Peace I Leave With You

“Peace, I Leave With You”

John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

This afternoon we will look into a farewell message from our Lord to His disciples. This verse is a very comforting verse, short, straight to the point, but to some readers it commonly gets very confusing. What I mean by confusing is that, we have verses that tells us that as a Christian, we will go through trials hardships and so on. And yet here we see Jesus telling His disciples, “Peace I leave with you”. This verse is not just for the Apostles alone, it is also for the future believers, and here Jesus is telling us the same message, “Peace I leave with you”.

Let me show you a couple of examples of what I mean when I said, this verse can be very confusing to the reader. This is probably the reason why many non-believers would claim that the Bible is very contradicting. The stories, the messages contradict itself. Here are some examples…

Luke 12:51-53
51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Wow!!! Just from the opening verse, “51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division”. If I was to read this verse alone, without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it would sound contradicting right? What this verse is clearly saying is that, with Jesus coming as man, would be the start of dividing believers from non-believers. Even if it means that the household would be divided. “Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Now Jesus is not saying this just for the sake of being mean. Jesus gives the believer the cost and what it would mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Would Jesus come first in your life? if there was a family member in your household who chooses not believe in Jesus, which would you follow? The family member as listed on our verse, or Jesus? So, this is not the kind of peace that Jesus was saying, when He said, “Peace I Leave with you”.

Here’s one more that can get very confusing…
John 16:33
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me (Jesus) you may have peace.” Ok, now hold on, which is it Jesus? From our opening verse Jesus opens up with, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you”. and now, “that in Me (Jesus) you may have peace”.

Now here is another verse that Jesus is basically dividing the believer from the rest of the world. In Me (Jesus) you will have peace. The type of peace that world cannot give you, no matter where you look for it. Only in Me (Jesus) where you will find peace. Only Jesus can give you and I that supernatural peace. Here is what I mean by Jesus separating us from the world…

John 15:18-19
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

You see, you and I are just passing by. This is not really our home. Everyone is looking for peace in this lifetime. Let’s be honest, who isn’t? Who wants heartaches, hardships, sickness, enemies, trials, and so on. But these are the things that we will be facing in this lifetime. That is why Jesus is saying “in Me you may have peace”- “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you”.

Everyone in the world is looking for peace. Yet, there is nothing in this world that can give us peace. Peace is a very popular word, and it’s an almost impossible reality. It is a constant pursuit, I give credit to the people who constantly chase it. There is an absence of personal peace, family peace, local peace, international peace, there are organizations in this world, trying to promote World Peace. Yet, when all is said in done, we will not find it until we “rest in peace”!

And yet, even with that saying, “rest in peace”…sure you may no longer face the harsh realities of this world, but if you’re a non-believer, you will now face the tortures of hell. For all eternity.
Many in this world seek for peace, in one form or another. Sadly, even among so called believers. Some try to find it in relationships, if that relationship doesn’t work out, just jump into the next one, and hope that there is peace there. Some look for it in recreation, hobbies, and all that. Some seek professional help, which will cost money, and by using your money you’ll start to worry about where to get the money for the next appointment. Drugs, alcohol, entertainment of some sort, which will only make the person more-weaker than before. And the harsh reality, still no peace to be found!

No where in this world, in this lifetime can we get the peace that we look for until we come to realize that it is only through Jesus where we will have peace. Only Jesus can give us the peace that we look for which will sustain you and I, until the day He makes all thing new!

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you”. The New Testament describes at least three categories of peace:
• Peace with God – that’s the vertical dimension.
• Peace of God – this takes place internally.
• Peace with others – when we have peace with God and we experience the peace of God, we
  can then extend peace horizontally.

So, let us look at all three tonight, and hopefully leave here with the confidence that Jesus has given us this peace, and that this message would be a great reminder, and hopefully will make our faith stronger in the One that holds it. And, if this is all new to you, hopefully tonight the Lord will open your heart, and give you the peace you long to look for.

Let’s start with the Peace with God:

We have to look at the fact that we/flesh, is at war with God. From the time of Adam & Eve, the fall of man. Sin was born.

