By Dr. Ben Stubblefield
Visiting assistant professor of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
PEACE I LEAVE
John 14:16–29
While our passage focuses on the role of the Holy Spirit, it is important to note from context why He has this role.
What is the context? Jesus has just announced His imminent departure (13:33), and His disciples are understandably troubled.
What follows in chapter 14 are words from Jesus designed to encourage faithfulness, comfort and peace to a group of nervous, anxious and worried disciples.
The Counselor (16–21)
Jesus promises He will solicit from the Father another Counselor for the disciples. This Counselor is identified more clearly as the Holy Spirit in verse 26.
“Paraclete” is a complex Greek word to interpret into English, though it is often translated as Counselor. But no one English word can capture all the functions of the Holy Spirit stated in the rest of the passage.
The Spirit will help, remain with, lead, abide in, teach and remind us of truth. The word “Counselor” is generic enough, but it is too vague to communicate all of His works.
Adding to the challenge of giving the term a simple, one-word-for-one-word translation is the fact that the Spirit is, Jesus says, “another Counselor.”
This implies that Jesus understands Himself to be “Paraclete.” Therefore, in whatever ways Jesus served as Counselor to the disciples on earth, the Holy Spirit will continue after His ascension. What one-word moniker can we give for that?
Furthermore, there seems to be a sequence of cause and effect through verses 16–21. Love from God yields love for God. And the one who loves God also knows Him, like Moses, in the intimacy of friendship. To those people, Jesus says, “I will show Myself to them.” The request of Moses, his one great ambition, was to see the glory of the Lord (Ex. 33:18).
Here and now, Jesus says, “My glory is available to anyone who has the love of God abiding in them.”
The Teacher (22–26)
Jesus promises earlier in 14:3 that He goes to prepare a dwelling place for His disciples, but He also promises He will make His dwelling place within His disciples. It’s a stunning promise, and one that further incentivizes obedience to the instruction of Christ.
Often, though not always, it is common to see consistent obedience from children to parents in homes where love abounds. Healthy relationships tend to engender good responses from children to parental instruction.
Ours is a love relationship with the Lord. He promises, abides, remains, comforts and helps. And as a natural effect of that love, His children trust and obey.
The Peace (27–29)
Peace, “shalom,” was the hope of Israel throughout the Old Testament.
One scholar even suggests the whole goal of redemption is to restore the peace of God in the world.
So when Jesus promises to leave “My peace” with His disciples, He’s not awarding them some steady nerves for some bad days. He’s telling them that a sign of His Kingdom is here and upon them.
This is not a peace that comes from this world, but a now-inaugurated reality of the Kingdom of heaven.
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