Peace to You
I realize it probably seems like it takes us a long time to get through some of these portions of God's word, but in--- in preparing and, and really asking God to lead into direct me--- I have difficulty rushing through some of these passages very quickly. Some passages, seems like, we go through maybe more quickly. Some, it just is very difficult for me, and it seems to me that, that is for reason and I have to---to do what I believe God is directing me to do. And I, I trust that wherever were studying God's word, if we’re studying God's word, whatever particular passage were in, there's a very real sense in which, if were treated as we should, we’re studying the whole of God's word at the same time. And I trust that's the case.
Last week you recall, we were looking at--- we’ve been looking at the Lord's resurrection. The events that transpired right after the Lord's resurrection. We observed, we observed a number of things, actually, in respect to the resurrection of Christ and its importance. And then we looked in the passage in the middle of this 20th chapter where we have the record of the Lord Jesus appearing. First of all, to Mary Magdalene. We looked at this last time. We noted this woman's loving devotion to the Lord Jesus. Just by way of review and to see how well we were listening last week, can any of you remember, can you help me in remembering the four points we made concerning the lessons we could learn in Mary's devotion, her wholehearted devotion to the Lord. What did we learn about wholehearted devotion last week? What was the first thing? (answer given from the congregation) “It endures all things,” good. What was the second thing we learned about a wholehearted devotion last week? (answer given from the congregation) “It leads to fuller understanding.” What was the third thing that we looked at? (answer given from the congregation) Right, “single-minded devotion to the Lord is an act of worship.” And what was the last thing we looked at? (answer given from the congregation) “Wholehearted devotion culminates in close fellowship with the Lord.”
Okay. This morning I want to move on in the passage. I want to begin though by going back to the 11th verse and will refresh our memories of what we read last time, and then will read on through to the 20th verse.
“But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping, and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she beheld two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” When she had said this, she turned around, and beheld Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir. If you have carried Him away, tell me where have you laid Him and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher) Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her. When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples therefore rejoiced when they saw the Lord.”
When Jesus first appeared to His disciples as a group in this passage, and the time of course is very clearly set forth for us being the first day of the week, this is later on then, and this in this first day of the week as we have noted. We took a look at several of the different things that had transpired during that day. This is towards the end of that day, after the Lord appeared to the two men walking on the road to Emmaus and He appears to His disciples as a group. This is an extremely important occasion, when you stop and think about it. These are the men who were His closest followers. There were a number of factors that had to be contributing to the significance of this appearance. When you think about their state of mind, and what their thinking is. They've heard reports that Jesus has risen from the dead. Almost none of them have actually seen Him. Peter, we know had seen Him. Two men on the road to Emmaus and seen the Lord, but for the most part they themselves had not seen Him. There still would have been confusion in their midst. There was a hesitant expectancy if you will. And we’re told there is also even still a fearfulness. They’re in a room, the doors are shut for fear of the Jews. Mixed emotions, wondering what's coming next. One of the very first things we notice though, when the Lord appears in the room with His disciples, is the way that our Lord greets them. Notice the Lord's words to them. He said to them, “Peace be with you,” or literally, “Peace to you.” The words Jesus speaks are certainly very familiar, there can be no doubt that Jesus speaks these words very purposefully. Jesus is very intentionally imparting a most precious truth to His disciples, “Peace to you.” So important is this greeting you will notice, if we read on in the passage, and I trust we’ll get there next time, He said to them again, verse 21, “Peace be with you.” He greets them this way, and He repeats the greeting. We’re also told that eight days later when Jesus appeared again to His disciples, if you go on the passage just a little bit further, “after eight days,” verse 26, “Again His disciples were inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, stood in their midst, and,” says the same thing, “Peace be with you.”
There are undoubtedly times that you and I repeat ourselves without even thinking. Many times, we do---we just say something--- we’ve said it so many times. Or we, because our mind is just sort of in neutral, we just repeat ourselves. When Jesus repeats Himself, there is the best of reasons for Him to do so. He doesn't do so mindlessly. And you and I need to pay very close attention to those things that the Lord repeats, that the Lord repeats often. Why this particular greeting? Why is it repeated to the men that were closest to the Lord? What is the significance of these few words? One thing is obvious, the concept of peace is very prominent in the Scripture, not just in the New Testament, not just in the teachings of the Lord Jesus, but it's, it's something that is prominent in the Old Testament as well. It's also something that we have noticed Jesus emphasized, very strongly in His discourse in the upper room just prior to His arrest and His crucifixion. And when you think about it. Peace is the last thing He had talked to them about in that upper room discourse before His prayer to the Father. How does that discourse end in chapter 16:33,
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Then they witness His prayer to the Father, His arrest His crucifixion. And now they meet the Lord, the risen Lord, for the first time, and these are the first words that He speaks to them, “Peace to you.” It's the very first thing He brings to their attention, after His resurrection from the dead, when He meets together with them and appears to them as a group.
Only the Lord Himself knows just how important this matter is. We can at least make some observations as to its importance. First of all, we are all very much prone to debilitating worry, to fretting. We’re all prone to it. Sometimes we’re more susceptible than others, but we’re all prone to that. We’re all prone to having, or to coming face-to-face with a troubled heart.
A second thing I would say, and that is, that this world is a very troubling place. I mean there's no way to---to deny that. We can try to avoid it, we can try to put on the best face possible, we can be as positive as we possibly can, but the reality is that this world is a troubling place. The present hour of turmoil in this world is difficult to ignore. Is it not? Not to mention the fact that we have access to so much more information, so much more information regarding all the troubling things are going on in this world. So much so that it's overwhelming for us.
