With Jesus, We Can Live in Peace
Betsy Bohan, May 2021
https://www.betsybohan.com/links
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Jesus is our God
The moniker “Prince of Peace” was the name given to Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago. In biblical times, people worshipped many gods, not knowing the one true God they should be worshipping. This is acknowledged in both the Bible and in secular texts.
Because humans have a sinful and self-serving nature, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to remedy the world situation. Our sinful nature, combined with sinful behaviors (killing, not loving other people, etc.) warranted a Savior.
What is Peace?
The definition of peace is to be free of trouble, anxiety, and fear. This can mean being free of sickness, worry, and battles in our heart. Internal peace of the soul can be found only through faith in Jesus Christ. In times of great stress, we can find peace in Him when we listen to His word. Jesus came to deliver God’s messages to the world.
What we can Learn from Jesus
· God created Jesus as a perfect human being with supernatural abilities to heal and bring hope to the world. Jesus was sent to us as our Savior and He is the only religious and historical figure that rose from the dead, essentially proving He was who He said He was.
· The Bible tells us God’s word. It is reliable and without error. It is a historical record, written for both Jews and Gentiles.
· The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written by many people who witnessed the life and death of Jesus. It is both sacred and historical, based on eyewitness testimonies.
· There are many religions and forms of spirituality, but the bottom line is that God calls us to follow Jesus and no other. In His role as the Prince of Peace, He calls us to love one another. The Bible was written because Christ saw that men are incapable of being holy and doing what is right. It is common for man to have self-serving goals. Loving others helps us move away from self-sufficiency and toward serving and loving others. Peace in the nations will result when we love God and love one another with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Jesus had 2 goals for us regarding Peace
Humanity is sinful, and God is holy. All of God’s laws for peace among the nations are fulfilled with 2 Commands:
1/ Love the Lord.
2/ Love your Neighbor as Yourself.
Unfortunately, men do not always follow these laws. Jesus came to bridge the gap. He was the perfect, spotless lamb and all of humanity needed something (a bridge) that would overcome death and bring us eternal life. The pagans would bring sacrifices to their gods, over and over—the sacrifices were always temporary. Because the one true God loves the world, Jesus paid our penalty and overcame death through the resurrection.
Jesus reconciled peace between us and God when he atoned for our sins. This is love; He sent His Son, who put the Father’s love for us above all else (1 John 4:10).
Knowledge of God’s plan for humanity brings peace and joy to life, knowing that we need not fear anything in this world when we have God on our side.
3 Specific Bible Verses about Peace:
John 14:27
This verse tells us not to fear, and not to let our hearts be troubled. The world doesn’t give peace; it does not have the capacity. Jesus is the living hope—the hope of the world is dead. In this verse, Jesus is saying “Let my perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you both strength and courage.”
Luke 24:36
In this verse, Jesus appears to the Apostles after the Resurrection. When Peter and John were told Jesus was not in the tomb, they ran to it and saw for themselves that He was not there. But where was He? Jesus shows up later and the Apostles try to get their minds around what has happened. Jesus says “Peace be with you.” Only He can bring us peace when our distress comes from sin.
2 Peter 1:2
Peter is writing to the church during wartime, confirming that peace can only be found through faith in Jesus Christ: “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
For further information, go to:
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Additional Bible Verse Recommendations about the Peace of Jesus
(Taken from https://www.gotquestions.org)
Isaiah 9:6
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
John 14:27
“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.” Here, the foundational meaning of peace is the spiritual harmony brought about by an individual’s restoration with God. Some people mistakenly believe it is about physical safety and political harmony, which isn’t the case here.
Romans 5:10
“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!” In our sinful state, we are enemies with God.
Romans 5:8
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:1
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are restored to a relationship of peace with God.
John 10:27-28
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they know me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” This is the deep, abiding peace between our hearts and our Creator that cannot be taken away and the ultimate fulfillment of Christ’s work as “Prince of Peace.”
Go to:
www.gotquestions.org to continue reading about Christ’s sacrifice and how it allows us to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, the Helper who promises to guide us (John 16:7, 13).