Jesus Gave You His Peace

Jesus has been seeking not only to inform His eleven disciples of what they need to know after He's left but also comfort them. In the process He has told them the Helper, One like Him who is called the Holy Spirit, is coming to them at His departure. It is here that He indicates how the New Testament Scripture is formed: the Holy Spirit will cause them to remember all that He has told them and will teach them all things. In a similar but different way the Holy Spirit causes us to remember God's promises and allows us to understand what the Word says.

Realizing the disciples are still troubled and fearful, Jesus tells them He leaves His peace with them. In Hebrew, peace or 'shalom' was a farewell greeting. The world uses 'shalom' as a parting salutation but Jesus gives real shalom. We lost shalom when Adam and Eve fell in the garden but now we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And that translates into peace that surpasses all understanding. It can confound the world that a Christian has peace in the midst of some of the worst trials the world has to offer. Why? Because we are no longer in disharmony with God. The God of all peace has given us eternal shalom. The disciples should honestly rejoice at His leave because Jesus goes back to the place where His Father is greater. Heaven is where He is greater as well, in full glory. And going home means Jesus will prepare a place for us there. The disciples did not see this in the moment. Jesus tells them as they are speaking, the ruler of this world, the devil himself is approaching. The adversary has nothing in Jesus and cannot make a single charge against the Lord for He is blameless.