John 14:27-31: Jesus’ Last Will and Tesament

Colossians 2:13–15 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Intro

We’ve all dreamed of coming into a rich inheritance.

Of finding out that you had this long lost uncle that no one seemed to know about but who left everything to you.

This great and untold fortune.

But that’s not how inheritances work.

We leave our inheritances to those we love.

They are our gift to those we leave behind in our death.

In our death we leave them with everything that was ours.

And while most of us can never hope to come into an inheritance from some rich uncle that would change everything… change your whole life and destiny… there is an inheritance that is richer than anything this world has to offer and one could change your eternal destiny.

An inheritance left behind by the One who laid His life down for you.

On the night before His crucifixion… on His death bed so to speak… Jesus wrote His last will and testament.

He promised His disciples and all who trust in Him all that He would leave them… all that He purchase for them… in His death.

A rich inheritance far greater than any jewels or wealth… an inheritance of peace with God and eternal life.

You’ve dreamed of some inheritance out there somewhere… well here there is an inheritance freely offered to you…

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

John 14:27… Jesus’ Last Will and Testament.

The great inheritance purchased for us in His death and resurrection.

The great inheritance that is yours by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

What has Christ purchased for you…

What has Christ… if you believe in Him… left for you as your inheritance… greater than any inheritance of this world… through His death and resurrection?

Keeping with the theme of Jesus’ last will and testament, we are going to have two points today covering John 14:27-31.

Number 1… To the Believer Jesus Leaves Peace with God

And Number 2… To the Believer Jesus Leaves Victory over the Devil.

Let’s start with point number 1…

I. To the Believer Jesus Leaves Peace with God

John 14:27–29 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.

On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus promised to His disciples peace.

He said let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Now on the front end, its amazing that Jesus considered or showed concern for their peace at all.

He was the one that was about to suffer.

He was the one that was about to die an excruciating death.

And yet… the gracious heart of the Savior was to think of Himself… to turn inward.

His heart was to lay down His life and love His disciples.

To promise them peace, as He Himself was leaving peace behind and walking into the valley of the shadow of death.

Jesus said Not as the world gives do I give to you.

The world gives temporary peace… one that is based on life and circumstances.

Its not a true an abiding peace.

At best its a hope of peace!

But what Jesus gives is a sure peace… a promise of peace…

A peace that abides and transcends all of our life and circumstances.

Peace

Well what is that peace?

Peace is not something that just means the absence of war.

To our western minds… when we think of peace we usually think of it in a negative sense… that there’s not bad things happening.

But in the Jewish mind peace was something so much more.

It was not just the absence of negative things but it was also all the positive blessings that peace brings.

In the Old Testament the word was shalom.

This idea of wholeness…

Total peace…

In the context of the Fall where mankind sinned against God and brought a curse on this world… shalom was rescue and redemption from the Fall.

All things right and all things new.

Its not just peace as being “unbothered” but peace as in green pastures and still waters (Psalm 23:1-2).

And specifically this idea of peace a right relationship and reconciliation with God.

This was one of the great promises, hopes, and blessings of the Old Testament.

The benediction of Numbers 6: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

Psalm 29:11 May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Problem of Sin

Because of sin, we are enemies of God (Romans 5:10).

We are under God’s wrath and condemnation.

The Bible says we were sons of disobedience… children of wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Our greatest and most fundamental problem is that we are at enmity with God and must be forgiven of all our sins.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

All men, outside of Christ, are under God’s wrath.

His anger and His hand is against them.

It doesn’t matter how moral they are… how earnest and sincere they are in religion… outside of Christ they are dead in their trespasses and sins and under the crushing weight of God’s judgment.

Under the crushing weight of the Law… God’s perfect, moral standard that demands perfect, universal, and perpetual obedience.

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them” (Galatians 3:10).

