John 14:1
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
On the night before His crucifixion, having foretold His departure and Peter's denial, Jesus turns to comfort His fearful disciples, beginning a long discourse of reassurance and promise.
What Does John 14:1 Mean?
Jesus is urging His disciples not to let their hearts be overwhelmed with fear, but to anchor themselves in trust toward both God and Himself. These words open one of the most tender passages in all of Scripture. The disciples have just heard troubling news -- Jesus is going away, one of them will betray Him, and Peter will deny Him. Their world is about to come apart. Into that rising anxiety Jesus speaks calm and steady direction: do not let your heart be troubled.
The cure He prescribes is faith. "Ye believe in God, believe also in me" places trust in Jesus on the same level as trust in God, an extraordinary claim that reveals who He is. He does not merely tell them to feel better; He gives them a firm object for their confidence. When the storm comes, the answer is not to summon up inner strength but to fix their trust on the One who holds the future. The command "let not your heart be troubled" acknowledges that fear is real and pressing, yet insists that it need not rule. Faith is a choice the troubled heart can make. Spoken on the night before the cross, these words speak to everyone whose heart is shaken: peace is found not by understanding everything, but by trusting the One who does.
In the Original Language
The Greek "tarassestho" (ταρασσέσθω), from "tarasso," means to be agitated, stirred up, or thrown into confusion, and "pisteuete" (πιστεύετε) means believe or trust -- the steadying remedy Jesus prescribes.
Cross References
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
- John 14:27
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
- Philippians 4:6
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”
- Psalm 56:3
Application
When fear presses in, make the deliberate choice to fix your trust on God and on Christ, who holds the future you cannot see.