Peace, Not as the World Gives, do I Give to You.

John 14:18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23Jesus answered 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 home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

25"These things I have spoken to you while I am still 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 have 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. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

There are so many deep truths in just these 2 paragraphs. Jesus is giving final instructions to the disciples and He tells them that "He is not leaving them as orphans". They probably weren't getting the entirety of this right at this exact minute, but Jesus tells them that He is telling them about this right now, so they would have their faith increased, when it does happen. They would be able to look back and remember that He had just told this to them. His faithful care of us is so great.

He also tells them if we love Him they will keep His commandments. Conversely, if we don't keep His commandments, we don't love Him. There is no in between. Submission to His Word is paramount in our lives.

He tells them about the Holy Spirit coming to live in them and that this "Helper" will instruct them and bring to remembrance things He has already told them. The Holy Spirit will bring peace into their lives in a way that the rest of the world does not have. He immediately tells them not to let their hearts be troubled or afraid. He knew that would be their inclination, and ours as well. Their Provider and Protector was leaving them, now what were they to do? Trust that He is good and He has it under control.

The disciples had to be both confused and encouraged. After Jesus' death on the cross they went back to their old lives until He came and really opened their eyes, so right here they still don't understand fully what He was telling them. What a day it must have been when He "turned on the light" and allowed them to fully understand all.