And James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

So if you’ve ever lied…

Ever had a lustful thought…

Was ever angry or hated your brother…

Ever stole or coveted what you can’t have…

Ever disobeyed your parents…

Spoken an evil word…

If you ever… in any of your thoughts… words… heart… or deeds… failed to love the Lord your God with all your heart mind, soul, and strength (Matthew 22:37).

Ever committed one single sin…

Then you are guilty and under the full weight of the Law.

And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

There is no peace with God… There is no life and no blessing…

God’s anger and His wrath burns against you… as John the Baptist said the axe is laid at the root of the tree (Matthew 3:10).

The Answer of Christ

But in Christ we can have peace.

Jesus said Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

It is a peace only Christ can give.

We are under a curse… but Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.”

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law… death… and the wrath and condemnation of God… by dying in our place for our sins.

He fulfilled the Law on our behalf and paid the penalty of the Law our sins deserved.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24).

Isaiah 53:5–6 He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

We are reconciled to God by the blood of Christ on the cross (Colossians 1:21).

That’s verse 28… Jesus said You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’

That’s cross and resurrection.

Going away to the Father and coming to you… living again.

If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

Greater than I?

Now before we go on, we need to answer the question what Jesus does mean when He says for the Father is greater than I.

This is a favorite verse of cults and heretics like Mormons and Jehovah’s Witness and Mormons.

They’ll point to this verse and say, “See! Jesus is not God.”

He says right here He is not as great as God the Father.

So Jesus is the Son of God… He is God… but He’s not equal with God. He is a lesser, created being.

Now what are we to make of that?

Well first off, what Jesus says here does not contradict everything else that’s already been said in the book of John.

Going back all the way to the beginning John 1:1–3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The Word was with God as in a distinct person from God…

And the Word was God as in God Himself.

We believe God is Trinity… One God. Three Divine Persons… Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all coequally, coeternally God.

John goes on to say… He was in the beginning with God.

In the beginning as in before the creation of the world.

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Now If all things were made through Him and if Christ Himself was a made thing… then that would mean Christ would have had to have existed before He Himself was ever created.

Its an impossible paradox.

You can’t have all things made through Christ if Christ Himself is one of those things.

If all things were made through Him then Jesus Himself is not a created being.

He is eternal God and where they would say Jesus is eternal God in that He “always will be,” we would say Jesus is eternal God in that “He always will be and He always has been.”

Jesus is not a created being but was in the beginning with God.

Begotten?

And then they’ll point to things like John 3:16 and say that He is God’s only begotten Son… when we beget children we bring them into creation… so it is with God the Father.

But in John 3:16 Jesus being the only begotten Son, refers Jesus being the only Beloved Son highlighting the love of the Father and the precious gift of giving His Son.

The Old Testament background is to Abraham and Isaac where God tested Abraham and commanded Him to sacrifice Isaac saying Take your son, your only son, the son whom you love and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a sacrifice on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you (Genesis 22:2).

Now Isaac was not Abraham’s only son… He had Ishmael.

So the issue is Isaac as Abraham’s only begotten, unique, one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable beloved Son.

So it is with Jesus… God’s only beloved Son.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten/beloved Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

And there’s more.

He takes the Divine Name upon Himself saying Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am (John 8:58).

In John 5:16-18 the Jews were seeking to kill Him because Jesus was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

That’s what John says.

And if that’s not what Jesus was saying then either one of those times would have been the perfect opportunity to clear it up because the Jews had picked up stone to stone Him.

In John 10:30 He said I and the Father are one.

And those are just a few of the more explicit examples.

Economy of Redemption

But that still doesn’t answer the question… then what did Jesus mean?

How are we to understand Jesus’ words for the Father is greater than I and all the verses about Jesus obeying the Father’s will like in our passage verse 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me.

The answer is not to say that Jesus is not God or not equal to God.

Jesus is not saying He is lesser than the Father in terms of His essence or divinity but in His work and role as our Mediator in the Economy of Redemption.

The Father Authored our Salvation and sent the Son.

