THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

John: Believing On The Christ, The Son Of God, For Eternal Life

Part XXXVIII: Trusting In Christ For His Gracious Edification Of True Believers, John 14-17

D. Trusting In Christ For His Promise Of Surpassing Inner Peace

(John 14:27-31)

I. Introduction

A. John's Gospel asserts that the disciples had received of Christ's fullness "grace for grace" (KJV), that is, "constant reception of one evidence of God's grace replacing another," John 1:16; B. K. C., N. T., p. 273.

B. This truth is explained with Christ's John 14:27-31 gracious promise of God's surpassing peace for believers:

II. Trusting In Christ For His Promise Of Surpassing Inner Peace, John 14:27-31.

A. Jesus had repeatedly told His disciples He would go where they could not be with Him (John 13:33, 36), so He gave them the customary "good-bye," the "shalom" in Hebrew, or, "Peace!" (John 14:27a; Ibid., p. 324).

B. However, in giving His "good-bye" in reference to His physical presence, Christ added the wonderful claim that He was giving His peace unto His disciples, John 14:27b.

C. To clarify, Christ said the peace He gave was not as the world gave (Jn. 14:27c) as follows (John 14:27d-31):

1. First, the peace of Christ equips the believer not to have to "be disturbed, unsettled, thrown into confusion" (tarasso, Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 812-813); John 14:27d. Applied to the disciples, they did not need to let Christ's absence disturb, unsettle or confuse them in their own hearts.

2. Second, the peace of Christ equips the believer not to have to "be cowardly, intimidated" (deiliao, Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 172); John 14:27e. Applied to the disciples, they did not need to let Christ's absence cause them to become cowardly or intimidated by the opposition they faced in the world.

3. The basis of this peace would be Christ's heavenly intercessory work as He went to the Father, John 14:28:

a. Jesus repeated that He would go to heaven and return to rapture the Church, John 14:28a with 14:2-3.

b. He then said that His absence, if understood by one who loves Him, should cause the believer to rejoice, for the Father was "greater" than He was (John 14:28b), a claim we explain (as follows): (1) Christ's going to heaven enabled Him to intercede for believers' weaknesses (Heb. 4:14-16) and sins (1 John 2:2) at the right hand of the Father (Isaiah 53:12d), the Person in the Godhead Who sets the divine decrees as the administratively "greater" Person, Ibid., Bible Know. Com., N. T. It was thus to the believer's advantage to have Christ in the Father's presence to intercede with the Father for the believer versus the believer's having Jesus on the earth not performing that intercession. (2) Note: Arians and Jehovah's Witnesses hold Jesus' words, "The Father is greater than I" mean He is a lesser god than the Father, but that view leads to polytheism versus Deuteronomy 6:4 and the belief that Jesus is a created being versus John 1:3; Ibid. Also, John 14:31a in the context argues strongly for the unity of the Godhead opposite any competing gods as in polytheism, so the Father is "greater" that Jesus in office, not in Person.

c. Jesus followed His prediction about His departure to the Father in His intercessory work advantageous to the disciples prior to His rapture of the disciples as future evidence for them to trust in Him, John 14:29.

d. Jesus added He would not be able to talk much with the disciples when Satan, the prince of this world, came in reference to Christ's persecutions relative to the cross, but that Satan had nothing in Him, John 14:30. This claim reveals that Christ was sinless, not vulnerable to Satan's wiles, a great hope for believers who need to know that Christ's intercessory work for them in Heaven is effective due to His sinlessness!

e. Christ's sinlessness in not yielding to Satan's wiles would further testify to the world that Jesus loved the Father, and that He performed all that the Father commanded Him to perform in sinlessness, John 14:31a.

4. [Then, in a revealing statement, John recorded Jesus as then saying, "Arise, let us go hence," John 14:31b. He thus led His disciples to leave the Upper Room for Gethsemanee, evidence that the Apostle John was likely citing Jesus' exact words in this entire section, a testimony as to the precision of the Gospel record!]

Lesson: Jesus promised to give His disciples great peace in relation both to themselves and to their worldly foes by His leaving them for heaven to intercede in their behalf with the Father Who was greater in office than Jesus. That intercessory work is secure as it is based on Christ's utter sinlessness and thus His great victory over Satan.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ to be saved, John 3:16. (2) May we utilize Christ's intercessory work for our weaknesses and sins, finding thereby from the Lord great peace in relation to ourselves and in relation even to what hostile foes we face in the world!