Do Not Let Your Hearts be Troubled and Do Not be Afraid

"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

The fear of the unknown can be paralyzing, a unique kind of terror that grips the heart. Yet, with experience comes transformation, not of the events themselves but of our expectations. Driving a car, flying through turbulent skies, or braving a thunderstorm may initially evoke dread, but familiarity replaces fear with confidence. The uncertainty fades as we learn what to expect and what lies ahead. This shift in understanding dissolves anxiety and ushers in peace, reminding us that knowledge and preparation are powerful antidotes to fear.

Several times in this discourse, Jesus will point out that He is preparing the disciples to "hold fast" in a difficult time:

“You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” (John 13:7)

“I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.” (John 14:29)

“I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you.” (John 16:4)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

This not only applies to His impending arrest and execution:

“He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.” (Mark 8:31)

“The crowd spoke up, ‘We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, “The Son of Man must be lifted up”? Who is this “Son of Man”?’” (John 12:34)

“A time is coming, and in fact has come, when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” (John 16:32),

But to the persecution Christians will face because of their faith:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” (John 15:18–20)

“They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.” (John 16:2–3).

The peace that Christ offers is not like that of the world. The best we can expect from the natural world is unfairness and death:

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope.” (Romans 8:20)

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)

“For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Psalm 73:3).

Even attempts to be moral, without God, lead only to frustration:

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Christ's "peace" here refers to a hope and reassurance that goes beyond what a fallen world can offer:

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7).

It is permanent, guaranteed, and eternal:

“God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” (Hebrews 6:18–19).

Here, again, Christ encourages His followers to keep their "hearts" from fear and trouble. This repeats the statement Jesus used to start this message:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1),

Immediately after predicting Peter's cowardice:

“Then Jesus answered, ‘Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!’” (John 13:38).

Here, again, scholars suggest that Jesus is distinguishing between being troubled in one's "spirit," meaning pain and unhappiness, as opposed to being troubled in one's "heart," meaning fear and despair. Jesus was said to have a troubled spirit, at times:

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.” (John 11:33)

“After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.’” (John 13:21).

What He calls for here is not for Christians to be stone-faced and inhuman. Rather, it's to acknowledge the reality of suffering while at the same time trusting in God to make good on His promises.