By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Sermon Text: John 14:25-31
Sermon Theme
Jesus is preparing the disciples for his earthly departure. He is still with them in a human, material sense but that will soon change with the momentous events of the crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus promises them his peace which is not the peace of the world (John 14:27). The word “peace” here going all the way back to the Old Testament term, “shalom”, refers both to well being and to a relationship that is positive and healthy. The disciples are not about to lose Jesus even though he is “going away.” They are being prepared for a new relationship in the Holy Spirit in which their faith will be deepened. They will soon be facing Satan, “the prince of this world.” They will no longer be hearing Jesus’ voice literally. Jesus is preparing them for the life of discipleship in which their well being is assured. He is offering us the same assurance.
Sermon Outline
- Passing. Saying good-bye is never easy. In this speech, Jesus quite frankly is saying farewell to his disciples in terms of the earthly ministry they have shared together. They have been with Jesus in an exceptional way, walked with him, talked with him, ate with him. They have seen him heal the sick and even raise the dead. And now he is leaving them. The natural tendency is that their hearts are troubled by all this (John 14:1, 27). We have all witnessed the ending of key experiences in our lives. A special vacation ends. A friend or a loved one moves away. We may also have had a special experience with the Lord in a particular time and place which finally ends. This is what the disciples are facing. Jesus is going away. If they love him they should rejoice that he is going to the Father (John 14:28). Yet the implication is that this is not the case. In the midst of their questions and troubled hearts Jesus promises them his peace. What does this mean?
- Prepare. Jesus is preparing them for a deeper level of belief. They will no longer be with him in an earthly, physical sense. Yet Jesus is coming to them in a new way (John 14:28). He is both leaving and coming to them. The new coming will be in the form of the Holy Spirit who will teach them everything and remind them of all that Jesus has said to them (John 14:26). They are being prepared to be Jesus’ disciples in the world. This is a different dimension of discipleship than they have known previously. Jesus’ promise of peace assures them of their well being and of their unbreakable relationship with him. The marks of this well being are not the success and prosperity which is the world’s understanding of peace. Jesus’ peace means that they will have a greater faith and understanding of who he is. All Jesus’ disciples, including ourselves, are in his hand and nothing can take us out of that hand (John 10:27-28). Therefore we are not to let our hearts be troubled or be afraid (John 14:27).
- Prince. Jesus is preparing the disciples for the great struggle of discipleship. He warns them that the prince or ruler of this world is coming (John 14:30). This is clearly Satan or “the evil one” (I John 5:19). He is coming in an immediate sense in the form of Judas who will betray Jesus (John 13:27). Jesus speaks of the prince of this world being driven out (John 12:31). This may actually refer to Satan’s being driven out of heaven in his role of condemning the saints of God (Rev.12:9). In this case he has been thrown down to earth “with great wrath because he knows that his time is short” (Revelation 12:12). Therefore his coming through Judas is only the first stage of a spiritual onslaught. Yet the disciples are not to fear because Satan has no power over Jesus (John 14:30). The reality is that they will only know the true peace of Jesus as they step out as his messengers in the world (John 20:21). The ruler of this world, for all his fury, is already condemned (John 16:11). Jesus sends them (and us) into a world of desperate need. He prays that we will be protected from “the evil one” (John 17:15). As disciples of Christ we face opposition both from within ourselves and from the world. We are to take courage. Jesus has conquered the world and given us his peace (John 16:33).
Questions for Us
- Have you had a time in your life when you felt very close to Jesus and then that time ended? Does that help you understand how the disciples’ hearts are troubled?
- How do we experience our peace in Christ as his continuing relationship with us through the Holy Spirit? Does this help us recognize the false peace of the world? How?
- How seriously do we take the spiritual conflict with the prince of this world? How does our awareness of this conflict keep us focused on Jesus and his peace?
