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This week’s Abide comes from the passage in the Our Daily Bread devotional for April 15th which is John 14:1-7.

The phrases “don’t worry” or “no worries” are phrases we often hear or say. But unless you know the context, they could mean anything. Maybe your friend has lost their favourite pair of sunnies. “Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll turn up somewhere” you say. Or you’re late for a meeting with your manager and you text them. “No worries” is their reply.

Or maybe you’re at a hospital appointment, worried about the results of the tests, and the doctor turns to you with a reassuring smile “Don’t worry, it’s nothing. Just a small thing we can deal with, don’t worry, you’ll be fine”.

It’s the idea of context that we’re paying attention to today. In John 14 we’ll hear Jesus effectively saying “don’t worry” to his closest friends but Jesus’ words aren’t a casual remark like we might hear in some contexts, but are in fact words of abiding peace given to deeply troubled, deeply worried hearts..

They appear in John chapters 13-17 which is a distinct section in John’s Gospel that’s often called the Farewell Discourse because it’s effectively Jesus’ long goodbye to His disciples– but Farewell Discourse doesn’t really capture the drama of these chapters.

Because back in John 13:1 John sets the scene for this section. He writes that Jesus knows that the hour has come for Him to depart from this world and go to His Father. And this isn’t a departure through an airport departure lounge —this is a walk up a hill to his death.

And before He even gets to the cross, He knows that His closest friends will betray Him—Judas sells Him off, Peter denies Him, and the rest scarper—and on top of that, He’ll also face the mockery and beatings of His trial. And He knows that’s all about to happen.

So the context means that when we read Jesus’ words in chapters 13 to 17, we’re not reading a pleasant, light hearted farewell, these are the words of a man hours from His death. If you’ve ever spent time with someone in the last hours of their life, you’ll know that they don’t tend to mess with their words.

So in the context of that impending death, just look at what Jesus does. In John 13:1 John writes that Jesus, “having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to the end”. Hours away from those nails piercing His hands, Jesus looks to the needs of His closest friends.

What a kind saviour He is!

Then we reach our passage in John 14. In verse 1 Jesus says: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me”.

Jesus was facing His own context of the cross, but the disciples were also facing their own troubling context too. Judging by what Jesus says and what the disciples do next, we can tell that they are troubled, scared, perplexed, panicked, anxious. And they should be, shouldn’t they?

Jesus has told them he’s leaving and He’s also told them that in the process, they will disown Him. Their whole world is caving in.

Put yourself in their shoes. Put yourself in their context.

The friend you’ve walked dusty paths with for 3 years, the friend you’ve spent evenings around a camp fire talking with, the friend you love is leaving. Most of us probably know what it feels like to lose a loved one. This is what the disciples can see happening before their very eyes.

It’s in that context, that Jesus says “do not let your hearts be troubled”. Jesus takes time to give them reasons to not worry. He talks of the home they are promised in the future (John 14:2-3). He talks of the presence of God that will stay with them by the Spirit (John 14:16-17). Jesus doesn’t just say “don’t worry” and then leave them to it. He gives them reasons why they can hope.

But for now, I’d like us to ponder this scene again. Imagine the cross that Jesus is facing. Imagine the disciples fearing for what will come next without Jesus. It’s that context which transforms Jesus’ “don’t worry” from being trite, perhaps meaningless words, to being powerful, transformative, hope-filled words.

I wonder what context you are facing today? Into it, Jesus says “let not your hearts be troubled”. 

Why not take a moment to read these words of reassurance. Reflect on what they meant to those disciples, and reflect on what they mean to you today. And thank Jesus that even in that terrible context that He was in, He continued to love His disciples and us, to the very end… and even beyond. What a saviour we have and what words of comfort He brings.

I hope this has helped us see what paying attention to context can do as we engage with a Bible passage. It isn’t just about the context of the passage within the Bible but also the original context, the situation in which the words were said. Paying attention to that can make these words even more meaningful.

Why not try this for yourself this week? Take another passage in John’s Gospel and try and unpack the context of that passage. Look for clues in surrounding verses. Think about what Jesus words or actions would have meant to those first people in their own context. And see what the Lord teaches you this week.