In “Advent 2020: Peace,” Charity shares what she is learning about advent—a word meaning arrival. This week she shares about peace. If you missed last week, you can also read about hope.
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you…” John 14v27
I never understood the beauty of this verse before this week. I never understood just what it is that Jesus is giving us when He says peace.
The word for peace in the Hebrew is shalom. Like so many words in this language, the meaning gets lost in to our English language. When twenty-first century Christians think of the word peace, the majority think of the absence of conflict or war, but Jesus offers so much more.
Shalom is a complex word that is all-encompassing. It refers to completeness or wholeness in every part of a person’s life. It is not just about getting along with enemies. Shalom is the presence of completeness, reconciliation, and justice. Shalom is meant to be a way of life not a moment in time.
Jesus’ birth marked the arrival of shalom, of wholeness. Jesus, the only One who is whole, has given us wholeness through the reconciling work He did for us on the cross. Colossians 1v19-20 says, “For God was pleased to have all His fullness [aka wholeness] dwell in the Son and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross…”
Paul is saying because of Jesus’ work we can now be whole as Christ is whole! We were created to be whole in God, and Christ has made a way for us to be that again. When Jesus says that He is leaving His peace with us, He is saying that He is bringing us back to how it was meant to be in the garden. Jesus has given us the ability to be complete again if we believe, receive, and live in His words.
The birth of Jesus marks the beginning of our completeness, our shalom. When the angels proclaim that a child is born to bring peace to the earth, they are proclaiming that this little baby is going to make us whole by reconciling us back to God. This little baby is going to show us how to live as we were meant to live. He is going to show us how to live in the wholeness of God Himself.
Stop and reflect for a moment. Think of every passage where Jesus is talking about peace or where peace is talked about. Take the word peace out and replace it with wholeness and let the awe sweep over you.
When Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you,” He is actually saying, My wholeness I give to you, My wholeness I leave with you. Understanding peace this way changes things in my mind. God the Creator and Sustainer of the universe desires for me to be whole in Himself. God desires for me to live in this wholeness now. What a gift, what a gift.
I think I often forget that God desires us to live in wholeness with Him now. I often see His “commandments” as demands rather than deep desires that will lead us to a satisfying life with God. God has given us a free will, so He doesn’t force anyone to obey Him. Don’t get me wrong. If we are professing believers in God, we should follow God’s way because that is the only way to everlasting life. My point is that God does not force people to follow Him even though that is His greatest desire for them. People must choose Him and from there the Spirit gives the desire to follow and obey God’s requirements. Fullness and wholeness in God come when we desire what God desires. What does God desire? For us to be whole in Himself. Why should this not be our desire too?
My point is that when we begin to see God’s desire for His creation to be whole and complete as was its original design we begin to see how deep His love goes. From the instant Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden, God has desired to bring humanity back to wholeness. All God does is to lead us back to Himself. He gave the Israelites the Law so they would know how to stay close to Him. Throughout history, everything God has done, whether it seems “kind” or “harsh” is from a loving Father who desires His children to return to Him so He can make them whole.
The arrival of Jesus brought us back into wholeness. It may not feel like you are whole right now. It sure doesn’t feel like that for me the majority of the time. Jesus is teaching me that I don’t need to feel something in order for it to be true. If I truly believe in the words of my Savior then I know that I am whole. I am reconciled by His blood. I am justified in the eyes of my Father. As hard as it is to believe at times, this is who I am. It isn’t a thing of the future; it is a reality of today. This doesn’t mean I don’t still struggle with sin. I do. But I trust my Jesus. I trust that I don’t have to understand everything to believe. I trust that when I sin the Spirit will move in me to move me back into the loving arms of my Father. I trust that, though I still sin today, I will not sin when Jesus makes all things right. I trust that when I am weak and choose sin God is strong and still chooses me.
I believe that His love is greater than my inability to be perfect right now. I trust that as long as I try my hardest to follow in Jesus’ steps I will reach the doorstep of eternity and see my Savior face-to-face. Some days my hardest looks strong. Some days my hardest looks weak and pitiful. But everyday my God tells me, Keep going. I see you. I see your desire when you don’t. Keep going My beloved. Keep trusting in My promises. Keep going.
I pray that you can hear Him speaking these truths over you today. Whether your hardest looks strong or weak today, these truths remain the same. Accept the shalom that Jesus has given you today, friend. Please just take a few minutes and sit… Be still… Wait on the Lord…
Jesus came to give you peace…
Jesus came to give you shalom…
You are whole in Jesus…
Jesus, thank You for being our shalom. Thank You for bringing us reconciliation and wholeness through Your precious blood. When we feel far from Your shalom, remind us of Your words, Spirit. This Christmas we thank You for making us whole as You are whole. Help us live in that wholeness so that others may see You and know You. Amen.
Author:
Hello! I’m the C to KC & Co! My name is Charity, and I am so excited you are checking out our site and blog. My deepest desire is that God will use the words on this blog to encourage, strengthen and deepen your love for Jesus. Read more of my writing here.
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