Monday, December 9, 2024  //  Day 9

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. —John 14:27

In John chapter 14, Jesus prepares His disciples for His arrest and death on the cross. He warns them not to be fearful or troubled by what happens, but to focus on the peace that He gives.

The disciples, although they didn’t know exactly what was coming, were anxious. The teacher and Lord they had been following for all these years was going to die? They didn’t understand and they couldn’t at the time, but what Jesus told them in this passage is what He wanted them to focus on – even while He was being put on trial and executed. He gave them and continues to offer all believers peace that surpasses all understanding which guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

As a high school senior, I’m no stranger to anxiety and stress. We’ve all experienced the stresses and worries of life, and they are often more than we can handle on our own. Stress and fear can become so overwhelming that they affect our everyday interactions with people and sometimes even our physical health. Consequently, people turn to extremes just to temporarily escape the things that weigh them down or cause them to fear. 

Jesus says here that we should not let our hearts be troubled or afraid; we are to rest in the supernatural peace that He gives us, not the world’s version of peace which will ultimately let us down. Jesus has already done and continues to do His part in offering us true peace, but we must respond in faith to receive it and enjoy it every day.

Matthew Yarborough