God’s command to us is that we would be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6). And nothing, of course, means nothing. This is a high bar. We all know what it is like to miss this particular mark. But that is no excuse for us missing it. Peace is what must replace worry. Peace is the fruit of the Spirit that involves all being well with your soul. But the very notion that peace is a fruit of the Spirit implies that you cannot simply go out and get it. Peace is something you must receive. It must be given to you.
After His resurrection, Jesus was with his disciples forty days. And the first thing He said when He showed Himself to them was, “Peace be unto you” (Luke 24:36). They responded with terror, afraid they had seen a spirit. But He asked them, “Why are you troubled? . . . Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 38-39). Peace flooded in at that point. Not only had they not seen a spirit. They had seen their likeness raised from the dead. A real man, dead and now raised to live forever, as they would be. While they were still in awe, He underscored their peace by asking, “Does anyone have some meat that I can eat?” Imagine their awe as they watched Him chew and swallow.
Peace comes from the resurrected Christ. You will find it nowhere else. Look to Him and believe His words when He says, “Peace be unto you.” You must see Him by faith, of course. As Isaiah says, “You will keep Him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you” (Isaiah 26:3). So stay your mind and heart on the embodied and risen Christ. He is your peace.
Jared Longshore – April 7, 2024
