A Heart Wrapped in Peace

Peace - Week 2 - Sunday

“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

This group of followers had been with Jesus since He first called them out of their normal everyday lives to be disciples. They were men who had dedicated their entire lives to Jesus. He had loved them, cared for them, scolded them, and taught them. The fishermen had learned to fish for men. The tax collector had learned about giving. They had learned to trust Jesus, not just to teach them His principles, but often to meet their most basic daily needs. Now He is preparing them for their future. He is letting them know that He is leaving but that He is not leaving them alone. He has just told them that the Holy Spirit will be with them to guide them and now He tells them that He leaves them peace.

We tend to think of peace as the absence of conflict or a feeling of harmony or inner calm and certainly that is part of it. But in the days in which this was spoken by Jesus it conveyed a much deeper meaning. It is a blessing. Rather than the absence of something negative, it is the presence of something positive. It must have been valued for the greeting Shalom, or peace, is still prominent among the Jewish people. It has to do with a right relationship with God and the people He has placed in our lives. Yes, it is harmony and tranquility and calm, but it is also blessing. When Jesus said that He was leaving His peace with them, He was certainly not saying that He was leaving them with an absence of war or conflict or that their lives would be in a perpetual state of calm. Just a few moments later He tells them how the world will mistreat them and hate them for His sake. That doesn’t add up to much tranquility! He tells us in this verse, “No, no, don’t be confused….this is not the kind of peace that the world offers you…it is my peace. And while that may not mean peaceful situations, it does mean the quiet assurance that God knows what He is doing and I can trust Him. It is a quiet wrapped around your heart no matter what is happening in the world.

This Christmas, as things become busy and hectic and you are tempted to be overwhelmed by it all…”Let not your heart be troubled” because Jesus tells us we do not have to be afraid. His peace is available to us. His blessing is on us. We are not facing anything alone.

Family Activity

Together look in God’s word and find a verse that you can memorize that will help you remember God’s peace through all the things that happen during this season. Practice it this week until you know it and remind one another of that verse throughout the Christmas holiday craziness.