This is the first time peace has been mentioned in the book of John, but it is a natural result of the presence of the Holy Spirit within the believer, of which Jesus has just spoken.

Peace is what Christ is leaving His disciples. When greeting or departing, the common usage in the east was the term “shalom” which means peace (20:19,21,26; 2 John 1:3; 3 John 1:14), but here and in (John 16:33) Jesus is not using it as a formula of greeting or farewell. He uses it in the sense of spiritual peace which only He can give (Col 3:15, 2 Thes 3:16). This was one of the reasons He came (Luke 2:14) and one of His titles is Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

John 20:19  On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

John 20:21  Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

John 20:26  A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

2 John 1:3  Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

3 John 1:14  I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.

John 16:33  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Colossians 3:15  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

2 Thessalonians 3:16  Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Luke 2:14  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”

Isaiah 9:6  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

“Peace” to the world means the absence of trouble or conflict. When the world uses it in a greeting, it expresses a hope. Barclay says that, “The peace which the world offers us is the peace of escape, the peace which comes from the avoidance of trouble and from the refusal to face things. The peace which Jesus offers us is the peace of conquest. No experience of life can ever take it from us and no sorrow, no danger, no suffering can ever make it less. It is independent of outward circumstances.”

McGarvey goes on to say, “The breadth of the legacy also to be noted: 1. The quality of it; it was not the absolute unshaken peace of God, but the peace which Jesus himself possessed while upon the earth—peace with all things save the devil and his powers. 2. The nature of it; it was not peace from without, but from within. It was not such as promised to pacify and quell the persecutors, but a promise of inner calm amidst the storm. 3. The manner of it; it was no stinted, measured store such as the world bestows, but a full, free gift from the overflowing bounty of God.”

The peace of Jesus is peace with God (Rom 5:1), peace with our fellow man (Eph 2:14-15), peace with ourselves (Rom 8:1-2, Heb 9:14), and peace with our circumstances. The peace He gives enables us to not “let” our hearts be troubled and to not be afraid. It is a peace that says, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) If we throw ourselves against the prison bars in an effort to escape, all we will accomplish is to bruise and beat our bodies into a bloody pulp. It is only by resisting the bars that we get injured. If we don’t care that we are in prison, then we won’t hurt ourselves. The way we can do this is by turning everything over to God and trusting Him for the results, even if they don’t turn out the way we would like (Php 4:6-7). Jesus gives us His peace so we don’t have to let our hearts be troubled and we don’t have to be afraid anymore.

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

Ephesians 2:14-15  For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,  by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,

Romans 8:1-2  Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,  because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Hebrews 9:14  How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Philippians 4:6-7  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.