When unexpected circumstances arise, and all that we once knew as constant ceases to be, Jesus has already met the thing head on. Moments before He instructs the disciples to not let their hearts be troubled, His very own spirit was troubled. Same word. Same meaning..."to trouble; to strike one's spirit with fear and dread". Same intensity.
We don't want to see Jesus as someone who experienced "fear and dread", but just because we don't want to, doesn't mean He didn't. The Master's plan called for sin, betrayal, and heartbreak. Something our finite human minds will never understand. But Jesus knew it, and was "troubled in His spirit", yet He walked it out anyway and even promised us peace. He...complete perfection...was about to be stricken, yet promised US peace. What?!?! Through malicious judgements from the world, and doubts from His very own. Thereafter He was able to exhort His people, "Peace I leave with you, MY peace I give to you...let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid...". Why? He tells us in the very last two verses, "...so that the world may know that I love the Father."
Sometimes "doing the hard" takes on a whole new meaning than we ever thought it would. When we're troubled and afraid, because we will be, let's remember His peace that He gives us. Not a trouble free peace, but a peace within the trouble.
“After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me...“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...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.” John 13:21; 14:27, 30-31
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