LETTING JESUS’ WORDS RESTORE CALM--John 14:25-31
Proposition: Each believer needs to let Jesus’ words restore calm through the promises of His Word, the assistance of the divine Helper, His death on the cross and His victory over Satan when we experience turmoil, anxiety, anger and fear in our daily spiritual life.
Objective: My purpose is to challenge God’s people to let the Holy Spirit restore calm when we experience turmoil and anxiety in our daily life.
INTRODUCTION:
Illus: An early martyr was being led from his jail to his execution for his faith. He senses that the executioner is really anxious and disturbed. So he says, “Take your hand and put it on my heart and feel it, and then take your other hand and put it on your heart and feel it and tell me who has peace.”
Today Christ stilled a storm—not Galilee,
But in my heart; I heard His “Peace, be still.”
There raged a storm and tempest here, in me,
And fear that I might perish made me ill.
The boat that is my life, seemed tempest-tossed,
And I forgot the Christ who knows our ships.
My heart sank low, I felt that all was lost,
So that a cry of “Help me!” reached my lips.
I turned to Him and knew that He could save,
That all my trials yield to His great will;
I felt the calming smoothness of the wave,
On which I rode, as Christ said, “Peace, be still!”
Here Jesus speaks of how we experience a realization of His peace (vvs. 25-
31)--"Peace" is the greeting and parting word (Shalom). Peace is not the absence of war, but the blessing of God on the well-rounded life. His peace is a peace that sustains God’s people even in the middle of the worst troubles. Jesus does not promise to keep His disciples from trouble, but to give them peace, whatever the world does to them. So, kept by His peace, they should not be troubled or afraid, no matter how great the difficulties in which they find themselves. Their world was about to fall apart. Soon there would be the tramp of marching men; the incredible would happen: Christ would be crucified. They would be overwhelmed. Already Judas Iscariot was out there somewhere in the dark paving the way. The Lord said to these apprehensive men, "Peace, even My peace, I give to you." They had seen that peace in action on the stormy sea when He walked on the wild billows of the raging deep and stilled wind and wave. His peace--That was unruffled calm no matter how great the demand made on Him, no matter how many or malicious or mighty His foes. His peace would remain. Gloom settles over the disciples. They now fully realize that Jesus is going to die. And they will be left alone. But Jesus
speaks words of comfort to them that can restore calm if they heed His words.
I. OPPORTUNITY: LISTEN TO THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (vvs. 25-26)--"The Holy Spirit will teach you."--This is the second Paraclete teaching by Jesus that the Holy Spirit will be His Interpreter. What was to be of critical importance for the disciples in the days ahead was the presence and empowering by the Holy Spirit.
1. Impending departure of Christ (v. 25)—His personal ministry in the flesh is about to end. It is repeatedly indicated by John ( as well as other Gospel writers) that the disciples failed to understand much that Jesus said and did during His earthly ministry (cf., 2:2; 12:16). Here is a clear promise to the apostles, and their successors in the faith, that the Holy Spirit will teach them all that truth which is needful for their salvation and service for Him.
1). Declaration “These things I have spoken to you”--This should have made it plain to you, but it didn’t.
2). Demonstration “while being present with you”--I will soon be leaving this world and then you will not have My help but you will have God’s help.
2. Divine representative (v. 26a) “But the Helper, the H.S.” As the Son came in the Father’s name, so the Father shall send the Spirit in My name, says Jesus, that is, with like divine power and authority to reproduce in their souls what Christ taught them. Now they are told that when the Paraclete comes, He will be able to recall and help His children understand what Jesus taught.
1). Presence (Paraclete) “But the Helper”--He is called the Comforter also. Here the Holy Spirit (full title as in Mark 3:29; Matt. 12:32; Luke 12:10) is identified with the Paraclete.
Illus: In Jesus’ day Greek soldiers fought with a particular pattern on the enemy’s fields in battle ... they would stand in pairs, back to back to fight ... this way no enemy could attack them from their blind-side ... this other man in Greek was called the "paraclete" ... this is the same word used to describe the Holy Spirit ... He is our paraclete!
2). Presentation “whom the Father will send in My name”-- The mission of the Spirit is here ascribed to the Father, but not to the exclusion of the Son, who is also said to send Him (15:26). He speaks of His being sent, "in His name"; that is, at His request, through His mediation and intercession, in His room and stead, acting, the same part, and bearing the same flame of an advocate or comforter, and for the glory and honor of His name. This clearly denotes the joint consent and agreement of Father, Son and Spirit, in this situation.
3). Purpose “to teach you all things”--The H.S. makes the
living Christ real to them. “He will take My place, represent My interests and fulfill My purpose.” This conveys the thought that whatever the disciples need to know as they go about serving Christ will be brought to their attention by the Holy Spirit.
