Christ’s Gift of Peace Under the New Covenant

Jesus gave his disciples a very precious gift on the night of his last Passover with them. I want to speak about that gift today and bring it into our lifetime and our experience as well. After he had given them the bread and the wine as symbols of the new covenant, he spoke of many principles and promises upon which the new covenant is established.

And among those were the gift of his peace. Really appreciated the first message and the song choices that focused on this aspect of the relationship with God to have peace with him. Jesus said to his disciples that night, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you." This is a gift, brethren, that he gives to all of us.

And we all very much need it. Peace. His peace. And what a precious gift it is then and still is today in our life. And Jesus himself knows that we all need it. I could go around the room and in private conversations I have from time to time and realize the need for peace in my life and yours and other people around us.

I give you a little hint about how I began to prepare for this sermon topic today. There's another congregation halfway around the world where some of us serve and those people live in a place where there is an ongoing insurgency and civil war. where they are not at peace in a literal sense. There is war going on in their own nation and sometimes in their own local city where they live and it affects God's people directly.

So I was thinking of them and how could I give a sermon to them and encourage them. They're in a different situation than we are here. They are so very new to the faith and they need to hear this from a different point of view. But you are more mature in the faith. And I want to elevate today this subject of the peace that Jesus Christ gives to us to a higher level that we can understand and and comprehend and benefit from today.

And so the title for the message and I want to raise it as high as we can. The title for the message is Christ's new covenant gift of peace. And I title it this way because it was during the Passover service when he spoke of this to his disciples. It was during that night with them when he was opening to them the understanding of this new covenant and the giving of the symbols of the bread and the wine.

And there was so much more that he covered with them. And I wanted to reach out in the scriptures and look and see what we can find about this particular gift that he gives to each one of us. So the approach I'm taking today is I serve at his table. And Christ said that he wanted his disciples to bring food in due season.

And so as one who brings food to his people on this Sabbath day, serving in that way, serving at his table, I want to take on the role of a teacher. I want to give a brief expository view of this gift of peace at the highest level that we can find in the scriptures. I want to show from scripture how this gift of God's peace is truly a new covenant promise that connects us with God and with Jesus Christ and with one another.

We heard in the first message about relationships and this extends it and builds on the concept of building and growing in our relationships with God, with Christ and with one another as well. There are three key verses that I want to cover today to expound a little bit to help us to grow as Peter said in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And God's word teaches and explains the deep spiritual meaning of the precious gift of peace that Jesus Christ has given. And that's where I want to focus our attention today. And I know that this subject could be spoken of, written about in many, many different ways. There's so many verses in the scriptures that that relate to it.

But I want to take a little approach uh expo ex expository approach toward three of the verses that speak of peace. And the first of these is in John 14 verse 27. We heard in the first message some verses from this chapter already in John 14 and verse 27. And again with the realization that this was part of the message that Jesus Christ gave to his disciples who were with him on that night of Passover when he washed their feet, when he gave to them the symbols of the bread and the wine, when he walked with them then to the Mount of

Olives and where he continued his preaching and teaching to them in a personal sense with the disciples who had spent three and a half years with him. He was very intimate relationship there. And he was giving them what they really needed at that time. And we read in John 14 and verse 27 these words, peace I leave with you.

My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You know, that verse is often read during the Passover service as well and many other times during the years in our own readings and sometimes it can just be part of the large chapter and we're reading and we read through it.

Today I want to take our time and analyze that verse and see what Jesus was saying to us in this one particular moment during that Passover service. Peace. He said the Greek word is important. It's it's it's used in many ways, but there's a focus that is brought by the context of each time this Greek word is used.

And here the focus is um it's it's used in a way as vines describes it this way. the harmonized relationships between God and man, the sense of rest and contentment, consequent thereof, the sense of rest and commitment that is caused by this peace that we have between us and God, between us and Jesus Christ, between us and one another.

