“Risen and Real”— Jesus’ Promise of True Peace. 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.”
We live in a world that longs for peace—peace that promises safety, security, and stability. We seek it in our homes, our workplaces, our governments. Yet time and again, the peace that the world offers proves fragile. It is fleeting, built on circumstances that shift like sand. Jesus, however, offers a different kind of peace. A deeper peace. A peace that is not dependent on worldly assurances but rooted in something eternal—his presence.
The disciples knew uncertainty. They lived under oppression, faced threats, and feared the unknown. When Jesus spoke of his coming departure, their hearts trembled. What would happen when he was no longer physically among them? Jesus knew their fears. He understood the turmoil of human hearts. And so he promised: “My peace I give to you.” Not peace as the world gives—a temporary pause from conflict—but a peace that holds, even when the world is unsteady. A peace that is felt in the depths of the soul, anchoring us in love, no matter what chaos surrounds us. Jesus did not leave us alone. He gave us the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Presence who dwells within us and reminds us of Jesus’ words. Rowan Williams once said, “The gift of the Spirit is the gift of a kind of staying power with Jesus.” This is the peace we receive—the courage to remain rooted in love, even when fear rises. When the storms rage, when anxiety grips us, when the world feels overwhelming, this peace whispers: “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”