1Therefore I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed: 2shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily; not for dishonest gain, but willingly; 3not as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock. 4When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away.
5Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility and subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, 7casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.
8Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings. 10But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
12Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. 13She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you. So does Mark, my son. 14Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace be to all of you who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
In the conclusion of this passage, in which Jesus speaks of both His departure and coming again (14:1-4) Jesus offers what people long for, namely, peace. This stands in contrast to the confusion and uncertainty that the disciples feel from the events that precede these words (John 13), including the departure of Judas to betray Christ. But the Lord does not merely attempt to comfort them, He offers the disciples a look into the future in verses 2-3, declaring to them that the separation they will experience will only be temporary. Jesus is going to prepare a place for them, come back for them, and by implication, their reunion will one day be permanent.
But the tension continues to grow. Thomas does not understand Jesus’ reference to the Father’s House (vs. 5) and Philip does not understand the fact that Jesus is God (vs. 8). The confusion reaches new levels when Jesus declares in verses 12-13 that they will do greater works than He has done (vv. 12-14) by sending them the Holy Spirit (vv. 15-17). Jesus then reassures them by declaring that He will not leave them orphans promising, “I will come to you” (vs. 19). Jesus attempts to clarify the Holy Spirit’s ministry in their lives by explaining to them that the Holy Spirit will remind them of all the things He has taught them (vv. 25-26).
Thus, flowing from this context of tension, we come to verse 27. On the eve of Christ’s own death, He offers peace to His disciples. While “peace” has several nuances in New Testament Greek, the word is used here to refer to the calmness or confidence that is generated when one trusts God - notice the phrase, “my peace I give to you.” In contrast, the world (“cosmos”) can only offer “false peace.” One cannot rely on the physical world to give one peace; it is subject to change, loss of energy, and degeneration. In fact, one cannot rely on any earthly possession to generate the peace that truly satisfies. One cannot rely on the world’s godless system to generate peace because humanity is inherently deceitful and corrupt. Humans long for power and are imbedded in an environment that is hostile to all that which is good, noble, and trustworthy. One cannot rely on evil supernatural powers for peace; only deception exists. Rather, it is by turning to Jesus Christ that one can receive peace - for He is God. Placing one’s trust in God is a timeless theme in Scripture. Perhaps the greatest example of trusting God in the midst of impending horror is Jesus Christ himself. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus Christ faced anxiety (cf. Luke 22:39-44). In fact, Jesus was deep in agony. How did He respond? He took His anxiety to God the Father in prayer. While God the Father did not remove this burden from Him, Jesus responded with resolve and determination to only do the will of the Father. Cast your anxieties upon God; He cares for you (cf. 1 Peter 5:7)!