A third thing that I would say we could easily observe, and that is that our adversary is skillful in taking advantage of this weakness in us. He knows we’re prone to a troubled heart. He knows our tendency to get bogged down sidetracked and doubts and worries fretting and he takes advantage of it. Another reason this matter is so important is this, that a child of God who is not at peace, is a walking contradiction of the gospel. We've all been a walking contradiction of the gospel many times. We should never take that lightly. It’s a serious matter. Worst of all, a lack of peace in the New Testament saint makes a mockery of Christ. We need to really stop and think about that. Jesus says, “Peace to you.” If I'm not at peace, I’m making a mockery of my Savior, what He accomplished on the cross.
But I'm also reminded of this, that this matter of peace is also very important to our Lord because of His great love for us. Jesus doesn't want us to be troubled. Jesus knows how difficult a position that is to be in. Jesus Himself knew what it was like to encounter a troubled heart. We read of Jesus acknowledging that on the night of His betrayal, not long before this. He said His heart was troubled, even to the point of death. This is not what Jesus wants for you and I. He has endured a trouble we can never know. And because of that we don't need to endure that kind of trouble.
There are few things as debilitating in our walk with the Lord than a lack of His peace in our lives. It's something we need to be especially alert to. It's a constant and a serious threat to the whole-hearted devotion to Christ that we spoke of last time. When we are not at peace, it is a threat--- it is a threat to our wholehearted devotion to the Lord.
We’ve considered what the Lord said to his disciples about peace in the upper room discourse. We spent some time on that, especially in chapter 14 verse 27 and the verse I just mentioned in chapter 16 verse 33. But it seems fitting to me that we address it once again, in light of our Lord's emphasis on peace in His first appearances to His closest followers. And so, I'd like to consider these few words this morning once again carefully. “Peace to you.” “Peace to you.”
The first thing I want us to consider together is Who it is that says these words, Who is it that is speaking? One of the things it doesn't take us long to learn in this life, and that is that what is being said is not often nearly as important as the one who is saying it. Genuine authority makes all the difference, doesn't it? For example, it's quite different if my sibling tells me to pick up my toys, as opposed to my parent telling me to pick up my toys. Big differences in there. This is an infinitely greater reality in the case of God speaking to us. When Jesus greets these men, it is not one of their peers who is speaking to them. It's not Someone who is on one of their equals who speaks these words to them. It's not merely a prominent religious figure of the day who says, “Peace to you.” It's not merely the most well-known or prominent politician in their nation. It's not merely the most powerful ruler on earth who speaks these words to them. It is The Eternal Word made flesh. God Himself speaks these words to these men.
I was greatly encouraged, even this morning, earlier in our---our time of remembrance concerning the Lord's death, and this emphasis on who Jesus is. Who this is, who died in our place. The Chief Cornerstone, eternal God made flesh. It is He, the One who speaks these words to these men, is the One, who’s, “goings forth… are from the days of eternity.” I remind you of the passage in Micah chapter 5, I think it's a fairly familiar passage to us, and it's good for us to be reminded of who the Lord is in this respect. Micah chapter 5:2 says this, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you, One will go forth for me to be ruler in Israel.” but as we proceed in the passage, we realize this is no---this is no ordinary ruler. This is not a human ruler. “His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. Therefore, He will give them up until the time when she was in labor has borne a child, then the remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel, and He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth, and this One will be our peace.” This is Who speaks these words! It is the Sunrise from on high, who guides our feet into the way peace, the last part of Luke chapter 1. It is the One who has made peace between alienated, defiled, God hating sinners, and an infinitely Holy and Righteous God, through the sacrifice of Himself on a Roman cross. I remind you of the passage in Ephesians chapter 2 beginning with verse 13,
“But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near.”
This is the One who speaks peace to his disciples. Romans chapter 5 verse 1,
“Therefore, having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This is the One who has risen victorious from the grave, putting an end to the agony of death. The One who could not be held by death’s power. This is the One Who speaks peace to His disciples. It's the One in Whom all shall be made alive. The One Who will reign over all in the end. These blessed words come from no greater authority than the Lord God Almighty in flesh. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that, do we not? These men weren’t just listening to words that came to them from one of their peers or from the most respected leader on the earth, they were listening to these words, they came to them from God Almighty. And this is the only way that you and I can express this very same desire to one another. Think of all the, all of the New Testament epistles that began with this same exhortation, “Grace and peace to you.” There's no way that we could say, “Peace to you,” in any real sense, apart from the One Who with all authority says to us, “Peace to you.”
The second thing that I want to look at this morning, after considering just briefly Who it is that says this, makes this statement to us. Second thing I'd like to consider this morning is, what is this peace? What peace is Jesus talking about here? Surely, we are all very familiar with the basic concept of peace. If you think about this word for a moment, and the concept that is described in this one word. Of all the words in human vocabularies, it is one of the most desirable and comforting. There's the implication in this one word of the cessation of hostilities, harmonious relationships, rest, contentment, wholeness, well-being, quietness, relief, a number of things that are contained in the concept of this that this one word communicates. But one of the things that we cannot help but notice in this life in this world, and that is that the reality, in the reality of purely human experience, peace is a concept that can only be achieved in the most limited and temporal occurrences. The most limited and temporal occurrences. People will talk about peace, and talk about peace, and talk about peace. And it is an important subject, undoubtedly. Something all people yearn for. But the more we seek it, in the human realm, in the strength of the flesh, the more frustrating it becomes because we do not achieve it, we’re not able to, it’s impossible. The more humanity seeks peace on its own, the more frustrating the pursuit becomes. “Why can't we just have peace!” people will exclaim at some points in time. Peace this world comes up with on its own, is, at best, shallow. It is superficial. Sometimes it can look pretty good on the outside until you scratch a little bit deeper, until you wait a little bit longer, until you wade a little deeper in what is really taking place behind the scenes. And even in those cases where there is in actuality a measure of peace to be experienced, it’s so short-lived. Have you ever been so discouraged when you look at something---here’s something that happens in this world, and it seems like some real, good comes from it, especially in this---in regards to real peace, and within a very short period of time it’s gone---dissipates--- disappears, and people are back to the same old issues and problems. The peace of Christ is real peace. It's an enduring peace. That's one thing we can say about it, it lasts. It’s not temporal. It’s not just for the moment, it's something that is enduring, and we can say this about it, it thoroughly encompasses the soul. It’s not superficial. It's not shallow. It's something that encompasses the very whole of our being. It permeates who we are, to the depths of our souls.