Romans 5:10
10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

This is very hard to swallow because many of us don’t feel like we’ve been at war with God. While we might not think we’re fighting Him, the Bible clearly teaches that He is at war with those who do not know His Son. God is the enemy of sin and Satan. Before you came to Christ, you were a child of darkness and were therefore locked in conflict with the Almighty.

Ephesians 2:3
3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

So, we were at war with God, enemies of God who deserves His wrath. So, how can we have peace with God, if from the beginning we were His enemies?

Psalm 7:11
God is a righteous judge, a God who displays His wrath everyday.


“God is a righteous judge”. Could you imagine, Gods wrath is upon you and I before we got called to be a gift to His Son. Gods wrath was upon us everyday. Before we can understand this first dimension of peace we must first come to grips with the state of our relationship with God apart from Christ. While God loves us and cherishes us, He is also repulsed and filled with indignation because of our sinfulness.

Romans 1:18
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

Listen carefully. We don’t deserve this peace. In fact, what we deserve is death and eternal punishment. But, because of God’s great love, He provided a way for us. God’s joy and His justice converge on the cross of Calvary. His love and His law find full satisfaction through the sacrificial death of His Son. God is both just and the justifier. His fury is fully absorbed and resolved in the sacrifice of Jesus.

When we put our faith in Christ, we are “justified,” which means that we’ve been declared “righteous” and at peace with God forever. This is a positional truth. Your acceptance and peace with God does not depend on you. It all depends on Christ. My sins do not cancel out my justification or shatter my peace with God. That is why Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you”.

So, that is the first part church. We have to know who we are and who God is. And why we need Jesus in our lives.

The second part is the Peace Of God: (Peace with God, then the Peace Of God)

In order to have the peace of God internally, we must first experience peace with God vertically. The upward dimension must be taken care of before inward peace can permeate our lives.

On the night Jesus was born the great company of the heavenly host appeared, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:14). This peace comes to those on whom God’s favor rests. Who is that? It’s those who have been justified by faith in Christ. Those at peace with God can experience the peace of God.

Shortly before Jesus died, He declared in John 14:27: “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.” This inner peace is a gift from Jesus and comes to us as a key element of the fruit of the Spirit. We will experience this peace as we give the Holy Spirit full control in our lives.

Every one of Paul’s letters begins with a greeting of peace. Some of them end with it as well. The church at Thessalonica needed this encouragement because they suffered from oppression and persecution, they were confronted with the problem of immorality, they were grieving over those who had died and they were battling false teachers. Listen to Paul’s final greeting to this church in…

2 Thessalonians 3:16
16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

How can we experience this kind of inner peace at all times and in every way? Let’s look at Philippians 4:6-7…

Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We’re told first of all, to not be filled with anxiety about the things of life. Most of us are walking “civil wars,” where we are filled with worry and concern. That’s what happens when you look for peace, outside of Jesus. Paul’s a realist so he knows that we can’t just determine to not be anxious and suddenly we’re flooded with peace. It doesn’t work that way. You can’t will yourself to tranquility…to peace. The path to inner peace passes through prayer, through Christ alone.

The word “petition” carries with it the idea of being specific about what our wants, needs and problems. We’re to do this with thanksgiving, being careful to have an attitude of gratitude for what God has already done for us. The picture here is that we come to the throne of grace with our arms filled with cares and concerns and then we hand them to God.

Once we present our requests to God, His peace will come flooding into our lives. I want you to notice that it’s God’s peace and only He can give it to us. Just like we can’t manufacture the fruit of love or joy, so too, we cannot pretend to have peace when we really don’t.

This peace “passes all understanding” which means that it goes way beyond all that we can even ask or imagine. Our minds cannot even fathom this kind of supernatural peace. Only when it ambushes us can we begin to taste it. The word “guard” is a military term meaning to protect a camp or castle. When God’s peace floods our lives, it will protect our hearts and minds against enemy attacks.

Church, do you have this kind of inner peace? If you’re a believer, it’s not only available to you. God expects that you display peace on a regular basis as the Fruit of the Spirit matures in your life. It’s really that simple. Once we have removed the focus on self, and everything else around us, and our eyes fixed on Jesus and Jesus alone, can we have an overflowing feeling of complete peace.