The Son Accomplished our salvation and voluntarily offered His life as a sacrifice in obedience to the Father’s will.

As John said John 1:14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Paul says He emptied Himself… not that He ever ceased to be God or emptied Himself of divinity… but that He humbled Himself… nullified Himself… made Himself nothing… of no account or reputation (Philippians 2:6-11).

He laid aside His divine glory in all of His splendid magnificence and took upon Himself human flesh.

The eternal Son of God became a man to die in our place for our sins as the Perfect Adam who fulfilled the Law on our behalf and who offered His life as a sacrifice for our sins as a man to pay our debt of sin and satisfy the wrath of God.

Rejoice

That’s why… going back to our passage… Jesus said If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father.

The flow of the argument is that if the disciples truly loved Jesus they would have rejoiced that He was going back to the Father to share in His divine, undiminished glory.

Going back to where He belonged to share in the glory that He had with the Father before the foundation of the world that at the moment was veiled in Christ’s human flesh

This is what Jesus prayed in John 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

And far from causing them pain or sorrow… Jesus returning to the Father should have caused the disciples to have rejoice greatly because in going to the God the Father… through the road of the cross… Jesus was going to secure their eternal redemption.

The Bible says when Jesus ascended to Heaven and returned to the glory of the Father, He sat down at the right hand of the Father until His enemies should be made a footstool under His feet as the King of kings, Lord of lords and Name that is exalted above every other name (Acts 2:34; 1 Corinthians 15:25, Phil 2:9-10).

But in sitting down at the right hand of the Father, Jesus did not just sit down as our King… He sat down as our Great High Priest.

Look at…

Hebrews 10:11–14 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. [Talking about the animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant]. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Christ sat down after completing His once for all perfect sacrifice for our atonement…

He sat down because there was no more work to be done.

It is finished… He has satisfied once for all the wrath of God against our sins (John 19:30).

And now we have peace with God through His blood on the cross… a once for all single offering given to us as our inheritance (Colossians 1:20-22).

If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father… I’m going to satisfy the wrath of God and reconcile you to Him once and for all… that where I am… in the presence and glory of the Father… you may be also (John 14:3).

Getting into the Will

Well how do you receive this inheritance… this forgiveness of sins and peace with God?

How do you get into the will?

By grace… through faith… in Christ.

John 14:29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.

Believe what?

That I am He… The Messiah and the Son of God and by believing have life in His name (John 13:19, 20:31).

Notice the emphasis Jesus gives in verse 27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.

The emphasis is on this peace as a gift.

Its a free gift of God’s grace to all who believe in Jesus.

Believe in Jesus… put all of your faith… all of your hope… all of your trust in Him… and you will be saved.

There is no other way to have peace with God and be forgiven of all your sins.

Its a peace only Christ can give.

My peace I give to you.

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus… the Word of God made flesh (1 Timothy 2:5).

As John said in John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Why?

Because the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

Through His death, Jesus Leaves peace and reconciliation with God to all who believe in Him.

Number 2..

II. To the Believer Jesus Leaves Victory over the Devil

John 14:30-31 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

I love this verse.

This is the Warrior-King Jesus riding out to meet Goliath.

Unafraid… unconquered… full of faith going to cut off the head of the one who has the power of death (Hebrews 2:14).

Jesus said I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming.

The ruler of this world is Satan.

The Great Enemy… the Serpent who tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden.

God of this World?

Now we want to be clear what we mean when we say that Satan is the ruler of this world because we don’t want to accidentally end up as functional Satanists.

When we say Satan is the ruler of this world, we are not saying that He is the Sovereign of this world who owns the world and rules the world down here.

That’s God and Satan is not God and Satan is in no way equal to God.

But doesn’t the Bible says Satan is the god of this world? (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Yes… but we are not talking about the world as in this created cosmos.

That’s Jesus.

Jesus said All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Matthew 28:18).

And Isaiah said Heaven is His throne, and the earth is [His] footstool (Isaiah 66:1).

