“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  (John 14:27)

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Peace is not the world’s offering–

Discord, violence, war, sorrow.

The menu of choice

For those without Christ.

He left His peace with His disciples. He gave His peace to us through the sacrifice of His life. He endured Gethsemane, the cries to crucify Him, physical torture, the cross. His time was not one of peace at the end of His life on earth. Yet He said, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you.” Where did this peace come from that He could leave it with His disciples and with us?

“My peace.” He was distraught at Gethsemane as He prayed fervently to God, asking to be spared from what was to come—but still yielded to His Father’s will. “My peace.” Did He have it in the garden? Is it what carried Him through the trials, the torture, the anguish? From what source through all this turmoil?

A peace from within–

The Son in the Father,

The Father in the Son,

Transcending peace.

⁶Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.⁷ If you really know Me, you will know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” ⁸ Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” ⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you I do not speak on My own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work.¹¹ Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. (John 14:6-11)

Peace is God’s offering–

Love, purity, truth, hope.

The choice is ours to accept;

The choice is ours to decline.

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4: 4-9)

Jesus knew the Source of peace intimately. He had this peace to give and leave behind for His disciples and for all those who believe in Him, accept His Word, and obey His commands. When we do the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable according to His Will, we have the peace inside from God who will be with us regardless of what is happening around us.

Changing perspectives

From without to within,

Accepting the peace

Jesus bequeathed to us.

God with us is that peace. We can find it in no other source. If we try to seek it elsewhere and find what we think is peace on this earth, it will not last, nor will it sustain us. We will keep looking at the menu of worldly choices only to find the cost too great—discord, violence, war, sorrow. God offers peace that transcends from within as we direct our thoughts, our hearts, our actions toward Him to become more like our Father and our Savior Jesus—so He is within us.

PEACE IN CHRIST

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  (John 14:27)

(Sharon G. Tate blog 04/24/22) teacherforjesus.com  Meditations on God’s Word