Only Christ Can Give Peace - John 19-21

 John 20:19-22 (ESV Strong's)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Only Christ Can Give Peace

After Christ’s resurrection, Christ showed Himself to His disciples.   In those meetings He was encouraging them, instructing them, and even correcting them.   In the above passage we read that Christ spoke to them, “Pease be with you.”   The Hebrews understood a phrase like this, as it was the standard way to greet someone by saying, “Shalom” (which is Hebrew for “peace”).   In the above passage we read, on two occasions, that Christ speaks the words, “Pease be with you.”   It should be noted that this is the first time we read those words after the resurrection.   Now that Christ has died for their sins and has defeated death, He also destroyed the hostility between God and man.  Note:

Romans 5:1 (ESV Strong's)

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus broke down the enmity between God and man.  When Jesus says, “peace be with you,” He literally was delivering “peace” to them.   We have an entire world seeking peace.   But, we only get peace because Jesus speaks it into our lives.  It is by faith that we believe that Jesus provides us peace in the midst of our circumstances.  Jesus does not change the disciples circumstances.  In fact, after His accession to heaven, the disciples will all suffer more than they have ever suffered.   Yet, Jesus speaks to them, peace.   If we want peace in our lives despite our circumstances, we have to realize that it is only given by Christ and only received by faith in His Word; His promise to provide peace.   He does that by providing the Holy Spirit in our lives.  The Spirit gives us strength to have faith to receive faith in the midst of poor circumstances.   The disciples have just seen their Savior crucified.   They are about to see Him ascend to heaven.   They now have the Spirt of God to give them peace.  Remember, peace is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).   If we want peace, despite our circumstances we have understand that Christ suffered for us to have that peace and provided the Spirit for us to experience that peace ... despite our circumstances.