John 14:27 - Homilies By B. Thomas

The special legacy of Jesus to his disciples.

Notice—

I. THIS LEGACY IN ITS RICH CONTEXTS . "Peace I leave," etc.

1. The great system of reconciliation . The gospel is pre-eminently the gospel of peace. It is peace on earth, and good will to men. This gospel Christ committed to his apostles as its special ambassadors, and to them was given "the ministry of reconciliation, to wit," etc.

2. This great system in its blessed effects on them . Our Lord sums up these effects in one word, "peace," and it is most significant and expressive. It involves:

3. This legacy of Christ has the peculiarity of being absolutely his own . "My peace."

4. This legacy is very precious .

II. IN THE DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF ITS CHARACTER AND BESTOWMENT . "Not as the world giveth," etc. Here is a contrast. There is no comparison. They knew something of the world as a giver; and for fear they would look at him in the same light, he asserts a great contrast.

1. In the reality of the gifts and the giving . The world gives shadows; Christ gives substances. The world gives that which is not bread, and satisfieth not; Christ's gifts are good, perfect, and satisfying. The world gives in vain wishes and empty salutations—"Peace he with you;" but Christ gives substantial peace. The world pays in promissory notes, but they are all dishonored; Christ pays in hard cash. No sooner he says, "My peace I give unto you," than that peace is given and felt as a living principle in the soul, and all his promises are fulfilled.

2. In the heart of man which is supplied . The world gives to the body; Christ to the soul. The world gives to the outward and transient in man; Christ to the inward and eternal. The world only supplies music for the physical ear, and sceneries for the physical eye; Christ supplies music for the soul, and spiritual sceneries of unspeakable beauty to the eye of faith. The world supplies the lowest part of man—his passions and animal propensities; but Christ furnishes the highest part of him—his reason, faith, conscience—and satisfies his immortal aspirations and wants.

3. In the manner of the giving . The world gives its best first, and there is a sad deterioration; but Christ keeps the best wine to the last. The world gives laughter which ends in weeping, joy which ends in sorrow, pleasures which end in pain, bright hopes which end in dis. appointment, a heaven which ends in hell; but Christ gives good things even at first, and they improve with time. He gives pleasures which sweeten with experience, joys which intensify with years, delights which increase with ages, prospects which brighten with eternities, and hopes which are divinely realized. Weeping is converted into laughter, the pains of birth into the pleasures of a new life, the pangs of repentance into the ecstasies of pardon, the gloomy doubts of faith into the brilliant visions of heaven, the streams of peace into an ocean of joy and happiness, and the struggles of the warfare into the hosannas of a final victory. "Not as the world," etc.

4. In permanency . The world only lends; Christ gives. What the world gives, it soon takes away; but Christ leaves his peace with his people, and gives them "that good part," etc. The world at best only gives a life-interest, and that life very brief and uncertain; but Christ's gifts are eternal possessions and real property. The lease of his gifts is not for the life of the body, but for the life of the soul. The world's fountains soon get dry, but those of Christ are perennial. "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh," etc.

III. IN ITS PRACTICAL EFFECTS UPON HIS FOLLOWERS . "Let not your heart be," etc.

1. They were exposed to special dangers .

2. To strengthen their heart against trouble and fear was now Christ ' s chief aim . "Let not your heart," etc. There may be trouble without much fear; still they are near relations, and ever attack the heart. The heart, as the seat of emotion, is the most vulnerable avenue to these foes. They were rushing in torrents upon the disciples already. The mere talk of his departure had filled their heart with sorrow. It was his chief aim to strengthen their heart.

3. This aim he accomplished by the bestowment of his own peace . "Peace I leave with you," etc. He prescribes and furnishes the remedy—"peace." The Divine element which had been so infallible against fear and trouble in himself. "My peace I give unto you." This Divine peace is the only dement which can successfully combat trouble and fear. It sets the whole soul to music; and the music of the soul, like the music of heaven, makes sorrow and sighing to flee away. Filled with Christ's peace, like him, they would be calm in the storm, joyful in tribulation, patient in suffering, and jubilant in death.

LESSONS .

1. All the movements of Jesus were in order to bless . He came to the world to bless. He was in it for a while to bless, and left it in order to bless his people all the more. The legacy of peace could not be fully enjoyed while the testator was alive.

2. When Jesus left his disciples , he left the best part of himself with them . "My peace I give," etc. He left infinitely more than he took away. He took himself personally away, but left his peace—the cream of his life, and the life of his death.

3. To enjoy his peace is to enjoy him in the highest sense , and to enjoy all we require in this world . It will raise us above our troubles and fears, into the calm sphere of Divine love, fellowship, and protection.—T.