Discipleship and Peace
Scripture
Read John
14:23-17
Key Verse
“My peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to
you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do
not be afraid.”
Study
As the
disciples were warned about the suffering that they would endure,
the question must be asked “Why would anyone wish to be a
disciple?”
We will close
our study on discipleship on a positive note.
Jesus did not leave us alone to fend for ourselves. John takes a
lot of space to record Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit. Part of
the promise of the Holy Spirit is that we would have peace.
Trouble and
peace should go hand in hand. John 16:32-33 records more of Jesus’
words about peace, “But a time is coming, and has come, when you
will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all
alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told
you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world
you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the
world.”
What is the
source of a Christian’s peace?
We are given
peace supernaturally through the Holy Spirit. We can find peace in
knowing that Christ has overcome the world. We can be granted peace
by the words or actions of another believer. We must be careful,
though, and acknowledge that true peace can only come through
knowing Jesus Christ as Savior. There’s a bumper sticker that sums
this up well: No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace.
How can we
help promote peace in the lives of others who need it?
Three times in
on John 20 Jesus greets the disciples by saying “Peace be with you.”
(Verses 19, 21, & 26) We don’t give our peace to someone just by
saying the words and granting it to them. However, this greeting is
rooted in the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is recorded in
only one other place, Luke 24:36, and all four instances occur after
Jesus’ resurrection. As a man, Jesus could only give the peace of
one man to another. However, as resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus
could give true peace that was rooted in His victory over the world.
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