John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you…”
Last week I was watching a movie about two very, very, very, (that’s 3 very’s) rich uncles that left their nephew millions and millions of dollars in their will. One summer when the young boy went to visit his uncles, little did he know that his life would totally change at such a young age. That summer the two uncles died when they tried to fly a prop plane through their barn! Similarly, John 14: 27 is likened to a man getting ready to leave his life on earth who bequeaths his wealth, mansion, estate, and even his Lamborghini…to you!
But in this case, it’s the Lord Jesus who is preparing to leave earth, and of all the things that He could bequeath to us, He left us His peace. As a Jew, Jesus would have spoken Hebrew or Aramaic to His disciples, so He would have used the word, shalom. “Shalom I leave with you, My shalom I give to you”. Shalom means completeness, wholeness, health, welfare, prosperity, and peace. Not the kind of conditional and fleeting peace the world gives. He left us so, so much more. It’s all in His last will and “testament”, the New Testament in your Bible. It’s filled with everything that He left for you. Take it. Receive it. Tell everyone about it. It’s all yours!