There is a fullness to the peace of Christ, that cannot be attributed to human effort or ability. You recall when Jesus speaks of this peace. First---the first time He speaks of it in the 14th chapter---or in the upper room discourse, and there in the 14th chapter, the 27th verse He says, “Peace I leave with you,” and then He differentiates very carefully, very clearly, what peace He's talking about, “My peace I give to you.” That's not enough. He distinguishes it even more. “Not as the world gives do I give to you,” not the peace of the world can come up with, no matter how hard they try, no matter how sincere their efforts. That's not the peace I'm talking about Jesus says. He'd made that clear to His disciples on the night of His betrayal. I’m giving peace, leaving you with peace, but it’s My peace, not like the kind of peace the world gives, its real. So, when Jesus comes after His resurrection from the dead He says, first and foremost to His disciples, “Peace to you.” This means something. This is something that's real. These words are being spoken by One who has just endured the cross, and is now alive forever more, who is no longer subject to the confines of the physical world, who appears even through closed doors, appears in their midst, declaring peace to them. The peace of Christ is utterly beyond human accessibility. This frustrates mankind; frustrates mankind greatly.
One of the things I've noticed over time is that people really do have a yearning for peace, but they are not willing to come to Christ for it. And it can be so frustrating to the world. “Why can't we have peace?” It’s because you won't come to Christ. There is no other way to have peace. You can say, “Peace, peace,” all day long. The prophets in the Old Testament, Jeremiah says, they say, “Peace, peace, peace, peace.” There is no peace, the prophet says. It’s a sham, it’s superficial! The peace of Christ is utterly beyond human accessibility. It is imparted and produced within believers through their unique working of the Holy Spirit of God. I’ll remind you of just a couple of passages in this regard. Romans chapter 14 verse 17, we read these words,
“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Moving down just a little further, chapter 15 verse 13, a verse very familiar to us,
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Peace requires power. A power that we don't have. It requires a power that comes from Almighty God. If it is an indwelling us were not going to be able to partake of peace, not an enduring peace, not real peace, not a peace that encompasses and bathes our very soul. I'm reminded even from---on a corporate level---remember the verse in the 9th chapter of the Acts of the apostles, the 31st verse, a verse we have looked at a number of times, it says, it’s sort of a summarization of the condition of the church--- the early church, “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace.” This was---this is the statement, the summary statement of what the church was like. It enjoyed peace, how, “Being built up going on in the fear the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.” The peace of Christ is utterly unique and it is imparted only through His Spirit indwelling us. The peace of Christ accomplishes what the peace this world is searching for and tries to come up with on their own, never can. The peace of Christ accomplishes a genuine freedom. That is a freedom from hostility, a freedom from worry, freedom from anxiety, agitation, turmoil, from discontentment; a freedom from debilitating frustration and discouragement, a freedom from fearfulness and dread. That's what this peace is. It's the peace of Christ. It’s the peace that passes all human comprehending. Real peace emanates from complete confidence in the only One who is worthy of that conference. Real peace emanates from complete confidence in the only One who is worthy.
That leads me to one last consideration regarding the statement that the Lord, this blessed statement the Lord makes to his disciples. How do we partake of this peace? Maybe more specifically, what I'd like to deal with, how do we partake more fully of this peace. First of all, we understand we already know made note of the fact that, we are made partakers of Christ and His peace through the work of the Holy Spirit within us, through the regenerating power and the personal indwelling presence of the Spirit of Almighty God. We can’t partake of Christ’s peace in any other way. This is a reality that will have real and practical implications in our lives. And one of the things, that it seems to me, as I was thinking about this; it is something we tend to take for granted over time. There is nothing quite like the way people appreciate peace when it comes after a long and horrific period of war. I wasn't alive, but I've seen pictures and I know many of you have of---of the joy and the rejoicing in the streets of this country at the end of World War II. Man, I’ll tell you what, peace seemed like a mighty sweet thing. It surely must have to those people weary of war and of hearing of more and more loss of life. But, there's a real sense in which that joy sort of wears off over time. That's how we are, it’s one of the weaknesses of the flesh. It’s a terrible weakness of the flesh. That’s why we have to be reminded constantly, because we forget. We’re forgetful people. You don't have to be old to be forgetful. We get used to the dramatic difference the peace of Christ makes in our lives. Do you ever stop to think about that? There are things that happen, and the way we approach those things, or the way we interpret things in our lives, instinctively come from a settled confidence in Christ. We’re at peace with God. It changes our outlook, the way we think. We begin to take that for granted. And we can, if we’re not careful, listen to the adversary who says, “You don't really know God's peace,” when in fact we are experiencing God's peace in ways that we’ve become accustomed to. The world has no opportunity for that peace, We do, and we've begun to take it lightly. That's one problem seems to me. But it's also true that we often are not experiencing the peace of Christ like we should. It also can be very true that we are not experiencing the peace of Christ as He would want us to, as He’s made it possible for us. Why? Why is that true? I think all of us can attest to this fact, there are times when our souls are troubled, and sometimes to the core. Sometimes the troubling the goes on in our lives is somewhat minor, maybe we could say. Still, many times doing a great disservice to the Lord. Why? Why are we in this position? How can we more fully enjoy His peace in every aspect of our life? How can we do this?