• Don’t be anxious about anything.
• But if you are, then present your requests to God.
• When you do, His supernatural and profound peace will come and protect you.
• So that you won’t be filled with worry and anxiety.

Now, we come to the third part: Peace With Others.

• Peace with God – that’s the vertical dimension.
• Peace of God – this takes place internally.
• Peace with others – when we have peace with God and we experience the peace of God, we
  can then extend peace horizontally.

Peace with God enables us to have the peace of God. Christ as Savior brings peace with God, Christ as Lord brings the peace of God. Another way to say it is that we can’t have the peace of God until we know the God of peace. That then leads us to our third point. We’re called to live at peace with others. With one another.

Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.

I find it interesting that Jesus didn’t tell us to be “peacekeepers,” but instead “peacemakers.” This could be translated as “peace workers.” It takes effort to bring conflict to an end. When we work at preventing contention and strife we are doing what God does. We’re called to make peace when we’re involved in a conflict with someone and when we see others involved in it.

Romans 14:19 lays out our responsibility:

Romans 14:19 (ESV)
19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Let’s look at some very practical ways that we can live at peace with others. When relationships are out of sync, we need to take action to make them right and productive, whether we are the offender, the offended.

Let’s face it. There’s more conflict between brothers and sisters in Christ than we care to admit. If we want to experience the fruit of peace we must be vigilant about keeping our relationships with each other healthy. Satan loves to divide and create conflict.

Gossip is slaying many churches today church… let’s make the commitment to not speak bad about each other. Remember from our last months meeting. Unless you are a 100% sure of what you saw, and are willing to be the witness to testify on the sin… then don’t say anything at all. Without a testimony of the witness, then its just a rumor caused by hate or jealousy. And by causing that problem, its not promoting peace amongst each other.

Let’s give grace as God gave grace, and not slander…

Ephesians 4:29
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Causing strife, making war, spreading gossip, selfish ambitions are the things that can cause relationships to fail. Build each other up church, and tear each other down. That’s satans work. If that is evidence in your life, then you need a copy of this message and go through steps 1 & 2. Because without that you will never live in peace with anyone. Simply because the One who gave peace is not in you! “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you”.

In Conclusion:

Since peace is part of the Fruit of the Spirit, we should see it ripen in our lives. As we’ve been learning through this series, fruit is both a gift and a task. Here are some steps we can put into practice so that we’ll partake of peace on a regular basis.

Make peace with God. If you have never made peace with God yet, this is your first step.

Short Story:
One day a young man went to his pastor in great distress because of all the anxiety and friction he had in his life. He asked the pastor, “Can you tell me what I must do to find peace?” The minister replied, “Young man, you are too late.” The man was devastated. “You mean it’s too late for me to be saved?” The pastor smiled and said, “Oh, no. But you are too late to do anything. Jesus did everything that needed to be done centuries ago!”



Have you made peace with God? I’m not talking about a truce. A truce is saying, “God you stay on your side of the line and I’ll stay on my side. You handle all the big problems of the world and I’ll handle my life.” That’s not peace. Peace is what will take place when you acknowledge your sins, believe that Jesus died in your place on the cross, and receive Him into your life by faith. Do you have that? If not…are you ready to do that?

Identify one thing that you are worried about right now. Give it to God in prayer. Don’t hold on to it. Present it to God and you’ll experience a peace that is beyond anything that you can manufacture on your own. Inner peace comes as we practice the power of prayer, and to put our complete trust in the Lord.

Say something good when someone says something bad. When you hear gossip, give the gift of grace by immediately speaking a kind word about the person being talked about. This will be our “code” to let us know when we’re slipping into unwholesome talk. If you’re talking about someone and someone else starts building that person up, you’ll know that you’ve slipped into slander.

• Peace with God – that’s the vertical dimension.
• Peace of God – this takes place internally.
• Peace with others – when we have Peace with God and we experience the Peace of God, we
  can then extend peace horizontally.

And the Fruits Of The Spirit will be evident in our lives. Without Jesus in our lives, there will be no Fruits of the Spirit bear…

Galatians 5:22-24
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.


“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”.