NOTES for Joh 14:27

Speaking about the peace that is not from this world, Jesus calls His disciples not to be afraid. The issue, of course, is peace in the sense in which this word is used in Yahwism and Judaism, and later began to be used by Christians: peace as God's presence, or more precisely, as the effect of God's presence on human nature, which evokes in a person a sense of inner peace and rest. But the main thing is not the sensations, but the Presence itself. It was, of course, familiar to those seeking God even before the coming of Christ, especially to Yahwists, for God never abandoned His people.

But to be completely delivered from fear: that had never happened. Even those who seemed to stand firmly on the path of righteousness experienced fear. This is understandable: righteousness is not naturally characteristic of the human person. It is not a property or quality of fallen humanity; it is only a state in which one can abide, but which is easy to lose. In essence, a fallen person is righteous in spite of his nature. And in any case he has to oppose the evil and sin that he carries within himself. This means that fears too can find a place in the life of a righteous person. Until human nature is transformed fully and to the end, they cannot be finally removed.

One can only make sure that they do not determine the course of spiritual life and of life in general. But with the coming of Christ the situation changed: with Him the Kingdom entered the world. And this means the possibility of that very full and final transformation of human nature. And accordingly, deliverance from all fears connected with the fall, including the fear of death and the fear of what people consider supernatural, the two main fears of modern humanity. In the Kingdom there are no fears, and Jesus calls His disciples precisely there. After Himself.