I would propose a very simple answer to that question---simply this, a submissive focus on the word of God, pure and simple. This is what got the disciples in so much trouble, they were fearful, they were a mess after Christ was crucified. They weren't even looking for a resurrected Christ. Mary was confused, filled with grief. Now here's something it's important to recognize, all of them had been listening carefully to---carefully too much of what Jesus had been saying, but there were some things Jesus had said they didn't pay attention to. Because Mary took what the so much of what the Lord said seriously, she clung to the Lord, she kept on in her devotion to the Lord, but she, as all of them had, had not paid careful attention to the Word.
Words are a most remarkable and precious possession. One of the problems, one of the reasons we don't take them all that seriously is that sometimes we multiply them way too much. An awful lot of them come out of her mouth and we don't really think that much about them after a while. Words provide a means of communication that can be recorded, preserved and evaluated. Words have the potential of even giving abstract concepts a tangible reality. Have you ever thought about that? Words are a marvelous thing. Words can describe things that are abstract, but those words give to those abstract realities something that’s tangible, if you will. We can talk about it. We can handle it. We can evaluate it and think about it, meditate on it. Words can be very powerful even in a general sense, but the words communicated to us by God are on an entirely different plane. We talked about this earlier when we were looking at the 33rd verse of John 16. They communicate truth, God's words communicate truth of eternal significance. They will never fail or fade. That's the difference in what God says as opposed to the things we say. We say things all the time that fail and fade. They’re forgotten sometimes almost immediately. Not so with God. Jesus himself is presented to us in the Scripture, as we been reminded already today, as The Eternal Logos, eternal Word made flesh, eternal communication of the Divine to mankind. The words you and I listen to, the words we really take notice of can make all the difference in our lives. Isn't that really a remarkable thing? That one simple truth, the words that I take to heart, can make all the difference in my life. I am either listening to God, really listening carefully to God, or I’m not. We need to be very careful in this matter.
First of all, we need to be careful that were not listening to ourselves. We have a word for that, that word is delusion. When I listen to myself I'm in grave danger of deluding myself.
There's a second thing we need to be very careful about and that is listening to the world. That's folly. That's ignorance.
Thirdly, we need to be very careful not to listen to the devil. That's deception.
Fourthly, we need to be very, very careful about a tendency for selective listening. It’s the most remarkable thing. Some little children are here playing on the floor with their toys and you say, “It's time to pick up your toys.” They go on as though they've never heard a thing you’ve said. You say, “Would you like a cookie?” Boom! They respond instantly. How can that be? That tends to be the way we many times treat the word of God, we are selective listeners. Jesus reproach---He rebuked the men on the road to, to Emmaus when He appeared to them. You recall there in Luke 24 verse 25, and listen to what Jesus said to them,
“O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!”
You've been slow. You've been selective. You listened to much of what the prophets have said, but not all. He goes on and says, “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” You've missed something very important, Jesus says, and He rebukes them for that. And later on, of course, we’re told He opens their minds to understand the Scriptures. It’s the whole of the Scriptures that you and I need to draw upon. We have a terrible tendency to be selective. If we’re in a particular state of mind, or a particular situation, set of circumstances, we tend to go and gravitate towards certain portions of God's word. We start to build a case in our minds by selective listening and sometimes a very negative case. Sometimes we start to build--- we begin to build a case that is completely contrary to the truth that’s revealed in God's word because we just singled out little pieces, little bits and pieces of it. We need to be careful about this matter of selective listening.
Another last thing we need to be aware of, and that is, the tendency towards casual listening. Complacent listening, which can eventually evolve into callused listening. “I hear, I hear, I hear, what you're saying.” You've had people do that, when you're talking to somebody, and you think you're saying something really important and they say, “Okay, I got it, I got it,” and you know very well what they mean. What they mean is, “I'm not listening to you anymore.” That's really what they mean. I'm not going to listen to anymore so you might as well shut up. Is that how you and I treat the word of God? We need to be so careful.
When it comes to this matter of peace. First and foremost, we need to listen to the Lord. Do you recall what Jesus--- I remind you again of what Jesus said there in chapter 16 verse 33,
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.”
How do we have peace in Christ? We listen to what Jesus says! “These things, I've spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.” The way I have peace in Christ is, I listen to him. If I'm not at peace, if I'm struggling, one of the first places to start is read through the upper room discourse again, Chapter 13, 14, 15, 16 of John's Gospel and listen, not selectively, but lovingly and submissively listen. Our problem many times is we are not submissive, or our problem is we don't really listen with a loving submission. It's more of a “grit your teeth” submission. Loving submission---listen to the Lord in loving submission.
Another way of saying that is listen to the Lord in faith, because submission means faith. Because there's things that Jesus says to us that are hard for us to get a hold of it. It doesn't seem like that's logical. But by faith, or submissiveness, I lay hold of it. With all of my heart I get a hold of what He says.
I want to close with one passage from the Psalms, one verse that I think says this so concisely. God says to us through the psalmist in the eighth verse of the 85th Psalm we read these words. Here's the psalmist's approach,
“I will hear what God, the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to His people.”
Isn’t that wonderful? Is that our attitude this morning, “I will hear what God, the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to his people.”