This is something that we should notice that peace produces good. Peace brings results that are so very good and so very needed and so very helpful. And Jesus was beginning as he spoke of these things to to to guide his disciples into what was possible and what would happen and what could be theirs and what he wanted them to have.

In Strong's dictionary, this word for peace in Greek, it's e i r e n e. And it means this. It means of of course the word peace, but also quietness, rest, set at one again to bring people back into harmony with one another in a relationship. And it is the reference to our frame of mind and our relationship with God and with Christ.

We'll see this concept more as we proceed. But as we go, let's start thinking what does peace mean? What does it create? What does it what kind of benefit comes to us from this gift of Jesus Christ? He said, "Peace I leave with you." As we just take these word by word, phrase by phrase, we can see more of the meaning here. He leaves peace with us.

In the companion Bible, there's a note and it says this phrase with you means to you. I leave this to you. What will you do with this peace I leave to you? You know, we could think of that in different ways as it applies in our life and somebody will leave something to us and then we pick it up and use it in a beneficial way.

This peace I leave with you and it flows through the messages as Christ continues. It's something truly that has been given to us by him also when it speaks of him leaving it. He had just shortly before this mentioned to his disciples that he would not be with them very much in very much longer. That he would be going somewhere and they would not be able to follow.

And yet he would leave with them his peace. This is a common Hebrew greeting. Peace for instance. Peace I leave with you. A very common greeting. But Jesus Christ himself used this style of greeting and used this style of speaking to his disciples in ways that adds depth to the meaning. It's it's more than just passing someone and saying peace, brother.

This is a deep meaning that that Jesus Christ wanted to convey. And hold your place here. We're going to turn a few chapters forward to John chapter 20 and see how Christ used the same phrase again in John 20 and verse 19. It says this was now after his resurrection and the disciples are there and he's coming among them in a special way.

In verse 19 of chapter 20 then the same day and evening this was the day after he had been raised. This would have been the first day of the week as it says when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, "Peace be with you. Peace be with you.

" See, it was so important before his crucifixion that he gave them this gift. And now afterwards, he comes and he says it again. Peace be with you. He wanted them to to know and believe that these things were truly theirs. Verse 21, it says, "Then Jesus said to them again, peace to you." He's giving them this gift again. He's reminding them it's theirs.

He's telling them they have it. They can use it. They can use it to improve their lives and their relationships with him and with God. As the father has sent me, I also send you. There's a peacefulness, but there's a forward momentum as well. We have things to do since we are at peace. He's letting us know these things.

And then verse 26, and after 8 days, his disciples were again inside and Thomas with him. And Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst of them and say, and said, peace to you. Again and again, we see that this is so important to Jesus Christ. And I think it's really helpful for me and I hope it is for you to see his desire that we have this very special gift that he gives to us.

He said, "My peace I give to you." Back in John 14 verse 27, as you read the next phrases, it says, "My peace I give to you." It's a very special quality of peace that he had. My peace would be the peace he had with his father. The peace he had with his own understanding of his work and what he was doing. His the peace he had with them.

His desire that they also have the same peace that he enjoyed. My peace he said I give to you. Isaiah had written many years before of the Messiah as the prince of peace. And so often in scriptures we see this relationship of him being the owner of peace. The one who is the the the only one who can bring this kind of peace to the people of the world.

He's the only one who can bring this quality of peace, the true peace with God and man. And he's giving it to his disciples on that night. My peace I give to you. I know I need that and I know we all do. Jesus himself knew that we all need that. The word give, he says, "My peace I give to you." The word give is the same word as in John 3:16 where it says for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.

These are special things that are being given. God gave us his son. Jesus Christ gave us his peace. It's also the same word that's translated in 1 John 3. And I'll read that for you. 1 John 3 and verse one. It says, "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, given to us." God has bestowed such great love on us.

