Fear and AnxietyНамуна

His peace is real

As we acquire more life experiences, we’ll inevitably acquire more reasons to be afraid. Not everyone will be diagnosed with clinical anxiety, but all of us will experience very real fear. In this verse, Jesus addressed the fear and anxiety that His disciples would experience once He went to the cross. Jesus knew the fear they’d face. The fear that their faith was a mistake, the fear that they gave up everything to watch a man die, then to be put to shame themselves. He didn’t rebuke them for their fear or dismiss it. Jesus anticipated their fear and met it with His grace.

It’s wonderful to know that Jesus knows what we’ll be afraid of before even we do. He knew what the disciples feared before they experienced it, and He said, ‘Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you.’ It was precisely for this that Jesus needed to go to the cross. Dying on the cross would buy them their peace, a right relationship with God, and the gift of His Spirit.

Jesus doesn’t offer the kind of peace the world gives – a peace that comes from distancing yourself from what’s real, a peace mediated by alcohol or drugs, a temporary peace. His peace comes from the reality that He faced the judgement we were meant to face. His peace comes from the fact that He has overcome all that can hurt you in this world. His peace comes from His steadfast love and character, which never changes. So, when He says, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid,’ He’s telling you something He knows you can do because of Him.

Written by QUYNH EASTMAN