Peace Helper

John 14:26-27

Verse 27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

    We talked yesterday about how there is only peace when living righteously as the citizens of kingdom of God.  We continue discussing how true peace comes from obedience to Christ.  Our passage today shows Jesus trying to prepare His disciples for His departure from their everyday company.  They had no clue just what He meant as they had lived the last three years in almost constant togetherness.  But Jesus knew what was coming and He knew there was already a plan in place for His Spirit to fill them so they didn’t feel the emptiness of His absence.

    So why did Jesus change up the pace of the conversation and bring up peace?  Jesus didn’t just spring peace into the talk with His followers, He was actually linking it to His sending the Spirit.  Remember we said in our discussion yesterday how true peace comes from obedience to the kingdom to which we are citizens?  When we are citizens of the Kingdom of God it is obedience to God which should mark our life.  But Jesus knew we couldn’t attain that on our own.

    Just before our key verse of the day Jesus had told His disciples God would be sending the Advocate – better known as the Holy Spirit – for the purpose of teaching them, and us, all things.  He would also remind them, and us, everything Jesus said.  This was Jesus showing His love for His followers by caring for them even after He left them.  He was promising them a part of Himself as the Godhead, though they couldn’t understand that.

    This gift of the Holy Spirit was Jesus’ way of giving them the help needed to live lives of obedience.  When the Spirit is in us we are reminded of what it means to obey by His reminding us what ways we are to obey.  The Spirit is our helper to remember what Christ desires of us.  He reminds us of the verses we read when we need them to keep us from making the wrong decisions.  He guides us and prompts us to help keep us on the straight and narrow path which Christ laid out.  This path of obedience is a path of peace.

Making It Personal

    Have you thought of the Holy Spirit in this way before?  Are you spending enough time in the Word of God that the Spirit can remind you of something you have read?  What have you recently been convicted about?

Making It Personal Kids

    How can the Holy Spirit remind us of verses?  Does the Spirit ever nudge you to not do something bad that you are thinking about doing?  What kind of things would He tell you not to do?

Closing Prayer

    Father, thank You for gifting us with the Spirit so He can teach us all things and remind us of what Jesus taught so we know how to live.  In Jesus’ name, amen.