And these are the words that Jesus was using that night as he gave this gift to his disciples. my peace. He said what Jesus was giving them was something he owned and had and such beautiful and super quality of it. The peace that was his, the true spiritual peace, giving it to them. Sometimes I I wonder how I might have reacted had I been among them that night hearing these words.

You think about it and you realize that the apostles who were there and they were going through some very difficult times and Jesus knew that the next few days were going to be really intensely difficult for them. And he's calming them. He's saying even so there's peace. Think of this and remember this as you go through these days that are ahead.

We can look now having the history of the scriptures, having our own calling, having the spirit of God to understand what they didn't yet understand. We have those things too so we can understand this peace more fully. And God intended that we do. And he inspired the apostles to write further about this gift. And Jesus said, "Not as the world gives do I give to you.

" He he makes this little touch of that contrast. And we could go and spend hours and days reading about the contrast of what the world gives, what the world thinks of peace. He says, "Not that. That's not it. The world doesn't know the way to peace." But he's saying, "I'm giving you something that's so much different and better.

" He mentions the contrast in this giving. and and I almost went in that direction and started reading on my own study. I did all those many things in the scriptures that relate to what the world doesn't understand. But I want to focus on what Jesus gave us on that evening when he was expounding the new covenant to his brethren that night.

It's a gift for every disciple, for every one of us. He said to them, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." The scripture speaks of the heart, which we also heard in the first message. The heart is the center of our complex being. The human that you are, that I am, our physical, moral, but also our spiritual and our intellectual understanding.

The heart in this context is the distinctive principle of a person's life or our soul. And with and through our heart, we feel emotions of joy or sorrow. And they're ascribed both to the heart and to the soul in scripture. I'm getting some of this information from some of the books that I read such as word studies in the New Testament Greek authored by Vincent volume two in page 237.

I want you to know and I want to us to to to give attribution to those who have given the research. You know some things we can research our own but sometimes if we don't know the language like Greek we can look and read from those who do and we can hear more fully what those words mean in the original languages.

And that's what I was looking at. The heart is such a special thing. And Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled." You think what those disciples were going to soon be facing. And he's telling them, "Don't let it trouble you. Don't let that frighten you. Neither let it neither let it be afraid. Don't let your heart be afraid." He's saying this word, this phrase let not.

It shows that there's something that we need to do in engaging in this and Christ gives us the gift of peace, but we have to accept it and believe it and know it and let it strengthen us. Let not our heart be troubled when we face those trials, whatever your trials are. And we all have them. Yours are different than mine.

We face many things together sometimes. But we don't have to be troubled. Let not your heart be troubled. It shows that we as individuals need to engage in the using of this gift of peace. Let it sink in. Let it change us. Let it strengthen us. Let it give us the hope of the future. You can see in verse one again where he uses this phrase says in chapter 14 and verse one, let not your heart be troubled.

You believe in God, believe also in me. And he begins there and he he he brings this more and more as we look into his word about believing and faith. This gift is such an incredible gift, but we have to believe that it's ours. We have to believe in God and in Christ and that they are giving us this peace. In the NIV study Bible, it says, "The disciples had just received some troubling news that Jesus would soon not be with him.

" You can see that in the previous chapter in verse 33, 36. They're hearing these things from him. I'm not going to be with you very much longer. And indeed, it was just a short while later that he was arrested. But he was strengthening them. He was giving them the the gift of peace so that they could go on. But in order, he's showing us for that to be ours, we have to believe. We have to trust.

And faith helps settle our troubled hearts like they did then they needed to believe and like that for us too. We need to believe that he gives us this peace. This word afraid neither let your heart be afraid. This is the only time in the New Testament where that word is used that Greek word and and it means to show cowardice.

pretty strong word and Christ there with his disciples that night saying it's going to be so intense don't be afraid don't be a coward he's telling these men who were there with him don't let that cowardice overwhelm you and the fear of persecution turn you away from what is right it's the only place where it's used and the noun form of this word occurs only once in the New Testament as well and that is in 2 Timothy 1 and verse 7.