According to the Bible… Christ and Christ alone is the God of this world.

When we talk about Satan being the god or ruler of this world… we are talking about this world as in fallen, sinful humanity in rebellion against God.

Ephesians 2:1–3 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked following the course of this world, [There’s our key] following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience… That’s Satan.

Satan is the ruler of this world in that He is the god of unbelievers in all their sin and rebellion against God.

That’s why Jesus said of unbelievers to the unbelieving Jews , you are of your father the devil and your will is to do your father’s desires (John 8:44).

Everyone outside of Christ is a slave of sin under Satan’s dominion and control…

Paul says we have been caught in the snare of the devil and captured by him to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26).

We are slaves of sin and prisoners of the Devil.

We made Satan the god of this world… we put him on the throne when we gave him the throne of our unbelieving hearts and followed him in sin and rebellion against the Lord.

And now, because of sin and in our sin we were all under his yoke and slavery as children of the Devil cut out of God’s inheritance of eternal life and doomed to inherit the Devil’s own cursed inheritance of eternal death and condemnation.

And now all that’s key because that’s going to come up here in a moment.

But for the moment… suffice it to say Satan is the ruler of this world… the god of unbelievers…

And Jesus is the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

And at that very moment, Satan was coming… the cross was looming closer…

in just a few short hours Jesus would be nailed to a cross and strung up to die in the hot desert sun.

Goliath was coming, but the war was never in doubt.

Jesus said the ruler of this world is coming, but He has no claim on me.

No Claim

On the surface, this verse might not seem like much, but this is why we are saved.

Satan had no claim on Christ because Christ had no sin of His own by which Satan could accuse Him.

He was the sinless one.

Jesus said I do as the Father has commanded me.

Therefore Satan had no power, claim, or authority over Him as He does with every one of us.

With every sinner… Satan can point and say, “That one deserves death” (Revelation 12:10).

But not with Christ.

Jesus had no sin of His own for which to die for which is why He was able to offer His life as a pure and spotless sacrifice on our behalf (1 Peter 1:19).

He Obeyed

Where Adam failed to obey in the Garden Christ was obedient to the point of death (Philippians 2:6-11).

He obeyed in the wilderness where the devil tempted Him for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-11).

He obeyed in Gethsemane saying Not my will but yours be done (Luke 22:42).

And He obeyed on Golgotha, the Place of the Skull.

He perfectly and to the very end obeyed God even to the point of death and shedding His own blood (Hebrews 12:4).

But I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father (John 14:31).

Where Satan thought the cross would be his greatest victory it was actually his ultimate defeat.

All the way back in Genesis 3:15 right after the Fall, God cursed the serpent and gave the first promise of the gospel.

God said I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; [That’s Christ] he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

That’s the cross.

Rise

And Jesus didn’t shrink back. He didn’t cower in fear. He said Rise, let us go from here.

Now you’ll notice they don’t leave, and they don’t appear to leave until John 18:1.

And some have suggested it just took them a little bit of time like when you say lets go and it takes a little bit to get out the door.

Or maybe the rest of the Upper Room discourse happened on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane.

But there is another possibility, and I’m not dogmatic about it… but let us go from here was also used as a military term.

As in Let’s go boys! Up and at ‘em.

It was used to talk about troops riding out to meet the enemy (Ferguson, Lessons from the Upper Room, 103-104).

And so Jesus faced that cross courageously.

He rode out to meet the enemy and stare Him straight in the eye.

All that agony… all that suffering… all that death… all to save us out of His great love for us.

This shows the courage and glory of Christ our Savior.

When we were lost… dead… powerless to save ourselves, Christ came to rescue us.

He ran headlong into the teeth of the Enemy at the cost of His own life.

Bound

On the cross…Satan bruised His heel… Christ suffered and died… but Jesus bruised His head.

Jesus crushed the head of the Serpent… He bruised His heel stomping it flat.