I realize it probably seems like it takes us a long time to get through some of these portions of God's word, but in--- in preparing and, and really asking God to lead into direct me--- I have difficulty rushing through some of these passages very quickly. Some passages, seems like, we go through maybe more quickly. Some, it just is very difficult for me, and it seems to me that, that is for reason and I have to---to do what I believe God is directing me to do. And I, I trust that wherever were studying God's word, if we’re studying God's word, whatever particular passage were in, there's a very real sense in which, if were treated as we should, we’re studying the whole of God's word at the same time. And I trust that's the case.
Last week you recall, we were looking at--- we’ve been looking at the Lord's resurrection. The events that transpired right after the Lord's resurrection. We observed, we observed a number of things, actually, in respect to the resurrection of Christ and its importance. And then we looked in the passage in the middle of this 20th chapter where we have the record of the Lord Jesus appearing. First of all, to Mary Magdalene. We looked at this last time. We noted this woman's loving devotion to the Lord Jesus. Just by way of review and to see how well we were listening last week, can any of you remember, can you help me in remembering the four points we made concerning the lessons we could learn in Mary's devotion, her wholehearted devotion to the Lord. What did we learn about wholehearted devotion last week? What was the first thing? (answer given from the congregation) “It endures all things,” good. What was the second thing we learned about a wholehearted devotion last week? (answer given from the congregation) “It leads to fuller understanding.” What was the third thing that we looked at? (answer given from the congregation) Right, “single-minded devotion to the Lord is an act of worship.” And what was the last thing we looked at? (answer given from the congregation) “Wholehearted devotion culminates in close fellowship with the Lord.”
Okay. This morning I want to move on in the passage. I want to begin though by going back to the 11th verse and will refresh our memories of what we read last time, and then will read on through to the 20th verse.
“But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping, and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she beheld two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” When she had said this, she turned around, and beheld Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir. If you have carried Him away, tell me where have you laid Him and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher) Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her. When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples therefore rejoiced when they saw the Lord.”
When Jesus first appeared to His disciples as a group in this passage, and the time of course is very clearly set forth for us being the first day of the week, this is later on then, and this in this first day of the week as we have noted. We took a look at several of the different things that had transpired during that day. This is towards the end of that day, after the Lord appeared to the two men walking on the road to Emmaus and He appears to His disciples as a group. This is an extremely important occasion, when you stop and think about it. These are the men who were His closest followers. There were a number of factors that had to be contributing to the significance of this appearance. When you think about their state of mind, and what their thinking is. They've heard reports that Jesus has risen from the dead. Almost none of them have actually seen Him. Peter, we know had seen Him. Two men on the road to Emmaus and seen the Lord, but for the most part they themselves had not seen Him. There still would have been confusion in their midst. There was a hesitant expectancy if you will. And we’re told there is also even still a fearfulness. They’re in a room, the doors are shut for fear of the Jews. Mixed emotions, wondering what's coming next. One of the very first things we notice though, when the Lord appears in the room with His disciples, is the way that our Lord greets them. Notice the Lord's words to them. He said to them, “Peace be with you,” or literally, “Peace to you.” The words Jesus speaks are certainly very familiar, there can be no doubt that Jesus speaks these words very purposefully. Jesus is very intentionally imparting a most precious truth to His disciples, “Peace to you.” So important is this greeting you will notice, if we read on in the passage, and I trust we’ll get there next time, He said to them again, verse 21, “Peace be with you.” He greets them this way, and He repeats the greeting. We’re also told that eight days later when Jesus appeared again to His disciples, if you go on the passage just a little bit further, “after eight days,” verse 26, “Again His disciples were inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, stood in their midst, and,” says the same thing, “Peace be with you.”
There are undoubtedly times that you and I repeat ourselves without even thinking. Many times, we do---we just say something--- we’ve said it so many times. Or we, because our mind is just sort of in neutral, we just repeat ourselves. When Jesus repeats Himself, there is the best of reasons for Him to do so. He doesn't do so mindlessly. And you and I need to pay very close attention to those things that the Lord repeats, that the Lord repeats often. Why this particular greeting? Why is it repeated to the men that were closest to the Lord? What is the significance of these few words? One thing is obvious, the concept of peace is very prominent in the Scripture, not just in the New Testament, not just in the teachings of the Lord Jesus, but it's, it's something that is prominent in the Old Testament as well. It's also something that we have noticed Jesus emphasized, very strongly in His discourse in the upper room just prior to His arrest and His crucifixion. And when you think about it. Peace is the last thing He had talked to them about in that upper room discourse before His prayer to the Father. How does that discourse end in chapter 16:33,
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Then they witness His prayer to the Father, His arrest His crucifixion. And now they meet the Lord, the risen Lord, for the first time, and these are the first words that He speaks to them, “Peace to you.” It's the very first thing He brings to their attention, after His resurrection from the dead, when He meets together with them and appears to them as a group.
Only the Lord Himself knows just how important this matter is. We can at least make some observations as to its importance. First of all, we are all very much prone to debilitating worry, to fretting. We’re all prone to it. Sometimes we’re more susceptible than others, but we’re all prone to that. We’re all prone to having, or to coming face-to-face with a troubled heart.
A second thing I would say, and that is, that this world is a very troubling place. I mean there's no way to---to deny that. We can try to avoid it, we can try to put on the best face possible, we can be as positive as we possibly can, but the reality is that this world is a troubling place. The present hour of turmoil in this world is difficult to ignore. Is it not? Not to mention the fact that we have access to so much more information, so much more information regarding all the troubling things are going on in this world. So much so that it's overwhelming for us.
