Parting Words of Comfort [John 14]
Read the whole chapter in
Daily Reading.
27"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 1"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
2"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
3"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
4"And you know the way where I am going."
5Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?"
6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
I had to put verse 27 first because that is the way these verses came tumbling out as my mom, my sister and I sat around my father's bed shortly after he died three years ago. The promise was first -
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you;" It was beautiful how our voices, first timid, gradually growing stronger, spoke those verses in unison. Our hearts sang together those precious words of our Lord.
"Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." Throughout this whole chapter Jesus reminded his disciples of truth that should comfort their souls, in preparation of His upcoming death and resurrection.
"I go to prepare a place for you." v.2
"I will come again and receive you to Myself" v.3
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." v.6
"If you know Me, you also know the Father" v.7
"I will give you another Counselor to be with you forever (He is the Spirit of truth)" v.16
"I am coming to you" v. 18
"Because I live, you will live too" v. 19
"I leave My peace with you" and it won't look anything like the peace the world has to offer you!
May you experience His peace this Christmas season.
Lord, we praise You for leaving us with such words of comfort. Thank You that because we love You, we are loved by the Father and by You. You are revealing Yourself to us today. Cause us to see You today and to embrace Your words of comfort.
To read another devotional from John 14 click here.
Verna McCrillis, 12/16/2010