3. Interpreter of divine truth (v. 26b) “bring to your remembrance”—Echoes will be reawakened and a fuller meaning given to old truths. This underlines the importance of the teaching of Jesus
1). Instructor “bring to your remembrance”--He will serve them, in other words, as rememberer and interpreter.
2). Instruction “all things that I said to you”--The teachings of Jesus are the foundational and core teaching of the churches. It is not for us to change the message of Christ but to proclaim it. A special promise to the apostles, which fitted them to preach the Gospel authoritatively and leave behind them the words of the New Testament.
Illus: Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, “All that has been done by God the Father and by God the Son will be ineffectual to us, unless the Spirit shall reveal those things to
our souls.”
II. OPENNESS: BE ASSURED OF PEACE (v. 27)--Does that apply to me in my situation? I am experiencing turmoil, anxiety, anger and fear. Yet Jesus promises us that this sense of calm can be a present reality now, but we may question that. Jesus gives us peace over our circumstances.
1. Promise of peace “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.”-- We are used to thinking of peace as the absence of conflict, or the absence of stress, or the absence of worry. The peace that Jesus talks about is the Jewish concept of peace. Peace, or "Shalom", includes the absence of churning and distress but it includes the presence of blessing, the presence of blessing in a well-rounded life. Jesus is offering a peace that is a settled sense of well-being and security. Jesus now promises to His disciples His most precious possession. This is the peace that sustains God’s people even in the midst of the worst trouble. Peace is the inward serenity based upon reconciliation with God. This is a peace that will banish anxiety and fear.
2. Pretense of peace “not as the world gives do I give you”--The world gives its “Peace!” as a polite greeting. The world gives you peace in bottles, more sex, gaining things, etc. The world gives only empty words that convey no lasting treasures. The world will promise us these false ways to find peace. It promises so much and delivers so little.
Illus: "STOP THE WORLD - I WANT TO GET OFF!"-- That statement is from a Broadway play of the same name, and illustrative of an attitude which seems to be gaining in popularity. How many of us do so often get "out of step" with the world, try to escape our responsibilities, and instead of looking to the real source of our difficulties - ourselves - blame everything and everybody else, including God.
3. Practice of peace “Let not your heart be troubled, neither
let it be afraid”—Jesus does not promise to keep the disciples from trouble, but to give them peace, whatever the world does to them. So kept by His peace, they should not be troubled or afraid, no matter how great the difficulties in which they find themselves. His peace banishes fear and anxiety. “Because I have made peace between you and God, therefore do not feel afraid when you get into danger?” You don’t have to fear condemnation as it has already been punished by His atoning sacrifice. You have a Friend who will never leave you; a peace that shall always attend you (14:1).
Illus: In an evangelistic meeting in Ireland the speaker was explaining what it means to abide in Christ and to trust Him completely in every trial. Concluding his message, he repeated several times, "It means that in every circumstance you can keep on saying, ’For this I have Jesus.’" The meeting was then opened for testimonies. The young lady who had been at the piano stood up and said, "I have to leave shortly so I’d like to be the first to testify. Just a few minutes ago I was handed this telegram. It reads, ’Mother is very ill; take train home immediately.’ When I saw those words, I knew that tonight’s message was meant just for me. My heart looked up and said, ’For this I have Jesus.’ Instantly a peace and strength flooded my soul." After pausing a moment, she continued, "I have never traveled very far alone, but for this I have Jesus. And for all the strain and suspense that goes with the thought of Mother’s severe illness, I praise God that for this too I have Jesus." Three or four weeks later the evangelist received a letter from the same woman. It read , "Thank you again for the message you gave that day. Life has become an uninterrupted psalm of victory, for I have come to realize that no matter what life brings, for this I have Jesus."
Illus: “Before we can enjoy the peace of God we must know the God of peace.”
Peace is independent of outward circumstances.
III. OBSERVATION: UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF CHRIST’S DEATH (vvs. 28-29)--It is so important that His disciples experience His peace as Jesus contemplates His going to the Father. He has a big task for them to carry-out in reaching a lost world.
1. Reminder “You have heard Me say to you”— Jesus reminded them
that He was about to return to the Father and that He had forewarned them so that their faith might not be disrupted by His removal. Jesus makes an assertion that brings relief when He states, “I am going away and coming back to you”—You are forewarned of what is going to happen to Me.
2. Rejoicing “You would rejoice”—When you love Me, you will
experience joy, not the sorrow of the world. In fact, when He went to the Father they were most unhappy, but that was because they were lacking in understanding. Instead of their seeing Jesus going to the Father, they saw the death of their Leader & the disappointment of their world hopes. But their failure to understand did not alter the reality of the situa-tion. Jesus was not destroyed on the cross. He was simply going to be with the Father to intercede for us & continue to carry out God’s divine purposes. That is cause for rejoicing.
