God's Grace: Devotions From Time of GraceSample

Jesus Is Peace

One of the greatest works of art ever is da Vinci’s "Last Supper," a fresco painted into fresh plaster above a doorway in a Milan monastery. It depicts an evening that was one of the worst in the lives of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus spent hours prepping his Twelve for coming hardships. He would be arrested, abused, and killed. They would fall into the hands of Jesus’ own tormentors and suffer too. Their own faith would fail.

But all this would be happening according to the Father’s plans. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The operative words here are “in me.” When you are connected in faith to Jesus Christ, you become linked to all his victories. You become a winner like him no matter how things look at the moment.

Jesus gives us peace. Jesus is peace. Even when we don’t understand what’s going on, he knows. Even when we feel out of control, he’s in control. Even when we grieve over all our pain and troubles, he smiles and assures us that he is working all things together for our good.

His agenda is not for him to stay here forever in our broken and dying world. It is to lift us up to his world, his bright, alive, joyful, peaceful world. I feel good!