Verse: John 20:21 (ESV)
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
Devotion
If you read the devotion on 12/8, you’ll recall that “peace” was an important concept in Jewish culture. You may also remember that among the last things Jesus said to the disciples (during the Last Supper) before leaving them to face the cross was, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” (John 14:27) Now we see that as soon as he is reunited with them, he gives a similar greeting. Hard to ignore the emphasis, right?
I think one of the biggest traps we fall into as Christians in today’s world is the assumption that God wants us to be “happy”. What God really wants is for us to be “at peace”. Among ourselves, in our spirits, with him. As Paul would later say in Philippians 4:11, “…for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” Happiness depends on worldly things, and is fleeting. Peace comes when we rely on the knowledge that God is sufficient for us, in all ways. And it lasts.
But then Jesus also reminds them that he had given them an assignment. “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Was Jesus suggesting the disciples (and by extension we) would be sent to our deaths, like he had been. No (though for some that may be the case), he didn’t say “Where the Father has sent me”. He is instead reinforcing what they are still just beginning to grasp, that he is one with the Father, and carries the full authority of the Godhead. That he has bestowed on them a divine appointment, and that they will be fully empowered with the Holy Spirit to carry out the commission he has given them. And this applies equally to us as believers today.
So, if you find yourself seeking after happiness, as we all do sometimes, allow God to remind you that he offers you something greater…peace. Then go and tell someone about it, with all the confidence and authority of Jesus.
Prayer
God, thank you that you are the one true peacemaker. Help us to be reminded of that when we find our hearts following other pursuits. And give us the power to boldly proclaim it to others, in your name. Amen.
Author: Dave MacDonald
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