Grace Community Church, Arlington, TX

God’s desire for each one of us is that we walk in peace.I want you to notice what Jesus said to His disciples right before going to the cross, and what He said to them right after rising from the dead

First, I want you to notice what Jesus said to His disciples right before going to the cross on Good Friday. He said this to them on the Thursday night before:

He wants His people to be free from anxiety and fear. And he knows that the only kind of heart-peace the world can give is peace of mind based on good circumstances. But Jesus says (middle of verse 27), “Not as the world gives do I give to you.” Which means that His peace is not based on good circumstances. It is given, and it holds sway, in spite of bad circumstances.

Here is how Jesus says it in

The peace that Jesus is talking about is from Him in Jn 14:27, and it is in Him in Jn 16:33.

And the peace that He is talking about makes no sense to the world. That is why Paul says in Philippians 4:7, “the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension.”

Your peace, Jesus? They are about to kill you. What kind of peace is that? Perfect peace — with my Father.

And now notice what Jesus says to His disciples right after the resurrection.

So, this is the evening of the Sunday that he rose from the dead. That morning Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene (John 20:1–18). But now he appears to all the disciples (the eleven apostles) at once. Notice three things: the doors are locked; the disciples are frightened; and Jesus comes to them and stands in their midst.

What does Jesus say to them? And He says it to them twice. “Peace be with you.”
Before Jesus says anything about power or purpose, He wants them to be at peace.This order here is really important. The peace that Jesus gives is before and underneath any of our empowered actions or any of our purposeful deeds.

You can’t walk in power and purpose if you don’t have peace.

He comes when we cry out to him in our fear. He helps us. He comes near with the promise:

We can have peace in Him and from Him. He is our peace, and He give us peace.

The apostle Paul explains it like this:

The peace that Jesus offers the disciples is peace that He accomplished when He died for them on the cross. That’s what Paul meant when he said, “Christ reconciled us both to God through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” All the hostility between God and us was absorbed on the cross.

How do you get that peace that Jesus enjoys with the Father? By Believing in Jesus. By Receiving from Jesus.

By believing in Jesus and Receiving from Jesus you can have peace four ways:

3. Peace between us and others who are in Christ. No racism. No classism. No sexism.

4. Peace between us and our own souls. The NT letter to the Hebrews says,

Peace with Jesus. Peace with God the Father. Peace with others in Christ. Peace with ourselves. All because of the death and resurrection of Christ.

And how do you receive this? This peace is in Him and is from Him.

He is our peace. As we draw close to Him in friendship and intimate communion, we experience peace. He not only has peace, He is our peace.

But He also gives us peace. Jesus comes to us and gives us His peace with God. Just as He did with the fearful disciples hiding behind locked doors.

Then he gives us power to do the kinds of things that mere humans can’t do. And then with that peace and that power he gives us our central purpose for existence: “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” That’s our great purpose — in the peace of God, by the power of God, to do the will of God for the glory of God, and for the good of others.

So, Jesus wants to give us His peace. How do we receive that peace. How do we think and believe in order to receive the peace that Jesus wants to give us? What does that look like?

When Jesus was about to go to the cross, what did Him having peace look like?

In other words, even though Jesus’ going to the cross involved the sins of Herod and Pilate and Gentiles and Jews, nevertheless it was God’s sending. They meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. God didn’t just bring good out of the evil and pain of the cross, He planned it for our good. God plans and purposes and works all things together for our good.

Jesus had peace while being arrested, and peace while being reviled, and peace while being pierced, and peace while asking for forgiveness for those who were crucifying Him.

How could He do that? He could do that because He trusted God the Father. He trusted that His Father was good, and wise, and loving, and in control.

If we are going to have His peace, then we too must trust that God is good, and wise, and loving, and in control—regardless of the circumstances. The Apostle Paul understood that when he wrote, Romans 8:28. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

That means that regardless of our circumstances, we believe that “all things,” even that terrible thing, that excruciatingly painful thing, that inexplicable thing, will turn out for your good. Knowing that, believing that, gives you peace now.

That is the kind of peace that Christ walked in and wants us to have. That is the kind of peace that the world cannot give us.

As Christians, if we are to walk in peace, then we must believe that, sooner or later, the sorrows and pains and disappointments and losses will work together for our good.

God’s Word does not say all things are good. He is saying all things are turned by God for good for us who believe.

If you are a Christian, things are not just happening haphazardly in your life. God is “at work” in your life and He is working purposefully in your life. Knowing and believing that will give you peace.

Even the negative in this life is seen to have a positive purpose in the execution of God’s eternal plan. Nothing is beyond the overruling, overriding scope of God’s goodness and God’s control. Knowing that and believing that will give you peace.

Trusting Christ is the only way to have God be for you. He is for all who trust in Jesus. He works everything for your good if you trust His Son.

That is our God! He is the God of Happy Endings! If you are a Christian, no matter what you are going through right now, you are going to have a happy ending. Knowing that and believing that will give you peace.

That is why Paul says,

Don’t worry, pray and trust God who is all good, loving, wise, and in control. Trust that He will turn your situation for your good in due time. And if you do that, you will have peace. A peace the world can’t give you. A peace that is not tied to circumstances.

Paul uses the word “guard”. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Now, remember, he was probably chained to a Roman Guard during much of his imprisonment. And he may have had in mind another prison, the prison of anxiety.

And he says that you can get out of that prison, the prison of worry, and instead you can have peace chained to you. You can live in peace. But you must pray and trust God. You must trust that He is good, loving, wise, and in control.

He will come through for you. He is right now at work causing all things to be turned for your good. Believe that! And you can walk in peace.

And then that will free you up to walk in power and in purpose.