What does it mean to let not your heart be troubled in John 14:1?

Answer

In John 14:1, Jesus tells His disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled” (ESV). As always, the meaning of any particular passage of Scripture can only be ascertained by understanding the context. So we will back up and take a look at what leads up to Jesus’ command to “let not your heart be troubled.”

In John 12, Jesus tells the crowds (including the disciples) that He would be crucified. In John 13, in the intimate setting of a Passover meal, the meal that later became known as “the Last Supper,” Jesus tells His disciples that one of them would betray Him. He then goes on to tell Peter that he will deny and disown the Lord. Obviously, all of this was upsetting news to the disciples.

After the Last Supper, before He is arrested, Jesus assures His disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me” « Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. », (John 14:1). The information that He goes on to communicate, about heaven and about the Holy Spirit, is the antidote to the disturbing information that they have taken in.

When Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled,” He was comforting His disciples, who definitely had troubled hearts. Jesus promises them that His death will not be the end, and Peter’s denial will not be the end for Peter, either. He explains that His death and subsequent ascension into heaven, rather than leaving them destitute, will bring about two specific blessings: it will enable Him to prepare a place for them, and it will allow Him to send the Holy Spirit to comfort them.

When Jesus said He was going to “prepare a place” for the disciples, He was speaking of His death «And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. », (John 14:3).(John 14:3). We should not assume that Jesus has been “building heaven” for the past 2,000 years and that it is still “under construction.” Instead, His words indicate that His death prepared a place for us in the Father’s house, which is ready now.

To alleviate the disciples’ fears, Jesus also pledged that upon His departure from the earth, He would send the Holy Spirit to the disciples and all believers. In John chapters 15 and 16, Jesus discusses the disciples’ triumph over the world through the Spirit’s power. The book of Acts demonstrates the historical fulfillment of these assurances as believers, empowered by the Spirit, spread the gospel worldwide. The Spirit continues to work in all believers today.

The instruction “do not let your hearts be troubled” was specifically directed at the disciples facing Jesus’ imminent death. Although present-day believers are not in the same exact circumstances, the guidance remains relevant. We should not allow anxiety or worry about Jesus’ care and plan for us to trouble our hearts.

During times of trouble, we might believe that if Jesus were physically present with us, standing by our side for face-to-face conversations, we could overcome the trial. There is a temptation to think that we could trust Him more if He were visible and in the flesh. When such thoughts arise, we must find comfort in two crucial truths: Jesus has completed everything necessary for us to be welcomed into the Father’s house, making us children of the King; and the Holy Spirit resides within us to assist us if we submit to His guidance. By relying on the salvation provided by Jesus and depending on the Holy Spirit to navigate the perilous world, we can prevent our hearts from being troubled.