Week 3
Ephesians 2:14 “For He Himself is our peace.”
“Peace” is one of the rare jewels to be found in this fallen and degenerate world. Human history is a long continuous narrative of the absence of peace. War, hatred, tribal thinking, and anger all dominate the map of human history. We talk about peace, but we just cannot seem to experience it.
Political leaders regale us with promises of new programs and plans that will bring peace to society, psychologists plumb the depths of our humanity seeking answers for the absence of inner peace, and sociologists do surveys trying to understand why tribes of people do not seem to share peace together. Yes, peace is rare indeed, but everyone wants it!
But the Bible says that we lack peace within our souls and with each other because we lack peace with God. The root cause of peacelessness within the human psyche and the social fabric of society is this: We do not have peace with God! If we have no peace with God, then there is no peace anywhere, and the consequences of this are devastating! There can be no peace on earth until sinners are at peace with God.
However, there is a solution; the gospel points to Jesus Christ as the great Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is the Prince of Peace because Jesus is the One who brings us peace. But He does not simply bring peace to those who come to Him, but He IS peace! Our text makes this plain – He Himself IS OUR PEACE! In Him we find our peace with God; we are reconciled to God the Father through His shed blood on the cross for the atonement of our sins. The great result is that we are at peace with God, but the amazing truth is also that GOD IS AT PEACE WITH US! This is almost incomprehensible to the mind; God is reconciled to us because we are reconciled to God through Christ. Christ Jesus on the cross did the hard work of reconciling to God all those who have faith in Him (Colossians 1:20).
All through our lives, we must understand that our peace is measured always in its relationship to Jesus Christ. There can be no peace inside of us or between us until we look to Christ in faith and follow Him as His disciples. Today look to Christ as your peace; find in Him the sweet calm and assurance that you so desperately need. In a sea of turmoil, you can have peace in Jesus and through Jesus, for He is our peace!
Prayer: Dear Lord, calm the raging sea inside of me, please! Grant sweet solicitude and serenity, for my peace can only be found in you. Help me to look to You, to trust in You, and to rest my fears and my agitation upon You. Thank You for Jesus and the peace He gives. Amen!