For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:19-20)
When I was a kid, growing up in a Lutheran church with all it's liturgy, my favorite part of the service was the benediction:
May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
I didn't know what countenance meant, but I do remember thinking those were the most beautiful words, “may the Lord make His face to shine upon you . . . and give you peace.” It always made me smile!
Granted, I had no idea what that peace really meant, and it wasn't until this Easter, my first as a “born again” Christian, when I truly understood what it meant for my Lord to "give me peace." In fact, even though I am no longer a practicing Lutheran, I went to a Lutheran service on Easter just to hear those words again. This go around it was awesome!
Let's consider the peace of the risen Christ. What were the first words Jesus spoke to the disciples? “Peace be with you!” In fact, those were the second words as well. And when he showed up the first time Thomas was present, his first words to our doubting friend were also “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19-27).
While some skeptics might say, “That was a common greeting among Jews of that time” and not give it much significance, but they are wrong. The greeting was intentional and had significant meaning. For there was really never any peace until Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.
What do I mean? Jesus' death broke down the barrier between us and God (Matthew 27:51). Through Jesus' shed blood, we were given the ability to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:14). We were justified through Christ's blood (Romans 5:9), reconciled to our Father (Romans 5:10), and set free from the punishment of sin, which was death (Romans 6:23). Only now can we have true peace over the thing that scares us the most, death (1 Corinthians 15:26).
Friends, today, I want you to to know Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection has saved you. It has brought with it a peace—those who have yet to know and receive the Lord can't comprehend or understand. Today, you are blessed to walk in the resurrection peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Radiate that peace, share it with a friend, a co-worker, or a member of your family who has yet to experience it. It wasn't a gift to be horded but to be shared!!
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
Michelle S. Raue
A Closer Walk With God
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