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“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.”
— John 14:27 (NIV)
This is not a religious sentiment. It is a covenant gift. It is a legacy from the dying Christ to His disciples. In this verse, we have three vital truths:
1. Peace is something Jesus leaves.
2. Peace is something Jesus gives.
3. Peace is something we must guard.
The lyrics of the song simply echo the words of Jesus:
> Peace I leave with you;
> my peace I give you…
> Do not let your hearts be troubled
> and do not be afraid.
The entire Christian life depends on what we do with the words of Jesus. He has spoken. The issue now is: Do we believe? Do we receive? And do we apply?
The peace that Jesus speaks about is not an emotion. It is a spiritual reality that flows from His finished work on the cross and His ongoing rule as Lord. Many believers are saved, but not settled. They are forgiven, but not at rest. The problem is not that Jesus has withheld His peace, but that we often have not understood what He has already given.
So we begin with this central fact: The peace of Christ is a gift, a legacy, and a weapon.
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John 14 is part of what is often called the Upper Room discourse (John 13–17). The setting is the night before the crucifixion.
The atmosphere is charged with sorrow, confusion, and fear. The disciples had left everything to follow Jesus, expecting the visible manifestation of His kingdom. Instead, He tells them He is going away.
Immediately after predicting Peter’s denial, Jesus says:
> “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”
> — John 14:1
The Greek literally says: “Stop letting your heart be troubled.” Their hearts were already disturbed. Jesus confronts that inner disturbance. Then He begins to reveal:
In that context—betrayal looming, arrest hours away, the cross directly ahead—Jesus speaks these words:
> “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you…”
This is not spoken in a quiet garden after a victorious campaign. It is spoken on the threshold of the greatest spiritual conflict in history. Jesus is about to confront sin, Satan, and death. Yet He is at peace.
He is not giving His disciples an easy life. He is giving them His own inner condition in the midst of conflict. The peace of Jesus is not the absence of war, but the presence of inner rest in the middle of war.
So when the song repeats:
> Peace I leave with you,
> my peace I give you…
it is echoing a farewell declaration of the Son of God, given in the darkest hour of His earthly ministry. That is what gives these words their weight.
---
### 1. “Peace” – Greek: *eirēnē* (εἰρήνη)
The word translated “peace” in John 14:27 is εἰρήνη (eirēnē). It comes from a verb meaning “to join” or “to bind together.” At its core, *eirēnē* means:
For a Jewish mind, *eirēnē* is directly connected to the Hebrew word shalom. *Shalom* is not merely the absence of conflict. It includes:
When Jesus says, “My peace I give you,” He is not saying, “I will help you feel a bit better.” He is saying:
“I impart to you the wholeness, the inner harmony, the settled completeness that I, the Son of God, enjoy in perfect fellowship with My Father.”
This transforms the way we hear the lyric:
> My peace I give to you.
> Not as the world gives do I give to you.
The world can give distraction, temporary relief, entertainment, or emotional calm. Jesus gives inner spiritual order rooted in His own relationship with the Father.
### 2. “Be troubled” – Greek: *tarassō* (ταράσσω)
The phrase “Do not let your hearts be troubled” uses the verb ταράσσω (tarassō). It means:
Picture calm water suddenly shaken, churned, stirred. That is the condition of a troubled heart.
Jesus had earlier experienced this in His humanity:
> “Now my soul is troubled (*tarassō*), and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.”
> — John 12:27
His soul was troubled, but His will remained aligned with the Father. He did not yield to fear or rebellion.
So in John 14:27, He commands: “Stop letting your heart be agitated, churned up, thrown into confusion.” That is a command, not an option. The peace He gives is His provision. The guarding of the heart is our responsibility.
This deepens the sense of the repeated lyric:
> Do not let your hearts be troubled—
> my peace is yours.
He is not only comforting. He is instructing. “You must refuse inner agitation. You must choose My peace instead.”
