The Night Before: Peace, Promise, and Presence
My son Parker and I have been spending our mornings reading through the book of John together before school. Although our time in John is coming to a close during Holy Week, I find myself wanting to linger here a little longer in my writing.
Have you ever been on a scavenger hunt? When I was a junior in high school, I had an incredible group of friends. One weekend, we organized a scavenger hunt, driving around our city in teams and completing challenges at various landmarks. I drove my 1998 maroon Chevy Blazer, with all five of us squeezed inside, laughing and competing along the way. It was so much fun. Competitive, yes, but more than anything, unforgettable.
That’s what digging into the Word of God feels like to me. Studying Scripture, uncovering its original context, and understanding the meaning behind the language is more than enjoyable. It is life-giving. Each time I open the Word, the Holy Spirit reveals something new, drawing me deeper into a relationship with Jesus. It feels like a treasure hunt.
John 14 is one of those pivotal chapters.
It takes place on the night before Jesus is crucified. In chapter 13, He has just washed His disciples’ feet. Knowing what lies ahead: betrayal, suffering, and the cross. Jesus does not seek comfort. Instead, He offers it. He spends His final hours serving and reassuring His disciples.
“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14).
He goes on to tell them that He is preparing a place for them, a home with many rooms, revealing that they now belong to the family of God. They are being brought in as His children.
He is preparing them for what is coming while continuing to reveal who He truly is—the Messiah.
Then Jesus makes a bold and unmistakable declaration, one that challenges every idea that all paths lead to God and squashes religious pluralism:
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Yet even in this moment, doubt and fear begin to rise. Thomas and Philip struggle to fully understand what Jesus is saying. They cannot yet grasp that Jesus and the Father are one. Both men desire to see God the Father, not understanding that He and Jesus are One. Still, Jesus meets them with compassion and offers a peace that surpasses understanding:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you… Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
He continues, explaining that those who believe in Him will do even greater works. Not greater in power, but greater in scope because He is going to the Father. And He promises something even more profound: the gift of the Holy Spirit.
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15–17).
It is actually for their good that Jesus goes, because the Holy Spirit will come. The Advocate will guide, teach, and lead them into all truth.
Within 24 hours, Jesus serves, comforts, and reassures His disciples. He speaks of His departure, yet also of His preparation and provision for them. He knows exactly what lies ahead: torture, humiliation, and a criminal’s death on a cross.
And still, He chooses to minister. He chose, more than 2,000 years ago, to drink the cup of suffering— to endure a criminal’s death on the cross and pay the wages of sin: death.
He reminds them that His death is not the end of the story. God has a plan, and they will not be left alone.
And neither are we.
He is Emmanuel—God with us. And He has sent the Holy Spirit to help us as we walk out our faith in Jesus, the Messiah.
Do you believe Jesus gave His life for your sins? To receive Jesus as Savior:
A - Admit (Admit You Are a Sinner): Acknowledge that you have sinned and disobey God, falling short of His standards. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
B - Believe (Believe in Jesus): Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and was raised from the dead. "If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).
C - Confess (Confess Jesus as Lord/Call on His Name): Invite Jesus to be the Lord of your life and turn away from your sins. "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).
Jesus comforted, served, and reassured His disciples. How are you serving others within the Kingdom of God?
Do you find yourself living as though you are alone, or as someone who has been given constant access to the presence of God?
Are you relying on and listening to the Holy Spirit to guide and lead your life?