You might want to open and look and see this read it there in your own Bible and 2 Timothy 1 and verse 7 because here it gives the positive side of this this word from the Greek language. 2 Timothy 1 and verse 7. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, a spirit of cowardice, same word, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

That word given, by the way, is the same word as Christ who's giving them this gift of peace. And God has given us a spirit of power. And so we don't have to let our hearts be troubled. No matter what we face, no matter the things we're going through, we can have that gift that strengthens us and gives us the the love and soundmindedness that we need to be followers of Jesus Christ.

Do you notice as we read these things the meaning that is being developed in the scripture and added to what Jesus said that night? What they could only understand a little but then it began to be inspired more for the disciples to write for us later about the spirit in our minds with the gift of God's peace.

God's spirit helps us not to be afraid and not to respond in a coward cowardly way. But again, the disciples didn't yet have that spirit that evening in John 16 in verse 33. And again let's realize and remember and as we come in a seven weeks from now in few days plus to go to to keep the Passover service let's keep all of this time of his preaching on that night in our mind in John's 134 15 16 and the prayer he gave in John 17 all happened on that same night.

This is just part of what he was speaking of in John 16 and verse 33. It says, "These things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace." In me, he says, "You may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation." So he's telling them and us that having his peace doesn't mean we're going to have no more problems in life.

It just means that when we do have a tribulation of some sort, whatever it might be, personal or national illness or war, whatever the tribulation is, that we need not be afraid, but be of good cheer. He says, "I have overcome the world." That's the case for us as well to be of good cheer. We have tribulations.

while ago in the first message, we were encouraged to look around the room and I encourage this again and think about what our brothers and sisters are going through, the tribulations that we have and we face and we all do. And Jesus knew we would. And he's giving us this gift. What was he referring to when he says, "I have overcome the world on that night with his disciples.

" He's overcoming the world. Let's consider the next key verse about the gift of Christ's new covenant gift of peace and how and when he overcame the world. So, this second verse that we'll look at in some detail, and this may seem like a big leap as we go here, but let's follow something very important, keeping in mind that we're speaking about the new covenant level of peace.

And I keep saying this because it was on that night and it means something. It's connected directly to the new covenant that Jesus Christ gave his disciples since given to us. And remembering as it says in the book of Hebrews that the new covenant is established on better promises. We start looking at what those better promises are.

And one of those is directly and clearly connected with the gift of peace that Jesus Christ gives to us. Let's begin seeing this in Romans chapter 5 and verse one. This is the key verse and we'll use a few others to to add to this as well. But look in Romans chapter 5 and verse one where it says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

" Brethren, there's a lot packed in that verse. So very much. And if we take the time, and I'll just just give a summary of it here in the message today, we'll see some very important things about peace. He starts this with the word therefore. And so you might want to look back and see what he said before this.

Referring back to chapter 4, we see where Paul addressed three related concerns that were there. He's speaking of being justified, but he's already shown that we are not justified by works. That's in chapter 4 verse 1-8. We're not justified through ordinances. That's in chapter 4 verse 9-12. And we're not justified by the keeping of the law.

And that's in chapter 4 verse 13-2. This chapter starts with the word therefore. Therefore referring to what is to come. We have been justified. The point that we want to notice is this. We having been justified by faith. This is an important concept for us to see. When and how were we justified? How does that happen? How did God make it possible for us to be justified? Short answer would be through the death of Jesus Christ who died for us so that he would take on himself the price, the cost, the guilt of our sins so that we could be justified before God our father.

in one of my reference books simply referred to as Worst. It's word studies in the Greek New Testament in volume one. I'm just paraphrasing. It says there this verse being in the aeros tense in the Greek is indicating the definite time at which each person upon exercise of faith was justified. Now this is connecting with peace and with being justified.

