The Advent of Peace | Passing Understanding
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The first coming of Jesus instituted an epoch of peace throughout humanity. Most people assumed, however, this peace would come through geopolitical changing of rule and the Messiah would come as a divine King from heaven to save the nation state of Israel and establish His Kingdom. For many, this type of peace would have made sense and been completely understandable for a King to come in military might to remove the occupying foe. Yet, the coming of peace in Jesus Christ defied the expectations of the people to bring about the intended peace.
The life of Jesus Christ brought peace to all the world, going beyond the political strife to the heart of the issue. The scope of peace would extend far beyond anyone’s expectation with a peace that passes all understanding. Jesus sought to defeat the spiritual powers of darkness and sin to finalize the institution of an eternal kingdom, perfect in all its glory. And yet, the peace of God that comes in Jesus Christ is not just concerned with the broad strokes of life. With Christ taking on the form of man, God inserts Himself into the day to day of the believer as well. The peace of God is an expansive peace that fuels our ability to rejoice in the Lord. It guards and protects our hearts by the strength of Jesus Christ.
Peace Over Death and Sin
For all the struggles of the Israelites, from slavery, to exile, to Roman oppression, it seemed like they would be a people constantly at war. At every turn, the people of God had to fight for the every inch of every promise of God (although we know it is God who won the victory for them). Often times, it likely felt like it was the people of God against the world as they waited for the long prophesied Messiah who would come and rescue the people from bondage. In truth, the prophets spoke true to the word of God given to them, yet missed the full scope of what God has sought to do. The issues that plagued the world were not war between various sects of mankind, but the larger spiritual battle that continuously raged onward beyond the sight of mankind. Sin had run rampant throughout the world, having been fully embraced by mankind, held dominion over the lives of people. The Advent of Christ, through the work of Jesus on the cross, defeated the powers of sin and death and established peace for all mankind.
Sin has enchained mankind who could not free themselves from its grasp. Furthermore, with God being a holy and perfect, sin had separated us from the presence of God. By design, we were always intended to be in relationship with God and be in His presence as recipients of His love for His glory. The separate of sin sent the world into chaos and decay that we ourselves were unable to solve. Of our own devices, we would all be embrace the sickness and sin until the day we die. Jesus Christ made the first move to bring peace to a rebellious people by dying for their sins. Eternal peace is found as Jesus Christ secures the victory over sin, sickness, and death. In Him, we know that there is nothing that can overcome or overpower our sovereign King of Kings, we can enter into eternal peace and return to the presence of God for all eternity.
Peace During Times of Trial
As Jesus comes into the world, not only does He secure the divine and everlasting peace, but the advent of Jesus Christ establishes the peace in the midst of our daily life. As Paul writes to the Philippians, he talks about the peace that passes all understanding. Where the rest of the world could justify a lack of peace and a chaotic response to the events of the world, the Christian rests in the unending peace of God. This defies expectation, just as the coming of Jesus Christ did. God’s sovereign rule for all eternity lays down the foundation for peace in the world. Now, with the work of Christ complete and His second coming assured, the Christian does not need to fear or fret when things do not go well. Instead, we can stand in peace knowing that God’s victory applies to the greatness of the issue of sin in the world, but also to the minute details of our life.
For the believer, trials and difficult times are unavoidable and in fact, they are promised as things we will endure based on the authenticity of our faith. However, God does not abandon our daily life or simply leave us to face the challenges of today while we wait for eternity. Jesus Christ offers us peace during the promise of trails. When we face trials, difficulties, and persecution, we can stand in the coming of Jesus Christ who brings peace and knowing He will come again! Peace is rooted in our eternal destiny having been secured by Jesus Christ on the cross. God does not promise a life devoid of any difficulty but instead offers a life above difficulty. It is during the times when we rest in the secure arms of the Father that we can find the coming of peace in our daily life.
