John 14:22-31 The gift of peace

John 14:22-26 Another disciple named Judas now asks Jesus what are the circumstances or what is the event that has triggered this change in the way that Jesus will interact with His followers. Jesus does not directly answer his question, although we know that in a few hours, the events will speak for themselves to do so. Instead, He restates the thoughts from the previous few verses. He adds the clarification that it is the Holy Spirit who will teach them everything they need to know and help them to remember everything that He taught them while He was with them in the flesh. Interestingly, He does not say that the Holy Spirit will empower them to keep His word. That comes later. (Luke 24:49)

John 14:27-31 Jesus wraps up His discourse at the Last Supper, in preparation for leaving for the Garden of Gethsemane. He promises peace. That will seem incongruous in a few hours when He is arrested, tried, beaten, and crucified. But He says it is not the world's idea of peace. The peace He promises His disciples is based on the fact that He is going to the Father. When He is there, the greater power of the Father will bring them eternal peace, spiritual peace, peace with God, because He will have, at that point, completed the plan of redemption by dying to atone for the sins of humankind.

          His time is limited, because the ruler of the world, i.e., Satan, is coming. (I John 5:19) He will return to this thought in John 16:11. Jesus and Satan have nothing in common. In one particular aspect is this contrast illuminated. Satan, although He does not have the power or authority to overcome the Father, never voluntarily chooses to do what the Father commands. The world will know that Jesus loves the Father because He does exactly what the Father commands.

          And so Jesus and His disciples depart from the location where they had celebrated the Passover. The other gospels reveal that they went to the Garden of Gethsemane for a prayer vigil.  (Luke 22:39) John 18:1 reveals that they entered this garden after the rest of the words of John 15-17 had been completed. Hence the next three chapters must have been spoken in route.