Jesus- Our Peace
Have you ever found yourself watching a comedy or feel-good movie just to try and make yourself feel better? Or maybe for you, going to the mall and shopping is a way to temporarily forget the stress of daily life? For years I decided to drown my misery in alcohol to numb the pain.
With the fast-paced lives that we live and the trauma we can experience, it’s no wonder why so many people on this planet are in search of peace. If you can relate to any of this, I’d like to encourage you with a scripture from the gospel of John. These words were spoken by Jesus to his closest disciples right before he was arrested and crucified.
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NKJV
Jesus is not shy about the fact that his followers will encounter difficulty in this life, but, interestingly, He says “In Me, you may have peace.” He didn’t say, “When you finally get married, you will find peace, or When you get your big promotion at work, you will have peace.” He didn’t even say, “When the storms of life pass, then you will experience peace.”
No, Jesus says, “In Me, you may have peace.” This word peace in the New Testament is synonymous with the Hebrew word shalom, which means complete, healthy, safe, and prosperous. Ironically, this kind of peace has less to do with what’s happening around you, and more to do with what happens inside of you as a follower of Jesus. When we give our allegiance to Him, we become one with His Spirit. This is what many Pentecostals refer to as a “New birth” experience.
When Jesus defeated the power of sin and darkness, He did it on our behalf. Jesus has overcome this world! Death, sin, and evil spiritual forces did their best to try and destroy the Son of Man, but Death and satan did not have the last word. This is why the apostle Paul referring back to the prophet Hosea, begins to taunt Death in his letter to the Corinthian church,
“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” I Corinthians 15:55 NKJV
When we fix our eyes on the resurrection of Jesus and His victory over the world and the grave, it gives us a higher perspective. If the worst thing that can happen to us is physical Death, and Death has already been defeated, then we have reason to celebrate. We are already victorious! Instead of being consumed by the problems around us, we can begin to meditate on the eternal realities given to us through our union with Jesus.
Just think, we have been born into the family of God! Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. God the Father has adopted us and placed His seal of approval on us. We have been redeemed from the power of darkness and brought into the glorious Kingdom of God. We have even been promised bodily resurrection!
So if you are having a tough day or even going through a difficult season in life, begin to declare out loud that Jesus is with you. Say, “Jesus is with me, and He is my peace. Because I have Him, I no longer have to search for peace. His victory was my victory. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. No matter what happens to me, I can rest in Him. I am bone of His bone. I am flesh of His flesh. We are one. Therefore I have peace right now!”