John 14:27-31 - "The Peace of Christ"

John 14:27-31

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence."

These words are spoken by our LORD on the eve of His death. He is not speaking from a place of uncertainty or fear, but from settled resolve. He knows exactly where He is going, why He is going there, and what His departure will accomplish. Though wicked men would soon lay hands upon Him, He declares, “No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself” (John 10:18). His death would not be a tragedy wrested from Him, but the work freely given in obedience to His Father.

Like a father gathering his children before his passing, Christ gathers His disciples and speaks Peace into their distress. He leaves them no silver or gold, no earthly inheritance to fight over or preserve. What He gives is infinitely better: “Peace I leave with you” (v.27). This is not peace as a vague sentiment or passing calm, but a legacy—something deliberately bequeathed, secured, and bestowed.

The Peace that Christ gives is uniquely His: “My peace I give unto you” (v.27). This Peace flows from Who He is and from what He is about to accomplish. Christ alone lived in perfect harmony with His Father. Christ alone obeyed without fault. Christ alone could say, “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me” (v.30). Satan found no foothold in Him, no accusation that could stand. Therefore, the Peace that Christ gives is founded not in human stability, but in Divine Righteousness.

At its heart, this Peace is reconciliation. It is Peace with God before it is peace of heart. God is Holy, Just, and Righteous. He owes sinners nothing but judgment. For Christ to speak Peace to sinners is the gracious act of staggering magnitude. This Peace could only come through Satisfaction—through the Righteousness that answers every demand of God’s law. That is why Scripture declares, “He is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). Peace is not merely something Christ gives; it is Who Christ is, because He accomplished all that was necessary through His death, the effect of which is His Peace.

The world speaks of peace when circumstances are calm. Christ speaks of Peace while walking toward the cross. The world gives peace temporarily and takes it away easily. Christ gives Peace eternally and never revokes it. “Not as the world giveth, give I unto you” (v.27). Worldly peace depends on human behavior, mutual agreement, or emotional steadiness. Christ’s Peace depends entirely on His finished work. Once the debt is paid, nothing remains but Peace.

This Peace is not given indiscriminately. Christ speaks to those whom He has chosen and for whom He will give His Spirit. He promises, “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost… he shall teach you all things” (John 14:26). The Spirit does not merely inform the mind; He reveals Christ in the heart. That Revelation produces assurance—not always loudly or confidently, but truly. Some of the LORD’s people may struggle with assurance, yet the Peace that Christ established for them remains intact. Salvation does not rest on our confidence, but on His obedience.

The fruit of this Peace is rest: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (v.27). Fear grows when our eyes shift from Christ to circumstances. Trouble increases when we look inward rather than upward. The Spirit’s ministry is to bring Christ’s words back to remembrance, anchoring troubled hearts in His finished Redemption.

Christ gives one final reason for Peace: “I go away, and come again unto you” (v.28). His going away was necessary—for death, resurrection, and ascension. His coming again assures His victory. In that work lies every reason for Hope. Because He lived, died, rose again, and reigns, the Peace He gives cannot fail.

This is the Peace of Christ: sovereign, purchased, permanent, and gracious. It quiets the heart not by denying trouble, but by anchoring the soul in His finished Salvation. Where Christ speaks Peace, fear loses its voice, and His Rest takes its place.