A third thing that I would say we could easily observe, and that is that our adversary is skillful in taking advantage of this weakness in us. He knows we’re prone to a troubled heart. He knows our tendency to get bogged down sidetracked and doubts and worries fretting and he takes advantage of it. Another reason this matter is so important is this, that a child of God who is not at peace, is a walking contradiction of the gospel. We've all been a walking contradiction of the gospel many times. We should never take that lightly. It’s a serious matter. Worst of all, a lack of peace in the New Testament saint makes a mockery of Christ. We need to really stop and think about that. Jesus says, “Peace to you.” If I'm not at peace, I’m making a mockery of my Savior, what He accomplished on the cross.
But I'm also reminded of this, that this matter of peace is also very important to our Lord because of His great love for us. Jesus doesn't want us to be troubled. Jesus knows how difficult a position that is to be in. Jesus Himself knew what it was like to encounter a troubled heart. We read of Jesus acknowledging that on the night of His betrayal, not long before this. He said His heart was troubled, even to the point of death. This is not what Jesus wants for you and I. He has endured a trouble we can never know. And because of that we don't need to endure that kind of trouble.
There are few things as debilitating in our walk with the Lord than a lack of His peace in our lives. It's something we need to be especially alert to. It's a constant and a serious threat to the whole-hearted devotion to Christ that we spoke of last time. When we are not at peace, it is a threat--- it is a threat to our wholehearted devotion to the Lord.
We’ve considered what the Lord said to his disciples about peace in the upper room discourse. We spent some time on that, especially in chapter 14 verse 27 and the verse I just mentioned in chapter 16 verse 33. But it seems fitting to me that we address it once again, in light of our Lord's emphasis on peace in His first appearances to His closest followers. And so, I'd like to consider these few words this morning once again carefully. “Peace to you.” “Peace to you.”
The first thing I want us to consider together is Who it is that says these words, Who is it that is speaking? One of the things it doesn't take us long to learn in this life, and that is that what is being said is not often nearly as important as the one who is saying it. Genuine authority makes all the difference, doesn't it? For example, it's quite different if my sibling tells me to pick up my toys, as opposed to my parent telling me to pick up my toys. Big differences in there. This is an infinitely greater reality in the case of God speaking to us. When Jesus greets these men, it is not one of their peers who is speaking to them. It's not Someone who is on one of their equals who speaks these words to them. It's not merely a prominent religious figure of the day who says, “Peace to you.” It's not merely the most well-known or prominent politician in their nation. It's not merely the most powerful ruler on earth who speaks these words to them. It is The Eternal Word made flesh. God Himself speaks these words to these men.
I was greatly encouraged, even this morning, earlier in our---our time of remembrance concerning the Lord's death, and this emphasis on who Jesus is. Who this is, who died in our place. The Chief Cornerstone, eternal God made flesh. It is He, the One who speaks these words to these men, is the One, who’s, “goings forth… are from the days of eternity.” I remind you of the passage in Micah chapter 5, I think it's a fairly familiar passage to us, and it's good for us to be reminded of who the Lord is in this respect. Micah chapter 5:2 says this, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you, One will go forth for me to be ruler in Israel.” but as we proceed in the passage, we realize this is no---this is no ordinary ruler. This is not a human ruler. “His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity. Therefore, He will give them up until the time when she was in labor has borne a child, then the remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel, and He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth, and this One will be our peace.” This is Who speaks these words! It is the Sunrise from on high, who guides our feet into the way peace, the last part of Luke chapter 1. It is the One who has made peace between alienated, defiled, God hating sinners, and an infinitely Holy and Righteous God, through the sacrifice of Himself on a Roman cross. I remind you of the passage in Ephesians chapter 2 beginning with verse 13,
“But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near.”
This is the One who speaks peace to his disciples. Romans chapter 5 verse 1,
“Therefore, having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This is the One who has risen victorious from the grave, putting an end to the agony of death. The One who could not be held by death’s power. This is the One Who speaks peace to His disciples. It's the One in Whom all shall be made alive. The One Who will reign over all in the end. These blessed words come from no greater authority than the Lord God Almighty in flesh. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that, do we not? These men weren’t just listening to words that came to them from one of their peers or from the most respected leader on the earth, they were listening to these words, they came to them from God Almighty. And this is the only way that you and I can express this very same desire to one another. Think of all the, all of the New Testament epistles that began with this same exhortation, “Grace and peace to you.” There's no way that we could say, “Peace to you,” in any real sense, apart from the One Who with all authority says to us, “Peace to you.”
The second thing that I want to look at this morning, after considering just briefly Who it is that says this, makes this statement to us. Second thing I'd like to consider this morning is, what is this peace? What peace is Jesus talking about here? Surely, we are all very familiar with the basic concept of peace. If you think about this word for a moment, and the concept that is described in this one word. Of all the words in human vocabularies, it is one of the most desirable and comforting. There's the implication in this one word of the cessation of hostilities, harmonious relationships, rest, contentment, wholeness, well-being, quietness, relief, a number of things that are contained in the concept of this that this one word communicates. But one of the things that we cannot help but notice in this life in this world, and that is that the reality, in the reality of purely human experience, peace is a concept that can only be achieved in the most limited and temporal occurrences. The most limited and temporal occurrences. People will talk about peace, and talk about peace, and talk about peace. And it is an important subject, undoubtedly. Something all people yearn for. But the more we seek it, in the human realm, in the strength of the flesh, the more frustrating it becomes because we do not achieve it, we’re not able to, it’s impossible. The more humanity seeks peace on its own, the more frustrating the pursuit becomes. “Why can't we just have peace!” people will exclaim at some points in time. Peace this world comes up with on its own, is, at best, shallow. It is superficial. Sometimes it can look pretty good on the outside until you scratch a little bit deeper, until you wait a little bit longer, until you wade a little deeper in what is really taking place behind the scenes. And even in those cases where there is in actuality a measure of peace to be experienced, it’s so short-lived. Have you ever been so discouraged when you look at something---here’s something that happens in this world, and it seems like some real, good comes from it, especially in this---in regards to real peace, and within a very short period of time it’s gone---dissipates--- disappears, and people are back to the same old issues and problems. The peace of Christ is real peace. It's an enduring peace. That's one thing we can say about it, it lasts. It’s not temporal. It’s not just for the moment, it's something that is enduring, and we can say this about it, it thoroughly encompasses the soul. It’s not superficial. It's not shallow. It's something that encompasses the very whole of our being. It permeates who we are, to the depths of our souls.
