The Prospect of Peace (John 14:15-31)

1. The Giving of the Holy Spirit

Jesus knew that, following his resurrection, there would be the need for an ongoing presence of God to travel with his disciples. This would not be Jesus himself, but the third member of the Trinity of God (Community of God) – the Holy Spirit. Jesus deeply loved his disciples, and wanted to ensure their well-being into a challenging future. Jesus also knew that if these disciples were going to be successful in mission (taking on the task of sharing the gospel of Jesus in the world) they were going to need special power, notable fruitfulness and spiritual giftedness.

So for the disciples of Jesus’ time, the promise contained in these words was intended to be of significant reassurance – that what the incarnation of Jesus into the world had begun – would not be able to be turned aside, not even by Jesus’ death.

There may have been the possibility of the first disciples thinking that they were just born at a remarkable one-off never-to-be-repeated time when this great prophet and teacher Jesus was around – simply a case of being in the right spot at the right time. With his death (and their death) such a time would just be a wonderful memory! Jesus was wanting to point out quite the opposite!! This actually was the beginning of the whole of the rest of history. Whatever was going to happen next – the ongoing presence of Jesus was assured; and the mission of God in the world had taken a dramatic and permanent turn!

For the readers of John’s Gospel some 50 years later, there would be a reminder of how the Holy Spirit could be effective in the transforming of life and the transforming of community. It was not just the first disciples who experienced the presence of Jesus, but indeed all those who have subsequently adhered themselves to him. The presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit continues to enrich and enliven the church communities that centre themselves on “believing” in Jesus! Today the Holy Spirit is the church’s direct link to the work of Jesus in history.

We come to “believe” in Jesus, meaning:
· appreciating his earthly ministry of compassion, healing & justice
· embracing his teaching of the pre-eminence of love & forgiveness
· identifying ourselves with his death – that this was an act of mercy to bring about our freedom
· being raised into new life through his resurrection and our repentance (determination to see change); and then we are given the Holy Spirit to be our travelling companion – offering us the possibility of being effective for Jesus. The Holy Spirit is God’s power source within and around human beings to see the work of Jesus carried on (in the world).

If we look at verse 20 > we can see that on the day that we truly believe in Jesus, we will know that we have entered into a Divine relationship, because we will sense an inner witness to God’s presence – this is the Holy Spirit. We can no longer do just as we want (or think whatever we want) without feeling somehow awkward! Because we have this inner presence of God, any selfish or destructive behaviour or thinking only leads to unhappiness.

We have invited Jesus to lead our lives, so we better be ready for an exciting journey! People invite Jesus into their lives for all sorts of reasons. These reasons may include:
· escaping the fear of “hell”
· looking for an easier life – around more positive people
· wanting a more structured framework for living; however, “believing” is not just a quick fix to get out of trouble, but rather a whole change of life orientation.

I grew up in a Christian family – regular and committed church goers. The problem for me was the perceived expectation of inevitable commitment to God and the church. This meant that there was the possibility of just borrowing my parents’ faith, and never really finding my own through a personal sense of need and an individual search for truth. People just wanted me to be added to the list of those who were “saved”! I probably did just fall in with the expectations around me, and just got this commitment thing done with. Having got this over with, I thought that I could just dance to the beat of my own drum. But of course, this was a very unhappy
experience (and this was naturally going to be the case). Why? Because I had given Jesus permission to enter my life, and he had given me his Holy Spirit to dwell within – who would never be fully accepting of anything other than my complete openness to God’s leading. This I did embrace some time later – and am still seeking to grow with. I came to have my own very personal love affair with Jesus, and complete appreciation of his mission to the world. I am
happy to know that (in line with verse 20) I am in Jesus, and Jesus [is] in me.

2. The Giving of Peace

Part of this ‘giving’ of the Holy Spirit was an offering of peace (verse 27). Jesus said: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."

Life in the world … breaking that down … life in community, life in our family, life in our workplace, life in our school, life in the shopping centre … does not generally bring us peace!! Life in the world tends to bring us pressure, uncertainties, negativity, conflict, danger and heartache (sometimes also a sense of hopelessness).

How would you describe or define “peace”?

In the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) we have the expression “shalom” which refers to: the well-being of the people, as they live in close harmony with God, their neighbours, and the rest of God’s creation. “Shalom” relates to: wholeness, completeness, soundness. “Shalom” both relates to personal welfare and ethical outcomes. In ancient Israel, a person could not be truly at peace if his/her neighbour was being oppressed in any way.

In the New Testament we have the word “eirene” which includes: harmony, contentment, rest, welfare, health, safety. “Peace” in the New Testament is also obviously connected with having faith and receiving forgiveness (Luke 7:47-50, 8:46-48).

In the 4th century, St. Augustine wrote: "Peace is a good so great, that even in this earthly and mortal life, there is no word we hear with such pleasure, nothing we desire with such zest, or find to be more thoroughly satisfying".

Given that “peace” is a desirable thing, how can we gain it?