Vines writes it this way and I'm again paraphrasing what we see there. To be justified in this context means to be declared to be righteous before God on certain conditions laid down by him. Are you justified? Yes. Every Christian is it's a gift that comes to us through Jesus Christ. When we believe and when we act on that belief through repentance, baptism, receiving of his spirit, justification is the legal and formal acquitt from guilt by God as judge.

We can be at peace with him because we are justified. The pronouncement of the sinner as being righteous and the one who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. So how are we justified? It says by faith. By believing. Remember what we read back in John 14 verse1. You believe in God, believe also in me.

Believe in these things. We have this faith. And through that faith and through the actions and the work of Jesus Christ, the gift of peace is given to us through being justified before God. This is such a powerful new covenant gift. Think of what this means. We have peace with God. Do you see? Look on this page again. Romans 5:1.

Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is something different than peace of God in our hearts. This is peace between us and God. He is at peace with us. We are at peace with him through faith in Jesus Christ. This is more than a change in our feelings.

It's a legal thing between us and God in the righteousness of God that makes this possible. It's a change in God's relationship with us. It happens only through Jesus Christ and only by faith. So when we have these things that he has given to us, it results in having been justified. You see that it's past tense. Romans 5:1, having been justified has already been given to us.

Those of us who have heeded the call of God and followed the way that he shows this results in justification. So peace with God has to do with this. It's a it's a legal standing. And every Christian, every one of us must have this peace in order to have a relationship with God that binds us to him as children to bring us into his family.

This is what this is. The verb form of the Greek word for peace means to bind together that which has been separated. And Jesus Christ is the one who makes this possible to bind us together with God. So hold your place here in Romans 5. We'll be back shortly, but I want to look at a few verses to expound on this just a little bit.

In Isaiah chapter 53 verse 4 and 5, Isaiah 53 in prophecies of the Messiah who would come and what he would do and accomplish. is Isaiah 53 and verse4. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions and was bruised for our iniquities.

And then notice the next phrase. The chastisement for our peace was upon him. The chastisement that would he would take upon himself and gladly take the cost of sin upon himself for each one of us was for our peace and the giving of the peace that we need with God to help reconcile us to him. This chastisement which produces our peace was upon him.

In Colossians chapter 1 verse 19 and 20 we see as well for it pleased the father that in him all the fullness should dwell and by him to reconcile all things to himself by him whether things on earth or things in heaven having made peace through the blood of his cross. How do we have the peace of God that Jesus Christ gives? And why do I say and why do I keep pointing back to the fact that it's a new covenant gift? It's because it is that we have peace through the blood of his cross.

It's such an important aspect when when you think of Christ saying to his disciples, "My peace I give to you. Don't let your heart be troubled. This peace is for you. It's real. It's effective. It binds us back to God our father. We begin to see how meaningful this gift is. In Colossians 1 now verse 21 and 22.

And you who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled, brought us back together with him in the body of his flesh through death. To present you holy and blameless and irreachable in his sight. To be at peace with God. To have that kind of peace with God.

It comes through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Let's go back to Romans chapter 5 a bit more on verse one. Now the word with in the Greek is P R O S pros and it means facing. We have peace facing God. Having been justified by faith, we face him. We come before him. When you're praying sometimes, do you look up as it says in some of the scriptures, do you think about being in the presence of God at his very throne? And we have the right to be there because we have received the peace of Jesus Christ given to us.

we're completely justified and we can come before God guiltless and we can pray for things that other people need. You know there are the times we come and we say father I have sinned please will you forgive me that's when we need that kind of connection there but we can come at other times and be completely open with him intercessory prayer for other people saying my friend is sick will you heal them will you bless your people in that far and distant country we can come with open heart and open mind and it's not about us it's about helping other

people. It's about being at peace with the family of God and with God himself. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. What an awesome gift it is. In Romans 5 and verse two, it gives a description of this quality of peace with God. What's it like? What's the Bible say about this peace? We've read some in Colossians already here in Romans 5:2 is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.

