In John 13, Jesus is speaking to the crowd, and He
predicts that He is soon going to die (verses 32-36). He reiterates it again in John 13, this time
in the company of His disciples (verses 33 and 36). These men had been with Jesus for three
years, and He shocks them with the idea that He isn’t going to be with them
much longer. What were they
feeling? They were probably feeling are
sorts of emotions, but apparently high on their list was anxiety and fear. We know this because Jesus speaks these words
in John 14:1: “Let not your hearts be troubled; you believe in God, believe
also in Me” (New King James Version).
As I write these words, the coronavirus has quickly
spread to a pandemic. It’s been a wild
few days: the NBA cancelled the remaining games of their season; no March
Madness; there have even been cancellations of concerts, schools, and church
services. As all of this unfolds, it’s
easy to fall into the grip of fear. I’ve
seen with my own eyes the extra long lines, and the empty aisles in the grocery
store, as people stock up like it’s end of the world or something.
Let me take it a step further. I’m certain that someone is reading this and
you are thinking, “The coronavirus is
one thing, but I’ve got my own crisis to deal with.” Perhaps it’s a financial crisis; perhaps your
spouse unexpectedly walked out on you, and you’re devastated, shattered, and
lonely; maybe the death of your friend, sister, parent, or a miscarriage, has
filled you with inner turmoil. It’s easy
for a heart to be plunged into a state of fear and anxiety. But Jesus wasn’t just saying flowery words in
John 14:1. In fact, a few verses later,
He said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…let not your hearts be
troubled, neither let it be afraid” (verse 27).
“In our sinful state, we are enemies with God (Romans 5:10). “But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are restored to a relationship of peace with God (Romans 5:1). This is a deep, abiding peace between our hearts and our Creator that cannot be taken away (John 10:27-28) and the ultimate fulfillment of Christ’s work as “Prince of Peace.”
“But Christ’s sacrifice provides more for us than eternal
peace; it also allows us to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, the
Helper who promises to guide (John 16:7,13).
Further, the Holy Spirit will manifest Himself in us by having us live
in ways we couldn’t possibly live on our own, including filling our lives with
love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22-23).
This love, joy, and peace are all results of the Holy Spirit working in
the life of a believer. They are
reflections of His presence in us. And
although their deepest, most vital result is to have us live in love, joy, and peace
with God, they can’t help but to spill over into our relationship with people.”
Later on in the article, the author writes these words; I
will conclude with them: “Jesus never promised easy; He only promised help. In fact, He told us to expect tribulation
(John 16:33) and trials (James 1:2). But
He also said that, if we called on Him, He would give us the “peace of God,
which surpasses all comprehension” (Philippians 4:6-7). No matter what hardships we are faced with,
we can ask for a peace that comes from the powerful love of God that is not
dependent on our own strength or the situation around us.”
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