There is a fullness to the peace of Christ, that cannot be attributed to human effort or ability. You recall when Jesus speaks of this peace. First---the first time He speaks of it in the 14th chapter---or in the upper room discourse, and there in the 14th chapter, the 27th verse He says, “Peace I leave with you,” and then He differentiates very carefully, very clearly, what peace He's talking about, “My peace I give to you.” That's not enough. He distinguishes it even more. “Not as the world gives do I give to you,” not the peace of the world can come up with, no matter how hard they try, no matter how sincere their efforts. That's not the peace I'm talking about Jesus says. He'd made that clear to His disciples on the night of His betrayal. I’m giving peace, leaving you with peace, but it’s My peace, not like the kind of peace the world gives, its real. So, when Jesus comes after His resurrection from the dead He says, first and foremost to His disciples, “Peace to you.” This means something. This is something that's real. These words are being spoken by One who has just endured the cross, and is now alive forever more, who is no longer subject to the confines of the physical world, who appears even through closed doors, appears in their midst, declaring peace to them. The peace of Christ is utterly beyond human accessibility. This frustrates mankind; frustrates mankind greatly.
One of the things I've noticed over time is that people really do have a yearning for peace, but they are not willing to come to Christ for it. And it can be so frustrating to the world. “Why can't we have peace?” It’s because you won't come to Christ. There is no other way to have peace. You can say, “Peace, peace,” all day long. The prophets in the Old Testament, Jeremiah says, they say, “Peace, peace, peace, peace.” There is no peace, the prophet says. It’s a sham, it’s superficial! The peace of Christ is utterly beyond human accessibility. It is imparted and produced within believers through their unique working of the Holy Spirit of God. I’ll remind you of just a couple of passages in this regard. Romans chapter 14 verse 17, we read these words,
“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Moving down just a little further, chapter 15 verse 13, a verse very familiar to us,
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Peace requires power. A power that we don't have. It requires a power that comes from Almighty God. If it is an indwelling us were not going to be able to partake of peace, not an enduring peace, not real peace, not a peace that encompasses and bathes our very soul. I'm reminded even from---on a corporate level---remember the verse in the 9th chapter of the Acts of the apostles, the 31st verse, a verse we have looked at a number of times, it says, it’s sort of a summarization of the condition of the church--- the early church, “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace.” This was---this is the statement, the summary statement of what the church was like. It enjoyed peace, how, “Being built up going on in the fear the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.” The peace of Christ is utterly unique and it is imparted only through His Spirit indwelling us. The peace of Christ accomplishes what the peace this world is searching for and tries to come up with on their own, never can. The peace of Christ accomplishes a genuine freedom. That is a freedom from hostility, a freedom from worry, freedom from anxiety, agitation, turmoil, from discontentment; a freedom from debilitating frustration and discouragement, a freedom from fearfulness and dread. That's what this peace is. It's the peace of Christ. It’s the peace that passes all human comprehending. Real peace emanates from complete confidence in the only One who is worthy of that conference. Real peace emanates from complete confidence in the only One who is worthy.
That leads me to one last consideration regarding the statement that the Lord, this blessed statement the Lord makes to his disciples. How do we partake of this peace? Maybe more specifically, what I'd like to deal with, how do we partake more fully of this peace. First of all, we understand we already know made note of the fact that, we are made partakers of Christ and His peace through the work of the Holy Spirit within us, through the regenerating power and the personal indwelling presence of the Spirit of Almighty God. We can’t partake of Christ’s peace in any other way. This is a reality that will have real and practical implications in our lives. And one of the things, that it seems to me, as I was thinking about this; it is something we tend to take for granted over time. There is nothing quite like the way people appreciate peace when it comes after a long and horrific period of war. I wasn't alive, but I've seen pictures and I know many of you have of---of the joy and the rejoicing in the streets of this country at the end of World War II. Man, I’ll tell you what, peace seemed like a mighty sweet thing. It surely must have to those people weary of war and of hearing of more and more loss of life. But, there's a real sense in which that joy sort of wears off over time. That's how we are, it’s one of the weaknesses of the flesh. It’s a terrible weakness of the flesh. That’s why we have to be reminded constantly, because we forget. We’re forgetful people. You don't have to be old to be forgetful. We get used to the dramatic difference the peace of Christ makes in our lives. Do you ever stop to think about that? There are things that happen, and the way we approach those things, or the way we interpret things in our lives, instinctively come from a settled confidence in Christ. We’re at peace with God. It changes our outlook, the way we think. We begin to take that for granted. And we can, if we’re not careful, listen to the adversary who says, “You don't really know God's peace,” when in fact we are experiencing God's peace in ways that we’ve become accustomed to. The world has no opportunity for that peace, We do, and we've begun to take it lightly. That's one problem seems to me. But it's also true that we often are not experiencing the peace of Christ like we should. It also can be very true that we are not experiencing the peace of Christ as He would want us to, as He’s made it possible for us. Why? Why is that true? I think all of us can attest to this fact, there are times when our souls are troubled, and sometimes to the core. Sometimes the troubling the goes on in our lives is somewhat minor, maybe we could say. Still, many times doing a great disservice to the Lord. Why? Why are we in this position? How can we more fully enjoy His peace in every aspect of our life? How can we do this?
