Jesus’ life that he could barely move without causing angry reactions. This last phase of his ministry was preparing for his departure and for the disciples to take over being guided by the Holy Spirit. He had to teach them to let go and he had to model that first. If he had tried to cling to worldly power and adoration, his work would have failed. It would have been crushed. But, in a way, Jesus’ work became meta-physical, above the physical.

At what phase in our lives does our work become less about what WE do and more about what we help set others free to do? From executing to empowering? From modeling to advocating? One could say that two-thirds of Jesus’ earthly ministry was spent on empowering and advocating, then, the final third was focused on dying… That was an essential aspect of Jesus’ ministry. Do we have a similar plan? What’s your three-step ministry plan for the following steps?

1. Model

2. Advocate

3. Die

Do we have enough courage and foresight in our lives to pass it on and get out of the limelight? This is the true test of whether my work was for others or really, just for me. When you look at people who cannot step aside, it is because their work is about self-aggrandizement.

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges of our lives is to realize and prepare for the fact that we will die. People often say, “If I die…” Well, guess what, that’s not an “if,” that’s a “when.”