‘My Peace I Leave With You’
By Dr. Glenn Cope, Tonkawa Church of Christ
It has often been said that the majority of all visits to a primary care physicians were stress related. Americans consume billions of tranquilizers, barbiturates, amphetamines, and sixteen tons of aspirin every year. Most of this is to help alleviate stress or the resulting headaches and pain associated with stress!
Stress is caused by worry and fear, which happens when there’s something that is happening, or CAN happen, that I can’t control. This can happen to any of us. In fact, an interesting verse is “On … the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews…” (John 20:19).
The doors were locked. Why? Because the disciples are afraid! They are afraid because the Jews had Jesus put to death and they were sure they were next. They’re worried, they’re stressed out, they have no control over their fate; they’ve begun to panic!
Was their fear real? Well, there was a justified possibility that those in power would also want to get rid of Jesus’ disciples. But whether their fear was justified or not… they’ve locked the door, barred the windows, and they’re HIDING in this room. And they ARE afraid! And then Jesus shows up. And He gives them – PEACE.
Jesus had promised in John 14:27, “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.”
Isaiah declared about the coming Messiah: “unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; … and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, prince of PEACE. Of the increase of his government AND OF PEACE THERE WILL BE NO END” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
And that’s why Peter wrote: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
That’s wonderful news! But exactly HOW do we do lay hold of His peace? Perhaps, the answer to that question is why we’re being told this story about the disciples in John 20. They’re not feeling “the peace” right now. They’re afraid and their lives have fallen apart. But then… Jesus shows up. And Jesus does some things that change their lives and can change ours too!
The first thing Jesus does when he appears to them,
