Peace

Peace (by David Peterson at The Rock Of Jesus Church)

In Jerusalem, after Christ was crucified, buried, and resurrected, His disciples were laying low in the Upper Room. John’s Gospel reports in 20:19 the following; “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” This is Jesus’ first appearance to these men since He was crucified. Jesus appears inside a locked room and He greets them with the Hebrew word for peace which is “shalom”. This greeting provides them with a supernatural calm and comfort during their tension-filled hiding.

Christian author, Jerry Bridges, wrote in his book, The Practice of Godliness; “Peace should be a hallmark of the godly person, first because it is a Godlike trait: God is called the God of peace several times in the New Testament. He took the initiative to establish peace with rebellious men, and He is the author of both personal peace as well as peace among men. Peace should be part of our character also because God has promised us His peace. He has commanded us to let peace rule in our lives and relationships, and peace is a fruit of the Spirit and therefore an evidence of His working in our lives.” Bridges calls us to embrace peace as a gift from God.

There is a great hymn, an African-American spiritual, called “I’ve Got Peace Like a River” that reflects the words that Jesus shared with His followers. The first stanza is as follows;

I've got peace like a river,

I've got peace like a river,

I've got peace like a river in my soul.

I've got peace like a river,

I've got peace like a river,

I've got peace like a river in my soul.

Listening to, and singing, these words seem to bring about the calm that Jesus intended!

Let us pray: Oh, Prince of Peace, Christ our Savior, bestow upon us an inner peace that surpasses all understanding, calms the storms in our lives, and fills us with the assurance of your presence. Amen.