At the cross… because Satan had no claim on Jesus, Jesus triumphed over Satan and delivered us from Him.

In John 12, Jesus said Now… the hour of His death and crucifixion…

Now is the judgment of this world…Fallen, sinful humanity in rebellion against God…

Now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

At the cross the ruler of the world would be cast out and Christ would draw all men to Himself… Christ would save all His people (John 12:27-31).

In the Greek is the idea that the ruler of this world will be cast out outside.

Its a total, decisive, and utter defeat.

Its a great Salvation where Goliath is slain…

Pharaoh is drowned and all of God’s people are delivered from the Kingdom of Darkness and transferred to the Kingdom of God’s marvelous light (Colossians 1:13; 1 Peter 2:9).

In the very next chapter Jesus will say the ruler of this world is judged (John 16:11).

Post-cross, the rest of the Bible describes Him as bound (Matthew 12:29).

Destroyed or rendered powerless (Hebrews 2:14-15).

Disarmed, conquered, and put to open shame (Colossians 2:15).

On the cross Jesus crushed the head of the Serpent and delivered us once for all from Him.

He completely paid for our sins and delivered us from all His accusations.

By His death Jesus triumphed over Satan and delivered us once and for all from the Evil One.

Rendered Powerless

And that’s the inheritance we have in Christ.

Jesus said Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

By His death Jesus gives us the fullness of peace with God in the full forgiveness of our sins and a forever peace with God in the full forgiveness of our sins and victory over the Devil.

Jesus said He has no claim on me.

And if that’s true for Christ, that’s now true for everyone in Christ.

If you are in Christ, Satan has no claim on you.

There is no sin by which Satan can accuse you off.

All your sin has been removed as far from you as east is from the west and There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Psalm 103:12, Romans 8:1).

For our last passage for today, look at…

Hebrews 2:14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.

The word destroy is better translated as rendered powerless… brought to nothing… conquered and made ineffective.

This is what Christ did through His death that through death… that is His death on the cross, He might render powerless the one who has the power of death, that is the devil.

Now how is it that Satan had the power of death.

It is 1 Samuel 2:6 The Lord [who] kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

Well Satan had the power of death by accusing us according to the curse of the Law.

In other words, he had a true accusation against us that according to God’s own holy and righteous character… demanded our death.

But not in Christ!

All our sin was laid on Him and now there is no more sin left for the Accuser to accuse us of.

There is no sin or accusation that the Devil can ever make stick.

You are united to Christ and just as Satan had no claim on Him… Satan has no claim on you because all of your sins… every single one… was nailed to the cross.

In Christ we have peace with God and victory over the Devil…

The full forgiveness of sin and and eternal forgiveness of sins delivered once and for all from the Devil and all His accusations.

Conclusion

To the Believer Jesus gives all who trust in Him peace with God and victory over the Devil.

Through his death we have peace and reconciliation with God and freedom from the Devil and all His accusations.

Hours before the cross, this was Jesus’ last will and testament.

The question is… Are you in the will?

Are you an heir of the inheritance that Christ has left for you?

That Christ has purchased for you with His death.

Only heirs will receive the inheritance.

And just as we don’t leave our inheritance to random strangers God leaves His inheritance to His children and members of His own family.

You must be born again born from above by grace through faith in Jesus Christ(John 3:3).

John 1:12–13 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood… that is not of family or physical descent…

nor of the will of the flesh… that’s human effort.

nor of the will of man, but of God.

Believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

You’ll be united to Him and made an heir of His inheritance.

You can have a new Father… a Heavenly Father who loved you and gave His only Son as a sacrifice on your behalf.

But only if you believe!… Trust in Christ. Receive Him.

Cast all of your soul… all of your hope… all of your trust on Him.

Put all of your faith in Him and He will give you peace with God and victory over the devil with all his accusation by His grace as a gift.

Its an inheritance richer than anything this world has to offer.

And you cannot earn it but by the grace of God it is given to you freely.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you (John 14:27).