Reflect: How do you feel when someone is going to give you a beautifully wrapped gift? Curious and excited to see what’s in the box? In this passage, Jesus tells us of an amazing gift He is leaving us. In the Message version of the Bible, verse 27 reads, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” In New Testament times the Pax Romana, the Roman peace, was won and maintained by force. When people of the world say, “Peace be with you,” it is an expression of hope and goodwill. When Jesus said He would give His peace to His disciples (and us), much more was involved. He is offering a peace of mind in the midst of trials and persecutions, a peace we experience because of the Holy Spirit living in us (Galatians 5:22).

As a Jesus follower, you have the Spirit of God alive and active in you. You can have this amazing gift of peace on a daily basis regardless of personal circumstances and trials. In Philippians 4:7, Paul tells us this peace is beyond our comprehension. So, this peace isn’t something you are cognitively going to figure out – no matter how high your IQ. This is a peace that surpasses all of your understanding. It is a miraculous type of peace even with a fantastic military presenceor all the money in the world. The type of peace Jesus offers is a deep inner peace that reaches down to the core of your soul.