I put the finishing touches on a snack arrangement and wiped down the counter. Why was I so nervous? Today I invited a potential new friend, a seemingly wonderful Christian lady I had met at a prayer meeting, over. I should be excited, but I was apprehensive.
I suspected my discomfort stemmed from how many things had changed in my life recently. My husband and I had left much of what we had known for decades. We retired from our jobs, moved to a different home, a new neighborhood, an unfamiliar town, and a different state. We started attending a new church, traveling unfamiliar roads, shopping at different stores, and trying to settle into a new routine.
With all the purging, packing, planning, unpacking, and placing of our possessions, my mind was overactive, and my body was exhausted. As I looked around at everything I had hoped to organize before I started being hospitable, concerns about the unknown entered my mind. Would inviting someone into my home be too soon in a relationship? What if there was some serious underlying issue with this house that we had overlooked? What if I accidentally donated something I desperately need?
But before I could begin hyperventilating, a still, small voice spoke to my spirit, “You’re in an unfamiliar place with an unknown future, but you’re with the same, known Jesus.” Instantly, my mind was refocused on the preciousness of a personal, intimate relationship with the Lord. My location and circumstances may have changed, but my position in Christ did not.
Jesus is the “same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), and He “will never leave [me] nor forsake [me]” (Hebrews 23:5). He has “determined [my] preappointed times and the boundaries of [my] dwellings” (Acts 17:26). I am “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that [I] should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
It may feel like everything is in chaos, but feelings often don’t reflect the truth. God is in control; He knows exactly what the future holds. Truthfully, the ground under my feet is not shifting sand; it is solid rock.
There was a time when Jesus’ closest disciples must have felt like everything around them was spinning out of control. As they reclined around a table, eating what would become their last supper together, Jesus spoke about leaving them. He talked about His suffering and death. He told them one of them would betray Him, and all of them would deny or forsake Him.
As the disciples reacted with bewilderment, Jesus gave them this encouragement:
“‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’” (John 14:27).
What the Gift of Peace is Not
What kind of peace was Jesus talking about? Is it found in desirable possessions, perfect health, or freedom from stress? Can you achieve it with a bursting bank account, a spa trip, or a vacation to an island paradise? Is it found in purposeful employment, time and money to do what matters most, or maybe in picturesque sunsets? No to all of that. Though those gifts are some of the best the world offers, they come with no guarantee of lasting security or satisfaction. Jesus’ peace is far better; it both satisfies and sustains.
So, did Jesus guarantee His followers more important things like relational harmony, religious acceptance, or national tranquility? No, not those either.
Jesus’ primary purpose wasn’t to bring peace among family members. He declared:
“‘I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law”;and “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.”He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:35-37).
Jesus didn’t promise faith in Him would be popular either. In fact, He taught that His followers would face inevitable persecution and hatred for His name’s sake.
“‘If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me’” (John 15:18-21).
What about world peace? Isn’t that what the angels meant when they declared at Jesus’ birth, “‘on earth, peace, goodwill to men’” (Luke 2:14)? Not according to Jesus. He dispelled that perception with:
“‘I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! … Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division’” (Luke 12:49 & 51).
What the Gift of Peace is
So, if not health, happiness, or prosperity, if not tranquility, harmony, or safety, what kind of peace does Jesus bestow? What does He make available that is so unlike and so much better than what the world can give? As the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), Jesus provides peace through His indwelling presence by the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ peace is the gift of Himself!
In the same discussion around the dinner table, Jesus encouraged His disciples with:
“‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me, you may have peace. In this world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’” (John 16:33, emphasis added).
Throughout the Last Supper’s discussion, Jesus introduced His disciples to the Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Spirit of Truth, who would secure their places in Him. Following Jesus’ departure, the Father would send the Helper (John 14:26), Jesus promised. Jesus comforted His disciples that the Spirit of Truth would never leave them, that they could know Him personally, and that He would dwell in them (John 14:17).
Jesus assured His followers that the Helper would teach and remind them of what He had said (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit would help them obey God’s commandments (John 15:10), be effective and bear fruit in their ministries, and assure answered prayer (John 15:4-7). The Spirit of Truth would help them testify about Christ (John 15:27), guide them in all truth, and help them glorify Jesus (John 16:13-15). Plus, the Holy Spirit would go before them to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8).
Jesus even claimed that His indwelling presence through the Holy Spirit was better than His actual, physical presence among His disciples.
“‘I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you’” (John 16:7).
The peace the Father sent, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, when Jesus returned to Heaven, was God’s eternal purpose in redeeming humanity (Ephesians 1:4, 2 Timothy 1:9). Christ’s Spirit in Believers, giving them righteousness and the ability to please God (2 Corinthians 5:21), is the essence of the gospel of peace (Romans 10:15). The Blue Letter Bible, in defining the word Jesus used for peace, explains it as:
“The tranquil state of the soul assured of its salvation through Christ and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort it is.”1
Jesus’ peace doesn’t keep Believers from trials, but it carries them through difficulty. It doesn’t protect them from tribulation, but it brings abundant fruit out of their suffering. It doesn’t remove all their cares, but it keeps His followers from being overwhelmed by them.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
What Else is Included in the Gift of Peace?
The Word of God says much about Jesus’ gift of peace. It rests on those who are worthy (Matthew 10:13, Luke 10:5-6, Philippians 4:9, 2 Peter 3:14). Believing faith grants access to the gift of peace (Mark 5:34, Luke 7:50 & 8:48, Romans 5:1 & 15:13). The comfort that comes from this peace flows out of respect and love for the Lord (Acts 9:31). Christ’s peace brings spiritual victory (Romans 16:20), unity (Ephesians 2:14-15, Colossians 3:15), and sanctification and preservation (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
What Should Our Response Be?
How do we receive Jesus’ gift of peace? God hides peace from those who reject Jesus (Luke 19:42), so we should embrace Him by faith and accept His gift. Christ’s peace includes everything we need for this age and eternity (2 Peter 1:3). We would be foolish to leave this gift unopened.
What should we do with the gift of peace once we have it? Because Jesus’ peace is far more powerful and extensive than anything the world offers, accepting it should give us the power to refuse to fear. Even amid the unfamiliar and the unknown, even through trials and tribulations, even during worst-case scenarios, because of Christ’s gift of peace, we can choose to be fearless. If this choice were not possible, would Jesus, after offering His peace, command:
“‘Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’” (John 14:27b)?
A troubled pool cannot reflect an image. We were created to glorify God and demonstrate His likeness. We cannot fulfill our calling if, amid difficulty, we submit to fear. The world is full of people who don’t know Jesus’ peace. They can’t help but act frantically, panicked, and completely disorganized, without any clear plan or purpose. Imagine the impact we could make if, because of the peace we have in Christ, we reacted differently than the world. Jesus’ gift of peace shouldn’t be hoarded; it should be liberally shared with all in need.
Considering the peace I have been given in Christ, I don’t know why I was so nervous about inviting someone new over to my unfamiliar, unorganized house. I had a delightful time with an amazing lady. We chatted for hours about our families and our faith. We plan to meet again; next time, at her home, where we will do more than chat; we will pray together. I look forward to inviting Jesus and His peace into this new relationship and allowing that peace to flow through us to influence those around us.
Dear Reader, let’s fully embrace Jesus’ peace. We can be sure our days won’t be problem-free, but we can rest in our positions in Christ and rely on His promises. We can fearlessly move forward in His peace, even as unfamiliar circumstances arise and our days hold many unknowns. With the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we can see people, places, and problems like God sees them. And with His peace, we can walk in His will, whatever may come our way.