“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” (John 14:27).
Most of us have experienced the peace the world gives. It is temporary. We find momentary relief only to move back into the realm of anxiety and fear when circumstances change. If Jesus had only given His disciples the world’s peace on this occasion before His death their hopes would have been shattered. The crucifixion they were about to witness would have rocked their worlds.
Instead, Jesus gave them the kind of permanent, eternal peace that only God can give. This peace wasn’t founded on a momentary experience. It was peace that was anchored in eternity; it knew that the resurrection was certain on the other side of the Cross.
What can sustain our hearts when trouble comes? What can we cling to when fear rears its ugly head? We have the Lord’s own peace that He gave us. It is secured in eternity and will be ours when heaven and earth have passed away. He stood on the other side of the Cross and saw the joy that would be His on this side of the resurrection. The peace He gives can sustain us beyond any temporary circumstances we may face. It is His peace and it is enough for us.