3. Recognition “For My Father is greater than I”—in position, not essence (10:30). When Jesus said “My Father is greater than I” here, He was not denying His own deity or His equality with God, for then He would have been contradicting Himself (John 10:30). When Jesus was here on earth, He was necessarily limited by having a human body. He voluntarily laid aside the independent exercise of His divine attributes and submitted Himself to the Father. This was giving up the privileges of deity not His possession of deity. In that sense, the Father was greater than the Son. Of course, when the Son returned to heaven, all He had laid aside was restored once again (John 17:1, 5 ). Thus the Father is greater in office or glory than the Son is in His humiliation.
4. Response (v. 29) “you may believe”-- Nevertheless the final arrest and death they witnessed would undoubtedly shake their faith to its foundations, and Jesus wished to prepare them for the strain this crisis would place on them. The cross will a tremendous shock to them all, but Jesus gives them information that will be a source of encouragement to them in the days ahead. They will come to see that it all happened as He said it would.
Illus: F.F. Bruce shares about the conversion of his father. P.F. Bruce was
sharing with his friend the way of salvation. “I realized that the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross was for me, and I said to my friend, ‘Man, I see it all; I’M saved!’” When he related this to his son, “What did I see? Jesus on the cross for me.” F.F. relates that this was the central note of his father’s witness, “Jesus on the cross for me.” It is the central note of the Gospel. We have a proper grasp when we can say, “Jesus on the cross for me.”
IV. OPPOSITION: REMEMBER THE DEFEAT OF SATAN IS CERTAIN (vvs. 30-31) --"Satan is real and at work." “The ruler of this world” is a designation of Satan. It is in this world that he holds sway, and it is part of Jesus’ work to defeat him. He did that on the cross. Here the Lord named two of our great spiritual enemies—the world and the devil. Jesus overcame the world and the devil and the devil has no claim on Him. There is no point in Jesus Christ where the devil can get a foothold.
1. Disclosure (v. 30a) “I will no longer talk with you.” His death will end the opportunity to speak with them further. The reason given for the cessation of Jesus’ teaching is the coming of Satan. The end is near, and Jesus will not speak much more with them.
2. Downfall (v. 30b) “He has nothing in Me”—Satan has no hold on Jesus. Satan thought that he was winning. Satan thought Jesus’ death was a victory for him, but actually it was Jesus’ victory over Satan (John 16:11). “Satan has no claim on Me.” There is noting in Him that Satan can take hold of.
3. Demonstration (v. 31) “So I do.” Note His perfect obedience to God’s will. His obedience is due to His love for the Father. The cross did not happen because matters slipped out of the control of God. He goes to the cross in the certainty, not of defeat, but of conquest.
Illus: A little girl couldn’t remember her memory verse, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” She got the idea and her version was, “Tell the devil to get out and he’s got to go!”
He and the disciples may have left the Upper Room at this point (14:31) so that what Jesus said from that point on was spoken on the way to the Garden. Or, they may have arisen from the table and lingered awhile as He instructed them. We can easily imagine the allegory of the vine being given as they walked that night through the vineyards. His own perfect peace assures us that He alone can give true peace. Jesus was always the Master of the situation, and He enables us to take control of our lives as we
surrender to Him and receive His legacy of peace.
CONCLUSION:
1. Things are not crashing in hideous ruin as one might think.
2. Jesus’ life is not being snatched away by a force He could not resist. He is about to give His peace freely.
3. Therefore Jesus’ words can restore calm. Our destiny is secure. God is for us. We forget the true nature of God . . . we forget or distort the truth. In the early years of school children are taught how to react if their clothes catch on fire . . . they are to STOP, DROP, AND ROLL. Maybe a similar thing needs to be applied to believers. When you find anxiety building and your peace is leaving you it is important that you STOP, RECALL AND REST. Remind yourself that God is Sovereign (He is in control). Remember that He Loves You (He has your best interest at heart). Remember that He never, ever makes a mistake. (And He is not going to make one with you.) Re-align your theology and rest in His arms.
4. Resources for peace: The H.S. within us; The Savior above us; The Word before us--Hallelujah for all these resources that God gives to us.
Illus: Two artists set out to make a picture representing perfect peace. The first one painted a canvas depicting carefree lad sitting on boat on a placid lake without a ripple to disturb. Another painted a raging waterfall with winds whipping with a spray showering around. There was shown an limb overhanging swirling water. A bird was painted who had built its nest and sat peacefully brooding over her eggs--here safe from enemies shielded and protected by the roaring falls. Real peace is the result of remaining CALM and COOL in the midst of trial.
I know a peace where there is no peace,
A calm when the wild winds blow;
A secret place, where face to face,
With the Master I may go.
Oh, tell me why as the days go by
And the wild winds blow defeat,
That I do not go to this place I know,
This place of sure retreat—
This secret place, where face to face,
The soul and the Master meet.
Prepared by:
Gerald Steffy
6206 N. Hamilton Road
Peoria, IL 61614