We stand we can be standing face facing God and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Peace brings rejoicing. Peace brings openness. Peace is so wonderful that it's just described in so many different ways in the scriptures. This word access is the act of bringing to a moving to we have access like I could step from behind this lectern and move toward one of you and I would have access to you to come before you.

We have access to God in this way. It speaks of a friendly relation with God whereby we are acceptable to him and have assurance from him that he is favorably disposed toward us. The word is used of a person who brings another into the presence of a third party. You ever had this happen where someone will say, "Come with me.

I want you to meet someone very important to me and they will take you and introduce you to someone. This is the the concept of this meeting that Christ brings us before God guiltless because he has justified us fully. Let's see some of the context that Paul included here. Just read verses 6- 11 in this chapter of Romans 5 and and you see how it connects us.

This this concept of peace brings us together in these very powerful ways. Verse six, for when we were still without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Think about that night. John 14, John 15:16. You see when it was leading up to this and Jesus knew that now Paul is writing some years later being inspired by God to write these things to add to the details of that occurrence.

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. And yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love toward us. And that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He's bringing peace by doing this awesome work for us to take upon himself those things. Much more than having now been justified. See the concept builds.

Justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, now this is the result of peace is being described, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Something to rejoice about. Jesus Christ says, "My peace I give to you." Oh, what a great blessing. We can rejoice. We can draw near to him. There's one there's a third way, a third verse that I would like to speak about today as well. And this is where I began my study a few weeks ago. And we we look at things and we see yes it is by belief in Jesus Christ, by belief in his word, his name, through his perfect sacrifice through repentance and baptism, the beginning of our calling.

But brethren, we're still here. We're still flesh and blood. We still have weaknesses. And then what? How do we have the peace of God, the peace that Jesus Christ gave to us and still be in these fleshly bodies with these weaknesses that beset us? So then what? This is actually an important part and where I was thinking when I first started to put these notes together.

In Philippians 4 verse 6 and 7, be anxious for nothing. It says in verse 6, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. See here, we're already in that relationship. We're we're already aware of things and we're saying we don't have to be anxious for anything, but we find that we are from time to time.

Let your requests be made known to God. The God who opened that door to us through Jesus Christ so that we can come to him. Verse seven, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The peace of God. See, in Romans 5, we're talking about being at peace with God through justification.

And now we have the peace of God. And this is through sanctification. We are sanctified to be the children of God, to be the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. We're sanctified by his word, and we walk in newness of life. We're sanctified to go on this way. Here the gift is referred to as the peace of God and you have it and I have it.

But some days we don't have it as much as others and we need to keep coming back. Will you strengthen me? Give me again this peace that I need and I know you can give. It's the same peace that Christ has given to us. You know those disciples, they went through a lot in those next few days and we read about it in the book of Acts.

We read about it how difficult it was for them and their heart was troubled and Christ came back and he strengthened them again and he encouraged them again to accept that peace that he has given to them and he does this continually with us. But there's that difference of being at peace with God and having the peace of God in our hearts.

Two different things. We need them both. And they're both new covenant promises. Sanctification is a promise we have through Jesus Christ. Remember what Jesus said that night. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. His peace is for our lifetime, our daily living and growing and overcoming as well as for our initial justification as we come to him.

This aspect of the peace of Jesus Christ focuses on the new covenant promise that we need so very much of being his people, being called out of this world, being placed into the body of Christ, being brothers and sisters of one another. It draws attention to actions that produce peace, that demonstrate peace, makes it manifest in our life.

How do you know that you're at peace? It's in our hearts, in our minds. In Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 29, there's a phrase there. It says, "The blood of the covenant by which we were sanctified." We are sanctified through that same sacrifice that brings us justification also brings us this promise of being sanctified.

