The Peace of Jesus

"God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself because it is not there. There is no such thing." – C.S. Lewis

What is the peace of Jesus? The peace of Jesus is not as the world would define: the peace of appeasement, compromise, or conformity. [1] Biblical peace is more than just striving for the absence of conflict; it is taking action to restore true brokenness. The peace modeled by our Savior is more than a state of inner tranquility; it is a state of perfect wholeness and complete trust in God.

Striving after Peace

So how do we strive to have the same peace as Jesus? What does it look like to have true peace in our lives? To follow Jesus, we must leave behind comfort and venture into the uncharted. Not all Christians will be called the same way, but every Christian must be willing to forsake all. Every believer is called to give up any idol that stands in the way of following Christ wholeheartedly. The unrest in our hearts is real, and each of us knows what that thing is and how difficult it is to say goodbye to it. But, in the end, the heart that seeks the peace of Christ will dispose of that which keeps us from total surrender, despite the genuine pain and anguish of doing so. A wholehearted pursuit of Jesus in the disciple's life requires full-hearted peace and devotion.[2] 

Trust God's Sovereign Plan

To do so, we must trust God's sovereign plan. In Luke 9:51-62, Jesus asks each of us: Are you really on mission with me? Do you know what it means to follow me? Here we see Jesus' commitment to his mission and his complete trust in the sovereign plan ahead of him. In verse 51, it says, "When the days drew near for him to be taken up, He set his face to go to Jerusalem." Jesus was not focused on a location to travel to; this passage shows us his single-minded devotion to his purpose and mission. Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem because the time has come for him to suffer, be rejected, be crucified, and be buried. We must come before the Lord asking for dependence on Christ and for the Lord to help us trust in Him.

Trust God's Future Justice

As Jesus headed through Samaria, our Lord's agony, cross, and passion were at hand; but He looked through them all to His glorious ascension. His peace was not in the circumstances that lay before him but instead on the future justice that would come through sacrifice. Like James and John in Luke 9[3], we can often completely misunderstand what it means to trust in God's future justice. In the face of mistreatment and rejection in the world, we see that human nature is hurried towards an impatience for justice. Jesus reminds us[4]  in the new covenant, we are called to better, forgiving love and that it is He who overcame man's evil with His good sacrifice. A disciple who understands the peace of Jesus knows we are not sent to avenge[5] but instead to proclaim mercy even to the worst of sinners.[6]

Trust God's Gracious Provision

As we read on in this passage, we see an inclusion in the story of three prospective disciples and their encounters with Jesus as the costs of following him mounted. To the first follower, Jesus quickly pointed out that He, having been refused lodging in a Samaritan village, had nowhere to lay his head.

Jesus wanted him to understand that to follow Him is not to find earthly glory; it is to share in earthly suffering. The King was homeless.[7] The fact that Jesus had nowhere to lay His head does not mean that every Christian today is called to live a life of poverty or forsake family and friends. But we should all understand that nothing in this world will satisfy us.

Peace and Our Pursuit of Jesus

Jesus teaches us that discipleship is about becoming like Him and learning to pattern your peace after His peace. And so, when you look at him, what do you see? Do you see someone that's committed to trying to live life according to worldly standards of success and wealth and power? Do you see someone who's trying to give you worldly status and the ability to influence others? Do you see someone living a life that is trying to avoid suffering and filled with privilege? Jesus was showing all of us that being a Christian means separation from the spirit of the world, making us all aliens. Our sole meaning is to deny ourselves and toil for the salvation and discipleship of others.[8] And so Jesus is saying, "If that's what you're after, then I am the wrong person to follow. I'm not going to teach you how to make your home in this world." Jesus says that real, single-minded discipleship isn't about perfection, but it is without condition. An entirely devoted follower of Christ clings to Jesus, regardless of unexpected circumstances or situations that arise, because they know that Jesus has already overcome the world[9]. True peace clings to Jesus, no matter how hard it gets. It is a disciple who says, "You are my life. I can find it nowhere else. Who else heals the broken? Where else do I have to go? You have the Words of Life. This world isn't my home. Jesus, you are my home."[10] His hour has come, and he's beginning his journey towards the cross. And He invites you to join him. Hard things will come our way, we'll even be asked to sacrifice for Jesus, but He is worth it and will be with us in the middle of it. Jesus is worth it.[11]

Verses on Peace

Galatians 5:22, Psalm 34:14, Romans 12:18, Romans 14:19, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 3:11, Proverbs 12:20, Matthew 5:9, Isaiah 26:12, John 14:27, 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Phillippians 4:6-7, John 16:33, Isaiah 26:3

[1] Rev. Billy Graham                       

[2] Dr. John Wohlgemuth

[3] Luke 9:54

[4] Luke 9:55

[5] As in the time of the Old Testament

[6] Richard Chenevix Trench

[7] Got Questions Ministries

[8] Rev. J. Willcock

[9] John 16:33

[10] Rev. Zach Pummill

[11] Dr. John Wohlgemuth