Day 79: John 14- Plug Into Peace

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
 
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever 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 authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
 
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
 
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
 
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?” 23 Jesus 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.
 
Meditation
On day one of San Antonio’s “shelter and stay” decree I was looking for peace while trying to connect in a Zoom meeting. My children were doing online classes and Ben was “in” music class. Our house is small and Ben was working through scales on his trombone.  I asked in my heart- where will peace be during this season? When will peace return? And… “trombone…really?!?”
 
This season of uncertainty and unprecedented social measures seeking to flatten the curve of COVID19 is leading many to seek peace.  There is a peace of God that surpasses your understanding and will guard your heart. (Philippians 4:4-7) Today’s passage teaches us to plug into the peace of God through belief in Jesus demonstrated by obedience to His word.
 
Jesus tells us to “BELIEVE” in Him for our hearts to not be troubled. (1) We can trust Jesus because He has the authority of the Father- Jesus is the way to the Father. (2-11) From love God gives us a helper, the Holy Spirit, (16-17) who is a spirit of truth to guide us in all truth. The Holy Spirit will help us find life in Christ’s love through keeping Christ’s teaching. (21-24) Jesus promises peace and the Holy Spirit is our helper to plug into the promised peace. (25-27)
 
Peace does not come from controlling your house but from surrendering control, believing Jesus. Belief looks like listening to Jesus’ teaching, trusting the Helper to keep His words, and keeping our eyes fixed on eternal realities in every step our feet take.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Belief is not something we create through self-resolve but something that flows from a trusting heart. Have you surrendered control or are you trying to gain control?
 
-To obey Jesus in our “shelter and stay” order is to show more love for my children than I do making the Zoom meeting work. I needed the help of the Holy Spirit! Where is the teaching of Jesus compelling you to lay down your agenda and pick up His? How is there more peace in obedience than rejection of His design?
 
-The epicenter of the peace is the love of the Father that “will not leave you as orphans.” (18) You must trust the love of God to keep the teaching of God. He gives us a “shelter and stay” order in His love, for our protection. Do you believe?
 
Key Verse
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.