In Philippians 4 and verse 7 it says, "And the peace of God," let me just spend a little bit more time with that. In the NIV book, the study Bible, it says this. It's not merely a psychological state of mind, but an inner tranquility based on peace with God. We have peace with God, and now we can have the peace of God in our hearts. The peaceful state of those whose sins are forgiven.

It's building on what we read in John chapter 14 and Romans chapter 5. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 and verse 16. He wrote this. Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way. We need that peace not just once, not just upon repentance when we come before him again to repent, but we need it always. We need it in every way.

And as Paul wrote in Philippians 4, it surpasses all understanding. How can a person be at peace when they are being martyed? And yet Stephen was and many others throughout history. How can a Christian be at peace when they're dying? And yet we can be and many have been and many will be. We can be at peace even though we go through tribulations.

We can have that sincere peace of God in our hearts. is different than the peace of this world. And it says here in Philippians 4 and verse 7, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ will guard our hearts. This is if you research the words in many different books of Greek dictionaries, lexicons, you will see this. It's a military concept, guarding.

It's like a garrison at a fort and there are centuries on duty to guard the people who are inside. It's a military term. It's a concept depict depicting this guarding of something precious or someone precious to God. It's God's protective custody of those who are in Christ Jesus and it extends to the core of their beings and to their deepest intentions.

I've been blessed to see the examples of people whose hearts are guarded this way at times of great distress and yet they are so peaceful. Not unaware of their difficulties, not unaware of the things they're suffering, but at peace about it, looking forward to what God will yet give to them in their life. In first Peter 5, we see the same word kept.

Let's read in first Peter five one first Peter 1 and verse 5 is speaking of us who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. So we can be at peace knowing that God will keep his promises to us and we can be sure of salvation. We can be a fully fully aware that whether we go through the worst situations that you could imagine, we will be saved.

We will be be given salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. We're kept by the power of God through fa through faith. This is the kind of peace that Jesus Christ gives to us. And this peace is something that then the peace of God in our hearts is something that we need to maintain. Remember Christ said, "Let not your heart be troubled.

" We have take action ourselves to stay close to him in this way. has to be maintained. It's not static. It's the result of the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds and our response to it can change from hour to hour. Sometimes it does. You know, something will happen and we're suddenly on edge and then we can come back and be at peace again.

We can stumble. We can do things that we don't really want to do. as Paul wrote about, you know, the apostles went through these things too and God was with them and helped them through it. But the gift of peace that Jesus Christ gives us, it says, surpasses all understanding. How can someone love us so much that we can be given this quality of peace? It surpasses our ability to describe.

It's such a wonderful gift that we can receive that peace from Jesus Christ. We see it's a fruit of the spirit. It's one of those things that can grow in us and the peace of God in our hearts that is placed there by the Holy Spirit. As we wind this down, I want to read one more verse in Romans. This one is chapter 15.

Romans 15 and verse 13. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. This gift that we receive from Jesus Christ is given directly from him to us, from God our father to us as well. And it comes through his Holy Spirit, through belief and faith.

These things build. And so, brethren, here's really the reason I'm speaking about this today. It won't be too long and we'll be back here for the Passover service and we'll be reading things and hearing things and participating in things together that are so very meaningful. But let's keep this in mind too that part of Passover is receiving of the peace that Jesus Christ gives to us.

As he said in John 14 and verse 27, he gives us the gift of peace and it's essential part of the new covenant. And in Romans 5, we see that it's peace with God that we have that open relationship with our father in heaven. We can come before him and look him, look toward him. We can't see him yet, but we will one day.

We have that peace with God. And we have the peace of God that helps us in our daily lives living and walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in a peaceful way with him and with each other. And Paul wrote one other time in the book of second Corinthians. He wrote this as he closed the book. Finally, brethren, farewell.

Become complete. Be of good comfort. Be of one mind. Live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. What wonderful blessings we have that Jesus Christ has given to us. The new covenant blessing of peace.