In John 14, Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure. It is the night of the Last Supper, and Jesus knows His time to be crucified is near.
The disciples are confused and anxious. They have followed Him for three years, believing He was the Messiah, but now He’s talking about leaving them. How could this be part of God’s plan? Jesus spends this chapter comforting them and explaining how they can still experience His presence, even after He’s gone.
Let’s look at the key ways Jesus promises to remain with His disciples—and us—throughout John 14.
- Obedience to His Word Brings His Presence
Jesus tells His disciples in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
Love and obedience are tightly linked in this passage. He’s telling them that although He will no longer be physically with them, He will still reveal Himself through their obedience.
In John 14:21, Jesus says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
Christ’s manifestation to us doesn’t come from rituals or outward signs—it comes through loving obedience.
When we follow His commands, He makes Himself known to us in deeper, more personal ways. Obedience unlocks the experience of His love and presence. Just as the disciples were about to face trials, Jesus assured them that obedience to Him would keep them connected to His guidance and care.
2. The Holy Spirit as Our Helper
Knowing the disciples would be troubled by the idea of His physical absence, Jesus promises them the Holy Spirit, whom He calls “Comforter.”
In John 14:16-17, He says, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
The Holy Spirit becomes Jesus’ presence within each believer, helping us understand and remember His Word. He reassures the disciples that they will not be left alone as orphans, but that the Spirit will be with them always. The Spirit would be their teacher and guide, constantly pointing them back to Jesus.
For us today, this same Spirit still works in the lives of believers. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth, reminds us of the words of Jesus, and convicts us when we stray. Through the Spirit, Jesus manifests His presence in an intimate and personal way, ensuring we are never alone, just as He promised His
disciples.
3. Divine Peace in Troubled Times
Finally, Jesus promises peace—a peace unlike anything the world can offer. In John 14:27, He says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
This peace would carry the disciples through the darkest hours ahead, as Jesus would soon be arrested, tried, and crucified. Jesus knew they would have fear and despair, but He offered them peace that transcends their circumstances.
This peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of Christ in the midst of it.
Jesus doesn’t promise that we won’t have hardships, but He does promise that we can have peace in the storm. His peace calms the troubled heart and strengthens us to face what lies ahead, confident in His care and control.
For the believer today, this peace is available when life gets hard. It’s a peace that reminds us that Christ is with us, even when the world is shaking. This peace anchors us, because it’s grounded in the reality that Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).
In John 14, Jesus prepares His disciples for the time when He will no longer be physically with them. But He assures them—and us—that His presence will remain. He reveals Himself through our obedience to His Word, through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and through a divine peace that surpasses understanding.
Though we cannot see Jesus physically today, we can still experience His presence in powerful and personal ways. It all begins with following Him, trusting His Spirit, and resting in His peace. Just as He promised His disciples that He would not leave them comfortless, He promises us the same today.