---
We will walk through the themes of the lyrics and relate them to wider Scripture.
### A. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.”
Two distinct but related truths:
1. “Peace I leave with you” – This is His legacy.
As a man about to die, He declares His bequest. Others leave money, property, or titles. Jesus leaves peace. This is permanent. It is the inheritance of all who belong to Him.
2. “My peace I give you” – This is His present gift.
He does not merely say, “I leave peace as a concept.” He gives His own peace, the peace that rules His own heart.
Paul describes this same reality:
> “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
> — Philippians 4:7
Notice:
The lyrics, by repeating “my peace I give you,” emphasize that this is not human peace raised to a higher level. It is divine peace imparted to human hearts.
### B. “I do not give to you as the world gives.”
The world gives:
The world says, “You will have peace if…” If your finances are stable, if your health is good, if other people treat you well, if the political situation is favorable. That is circumstantial peace.
Jesus gives covenant peace. It is:
Paul writes:
> “For he himself is our peace…”
> — Ephesians 2:14
Peace is not primarily a feeling. Peace is a Person—Jesus Himself. When He comes to dwell in us by the Holy Spirit, He brings His own peace.
The world also gives on the basis of merit or favor. Jesus gives on the basis of grace. You cannot earn this peace. You can only receive it through faith.
So when the song confesses:
> Not as the world gives do I give to you.
it is drawing a sharp contrast. There are two sources of peace: the world’s and Christ’s. They are not compatible. We must renounce one to fully receive the other.
### C. “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Here we come to the human responsibility. Two imperatives:
1. Do not let your heart be troubled.
2. Do not be afraid.
This is addressed to the will. Jesus is not saying:
He is saying: “When pressure, danger, and uncertainty arise, do not permit your heart to be thrown into turmoil or ruled by fear.”
This presupposes that:
Paul connects peace and responsibility in Colossians 3:15:
> “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…”
The word “rule” is βραβεύω (brabeuō)—to act as an umpire or referee. The peace of Christ is to sit in our hearts and make the decision: “This thought is allowed; that thought is not allowed.”
If we “let” (permit, allow) His peace rule, our hearts are steady. If we “let” fear, anxiety, and unbelief rule, our hearts are troubled.
The lyrics:
> Do not let your hearts be troubled—
> my peace is yours.
describe this divine cooperation:
### D. “My peace is yours.”
This is a statement of transfer and possession. His peace becomes our peace. Not merely as an external gift, but as an inward reality.
Scripture shows three main dimensions of peace for the believer:
1. Peace with God (objective, legal peace).
> “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
> — Romans 5:1
The war between us and God is over. The hostility of our rebellion has been judged at the cross. God is no longer our enemy. He is our Father.
2. The peace of God (subjective, experiential peace).
> “…the peace of God… will guard your hearts…”
> — Philippians 4:7
This is the ongoing inner rest that flows from trusting God in each situation.
3. Peace with others (relational peace).
> “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
> — Romans 12:18
This is the relational outworking of peace—reconciliation, forgiveness, unity.
When Jesus says, “My peace is yours,” all three dimensions are included in seed form. But they must be:
The Holy Spirit is the One who applies this peace to us. He is called:
> “Another Helper” (Paraklētos – one called alongside to help, comforter, advocate) – John 14:16–17
The fruit of the Spirit includes:
> “…love, joy, peace…”
> — Galatians 5:22
So the lyrics are in harmony with the whole New Testament: the peace of Christ is an active work of the Holy Spirit in the inner man.
---
We must move from theory to practice. The peace of Christ is not automatic. It is given, but it must be appropriated. I will outline four clear steps.
### 1. We Must Receive Peace on the Basis of the Cross
Everything God gives us, He gives through the cross. Peace is no exception.
> “…having made peace through the blood of his cross…”
> — Colossians 1:20 (KJV)
We do not earn peace by spiritual effort. We receive it because Jesus paid for it. The first step is to accept God’s verdict:
You may need to say it out loud:
“Because of the blood of Jesus, I have peace with God.”
