The Advent of Peace | Future Glory In Peace
Advent is certainly a time to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ. We gather together, to celebrate that our God took on flesh in the infant Jesus Christ in order to bear the full weight of our sin and sickness upon Himself. In doing so, Jesus finalized all that was necessary for peace in the midst of utter and complete chaos. Yet, as much as we should celebrate the first coming of Jesus Christ, we cannot neglect the second coming of Jesus Christ as well. The gift of God made flesh remains the best gift for all mankind, yet, one day Jesus Christ will return in a final culmination to return all people to Himself. One day, every knee will bow before the Lord in submission to Him as a sovereign King over all creation. After Jesus’ first coming, the people were left with the reminder of the coming peace and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.” (John 14:27-31, ESV)
As Jesus departed, He left with the promise of the coming Spirit. This Spirit brought the peace of God, being the third person in the Trinity. Jesus, who sends the Holy Spirit, goes to the Father and advocates for us on our behalf. Our ultimate peace comes at the final coming of Jesus Christ to return all things to Himself and finalize the work of God in all creation. With the Spirit within us, we can live at peace by His constant renewal in our lives. Then, in that final day when Christ returns, the spiritual battle will reach its fated conclusion as we live in eternity with our wonderful maker and our King, as the Bride of Jesus Christ. Our peace comes in the security that the war is finished through Christ’s work and that we will be with Him forever.
Peace In The Spirit
Jesus promised the people that He would love His peace with them as He went to the Father. At the time of John 14, these words might have seemed cryptic at first. After all, the people could not possibly understand the implication that Jesus would one day depart from them. This was supposed to be the King that would rule and reign over all Israel, bringing peace to the nation, who was now talking about the day He would not be here. The promise, though, was that Jesus would be succeeded by His peace coming after Him. Furthermore, this peace would be different than the peace that the world understood. The people sought the peace of geopolitical figures (only insofar as Jesus fought for their victory). The first coming of Jesus Christ meant that peace was shortly at hand. Yet, that peace would far exceed the scope of anything the people thought. It would defeat the spiritual forces of darkness and sin to restore humanity’s right standing with God. More than that, however, Jesus would send the Holy Spirit to dwell within us
The Spirit within us shapes, molds, and transforms us to resonate with his peace. When the Spirit resides within us, we experience the peace of God beyond our circumstances. It brings reforms us to the right standing with God and restores us the peace that comes from being in the presence of God. We bring the peace of God with us when the Spirit of God resides in us. As Jesus leaves to intercede on our behalf to the Father, we have the peace of the Spirit to guide us and shine through us. No circumstance can unseat God from His position on the throne or in our heart or rend us from the presence of God. Our circumstances do not define the peace we experience but the God who resides within us. Our peace rests in the Holy Spirit’s presence within us that God does not leave us or forsake us, but gives His peace to dwell within us for His glory.
Eternal Victory to End the War
We can experience peace in our daily life. Yet, an even greater gift of peace comes on the day that Christ returns. Jesus promises that there will be trials, difficulty, persecution. Some may even lose their life for the sake of following God. Even in those, we can have peace. “Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:32-33, ESV) Jesus’ promise likely took time to process and understand. Peace, to the people mean that they would not need to endure trials and tribulations. But, just as before, the scope of the people’s understanding fell short. Christ did not seek to establish a peace of geopolitical rivalries but a peace that would finalize the effects of sin and death.
In our current day, we stand in the midst of a spiritual battle that has wages on for years. Jesus’ second coming will bring this spiritual battle to it final conclusion. In the end, Christ will consummated His victory that He inaugurated in His first coming. For now, we stand between the security of eternal peace and the final day when that peace is realized. Furthermore, the world will hate us for following Jesus Christ. Just as the world rejects Jesus, the world will reject us as well. In this, we do not need to be dismayed or fear being conquered as Jesus Christ has already declared victory over all things that sought to destroy His people. Peace will grow and flourish in the second coming of Jesus Christ which will see the end of the waging spiritual battle and finalize His peace.