I would propose a very simple answer to that question---simply this, a submissive focus on the word of God, pure and simple. This is what got the disciples in so much trouble, they were fearful, they were a mess after Christ was crucified. They weren't even looking for a resurrected Christ. Mary was confused, filled with grief. Now here's something it's important to recognize, all of them had been listening carefully to---carefully too much of what Jesus had been saying, but there were some things Jesus had said they didn't pay attention to. Because Mary took what the so much of what the Lord said seriously, she clung to the Lord, she kept on in her devotion to the Lord, but she, as all of them had, had not paid careful attention to the Word.
Words are a most remarkable and precious possession. One of the problems, one of the reasons we don't take them all that seriously is that sometimes we multiply them way too much. An awful lot of them come out of her mouth and we don't really think that much about them after a while. Words provide a means of communication that can be recorded, preserved and evaluated. Words have the potential of even giving abstract concepts a tangible reality. Have you ever thought about that? Words are a marvelous thing. Words can describe things that are abstract, but those words give to those abstract realities something that’s tangible, if you will. We can talk about it. We can handle it. We can evaluate it and think about it, meditate on it. Words can be very powerful even in a general sense, but the words communicated to us by God are on an entirely different plane. We talked about this earlier when we were looking at the 33rd verse of John 16. They communicate truth, God's words communicate truth of eternal significance. They will never fail or fade. That's the difference in what God says as opposed to the things we say. We say things all the time that fail and fade. They’re forgotten sometimes almost immediately. Not so with God. Jesus himself is presented to us in the Scripture, as we been reminded already today, as The Eternal Logos, eternal Word made flesh, eternal communication of the Divine to mankind. The words you and I listen to, the words we really take notice of can make all the difference in our lives. Isn't that really a remarkable thing? That one simple truth, the words that I take to heart, can make all the difference in my life. I am either listening to God, really listening carefully to God, or I’m not. We need to be very careful in this matter.
First of all, we need to be careful that were not listening to ourselves. We have a word for that, that word is delusion. When I listen to myself I'm in grave danger of deluding myself.
There's a second thing we need to be very careful about and that is listening to the world. That's folly. That's ignorance.
Thirdly, we need to be very careful not to listen to the devil. That's deception.
Fourthly, we need to be very, very careful about a tendency for selective listening. It’s the most remarkable thing. Some little children are here playing on the floor with their toys and you say, “It's time to pick up your toys.” They go on as though they've never heard a thing you’ve said. You say, “Would you like a cookie?” Boom! They respond instantly. How can that be? That tends to be the way we many times treat the word of God, we are selective listeners. Jesus reproach---He rebuked the men on the road to, to Emmaus when He appeared to them. You recall there in Luke 24 verse 25, and listen to what Jesus said to them,
“O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!”
You've been slow. You've been selective. You listened to much of what the prophets have said, but not all. He goes on and says, “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” You've missed something very important, Jesus says, and He rebukes them for that. And later on, of course, we’re told He opens their minds to understand the Scriptures. It’s the whole of the Scriptures that you and I need to draw upon. We have a terrible tendency to be selective. If we’re in a particular state of mind, or a particular situation, set of circumstances, we tend to go and gravitate towards certain portions of God's word. We start to build a case in our minds by selective listening and sometimes a very negative case. Sometimes we start to build--- we begin to build a case that is completely contrary to the truth that’s revealed in God's word because we just singled out little pieces, little bits and pieces of it. We need to be careful about this matter of selective listening.
Another last thing we need to be aware of, and that is, the tendency towards casual listening. Complacent listening, which can eventually evolve into callused listening. “I hear, I hear, I hear, what you're saying.” You've had people do that, when you're talking to somebody, and you think you're saying something really important and they say, “Okay, I got it, I got it,” and you know very well what they mean. What they mean is, “I'm not listening to you anymore.” That's really what they mean. I'm not going to listen to anymore so you might as well shut up. Is that how you and I treat the word of God? We need to be so careful.
When it comes to this matter of peace. First and foremost, we need to listen to the Lord. Do you recall what Jesus--- I remind you again of what Jesus said there in chapter 16 verse 33,
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.”
How do we have peace in Christ? We listen to what Jesus says! “These things, I've spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.” The way I have peace in Christ is, I listen to him. If I'm not at peace, if I'm struggling, one of the first places to start is read through the upper room discourse again, Chapter 13, 14, 15, 16 of John's Gospel and listen, not selectively, but lovingly and submissively listen. Our problem many times is we are not submissive, or our problem is we don't really listen with a loving submission. It's more of a “grit your teeth” submission. Loving submission---listen to the Lord in loving submission.
Another way of saying that is listen to the Lord in faith, because submission means faith. Because there's things that Jesus says to us that are hard for us to get a hold of it. It doesn't seem like that's logical. But by faith, or submissiveness, I lay hold of it. With all of my heart I get a hold of what He says.
I want to close with one passage from the Psalms, one verse that I think says this so concisely. God says to us through the psalmist in the eighth verse of the 85th Psalm we read these words. Here's the psalmist's approach,
“I will hear what God, the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to His people.”
Isn’t that wonderful? Is that our attitude this morning, “I will hear what God, the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to his people.”