If you are still uncertain of your standing with God, you will never have stable inner peace. The foundation is justification by faith.
### 2. We Must Set Our Mind on the Spirit
Peace follows the direction of the mind.
> “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
> — Romans 8:6
You cannot fill your mind with fear, worry, unbelief, and worldly news, and then expect to walk in divine peace. Your inner climate follows your inner focus.
Isaiah gives a key:
> “You will keep in perfect peace
> those whose minds are steadfast,
> because they trust in you.”
> — Isaiah 26:3
“Mind steadfast” literally means a mind that is stayed, leaned, or fixed on God. This is a choice:
The song itself can become a tool: singing these words with faith helps fix the mind on the promise of Christ’s peace.
### 3. We Must Refuse Fear and Inner Agitation
Jesus does not merely say, “I give you peace.” He commands, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
That means:
When a fearful thought arises, we have a choice:
We do this by speaking God’s Word out loud. For example:
> “The Lord is my light and my salvation—
> whom shall I fear?
> The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
> of whom shall I be afraid?”
> — Psalm 27:1
As we speak, we are aligning ourselves with God’s truth. We are shutting the door to fear and opening the door to peace.
Many believers need to repent of agreeing with fear. The fear may feel natural, but agreement with it gives it power. The command of Jesus stands: “Do not be afraid.”
### 4. We Must Let the Peace of Christ Rule as Umpire
Colossians 3:15 instructs us:
> “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…”
The picture is of an umpire or referee deciding what is in bounds and what is out of bounds. This applies especially to:
If you are facing a decision and you lose peace, that is often the Holy Spirit indicating, “Stop. Wait. Reconsider.” If you move forward against inner unrest, you are violating Christ’s peace.
On the other hand, if a path is difficult but you have deep inner peace, that is often confirmation that God is in it.
So we must ask:
If the answer is no, we must refuse it. This is a continuous practice. As we do, Christ’s peace becomes stronger and more stable within us.
---
### Proclamation (Speak This Aloud)
“I receive the words of Jesus in John 14:27.
He has left me His peace.
He has given me His peace.
Not as the world gives, does He give to me.
His peace is not temporary.
His peace does not depend on circumstances.
His peace flows from His finished work on the cross
and from His presence in me by the Holy Spirit.
Through the blood of Jesus,
I have peace with God.
God is no longer against me.
He is my Father, and I am His child.
The peace of Christ now rules in my heart.
It acts as an umpire over my thoughts and decisions.
I refuse fear.
I refuse inner agitation.
I will not let my heart be troubled.
I set my mind on the Spirit,
and I trust in the Lord.
Therefore, the peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
is guarding my heart and my mind
in Christ Jesus.
The peace of Jesus is mine—
now and continually.
Amen.”
### Prayer
“Lord Jesus, I thank You that on the night of Your greatest trial, You spoke words of peace. You did not withdraw from Your disciples; You gave them Your own peace as a gift and as a legacy.
I come to You now and humble myself under Your Word. I confess that many times I have allowed my heart to be troubled. I have agreed with fear. I have let circumstances, people, and evil reports rule my inner life instead of Your peace. I ask You to forgive me.
Today I choose to receive Your peace on the basis of Your cross. Thank You that through Your blood I have peace with God. Holy Spirit, come and fill my inner being with the peace of Christ. Rule in my heart. Guard my thoughts. Expose every agreement with fear and unbelief, and help me to renounce them.
Teach me to let the peace of Christ be the umpire in my decisions. Train me to keep my mind fixed on You. Let the song of John 14:27 become the melody of my heart, not just on my lips but in my inner life.
I declare before heaven and hell:
Jesus, You are my peace.
Your peace is my inheritance, my protection, and my atmosphere.
I thank You for it, I receive it now,
and I choose to walk in it,
in Your mighty name.
Amen.”
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