We can’t just conjure up peace out of thin air just because we want it! To truly experience peace ourselves we have to receive this as a gift from Jesus – the source of peace (2 Thess. 3:16). In this way we can begin to experience peace despite being in all the same pressure situations we always have been in.

What does Jesus intend through this offer of peace?

That we will have a complete sense and understanding of having >

(i) Peace with God – we know that are loved by God and have been offered mercy. We put our faith in this and receive forgiveness through Jesus, possess a recreated relationship with God, and have the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:1). We are accepted and valued by God, we have been befriended by Jesus. Not that we are anywhere near perfect, yet we are on a proactive journey of becoming more like Jesus. When we fall, we can again be forgiven and restored. However, it must be said that our appreciation of “peace” will be more acute, when we are clearly abiding in God’s will and purposes (eg. Lev. 26:3-4,6; Psalm 85:10, Romans 8:6).

That we will have a complete sense and understanding of having >

(ii) Peace within Ourselves – this is because the battle to try to be good enough is over! God’s love for us does not depend upon our performance – just on our response to His grace. We no longer need to have the approval of others, for we are okay in God’s sight. Whereas a cluttered conscience was a great obstacle to inward peace – any feelings of guilt have now been addressed through the ‘cross of Christ”. Any sense of shame we have been carrying has been overwhelmed by God’s acceptance of us as His son or daughter (and the rebuilding process of the Holy Spirit). [If you don’t feel this way, then you should undertake a Careforce “Search for Life” course!] It must be said that our appreciation of “inward peace” will be compromised if we continue to make unhealthy lifestyle choices or choose not to address any relationship tensions we have. The greatest killer of “inner peace” is bitterness (toward another)! We will also diminish our “peace within” if we allow ourselves to remain unaffected by the pain and need of others. Far from being preoccupied with self or withdrawing from community, experiencing “peace within ourselves” should actually lead to a healthy engagement with the people around us.

[Prayer is certainly a resource that can help us experience “inner peace”. We share here with the One who already knows our shortfalls and loves us completely anyway! As we talk and listen in prayer, we can renew our faith, gain new perspective and guidance, and be embraced by a fresh offering of God’s grace. Prayer helps us build a deeper consciousness of the presence of God every moment of the day and night (Psalm 4:8, 1 Timothy 2:1-4).]

What does Jesus intend through this offer of peace?

That we will take seriously the importance of pursuing >

(iii) Peace with our Neighbours – The history of the world is a sad tale of nation set against different nation, gang set against rival gang, person set against another person. No sooner had God created than we read about Cain slaying Abel. God’s ideal of peace was shattered by the human craving for personal control and power over others. In the same way that Jesus’ gift of peace reunites us with God, this same gift of peace should lead to the re-establishment of broken human relationships. This same gift of peace should lead to a high priority being put on the maintaining of harmonious friendships. This gift of peace should constrict our mouths and our bodies from striking out against another person. This doesn’t mean that we should in any way accept abuse or become a ‘doormat’ for anybody else, but it does mean that we try our level best to practice a basic attitude of healing, preserving and developing relationships. This follows Paul’s wise advice (in Romans 12:18): "If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all". And, of course, our efforts toward peace are closely connected with our willingness
to be a forgiving person.

That we will participate in the vision for >

(iv) Peace in the World – We are not going to be able to solve all the world’s conflicts ourselves. However, the views we espouse, the attitudes we reflect, and the various actions we take, may just make a sufficient enough difference to really help a needy people group here or an individual oppressed person there. In light of Jesus saying, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you”, what view do we have about the conflict in Iraq? We cannot separate our political views from our Christianity! If we truly “believe in Jesus”, then everything that he teaches and offers us must impact our worldview and (socio-political) activity.

These can be tricky issues, because often we are weighing up between two evils – the evil in the status quo versus the evil connected with intervention. Also, a perceived ‘peace’ or cessation of hostility, where injustice remains, is not real ‘peace’! Despite their huge costs, some countries will invest heavily in various armaments, claiming these to be deterrents to war. These are tricky issues indeed!

But we cannot escape any of Jesus’ statements about authentic spiritual life … or this one in particular: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" ie. be like God (Matthew 5:9). What intense pain it must cause God when there is violence, conflict and war in His created world! God is forced to watch the human beings (so lovingly fashioned and formed) destroy each other. Wars have characterised the history of the human race; the stupidity, arrogance and greed of human beings seen in their continual resort to force. Am I part of this problem, or can I align myself with the Prince of Peace Jesus, reject violence in all its forms, and become part of the solution? At the same time, peace is a Divine gift and also a human work!! Ross Langmead (Professor of Missiology at Whitley) has written: "The task is huge, and all we can do is bite off a small corner and begin chewing away it".

May the prospect of peace remain alive … as I “believe in Jesus”, embrace mercy and find peace with God; as I allow the Holy Spirit to flow through me, and find peace within; as I see others (my neighbours) as human beings loved and desired by God, and relate to them as such; and as I adopt various peacemaking activities that allow the world to become more like the Kingdom where God reigns! Amen!