The Peace of Christ

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth [in stinted measure or in perishable quality], give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” —John 14:27

Our Lord’s Last Will and Testament

Thus with abounding compassion and tenderness did our Lord, on the last night of his earthly life, bestow upon his beloved disciples his parting blessing, his legacy of peace. It was the richest legacy he had to bequeath, and was one of priceless value. It was the promise of that tranquility of soul, that rest and ease of mind, which he himself possessed—the peace of God. It was the same peace which the Father has himself always enjoyed, even in the midst of all the commotion which the permission of evil has brought about; but it was not derived from the same source. In Jehovah this peace was self-centered; he realized in himself the omnipotence of power and wisdom; while the peace of Christ was centered, not in himself, but in God, by faith in his wisdom, power, and grace. So also if we would have the peace of God, the peace of Christ—“My peace”—it must, like his, be centered in God by faith.

Yes, the peace of Christ was a priceless legacy. Yet how quickly the storm-cloud of trouble, which was even then growing very dark, burst in its fury upon the heads of those very disciples to whom the words were directly addressed. It followed almost immediately the gracious bequest, and struck consternation, bewilderment, confusion, to their hearts and shook their faith from center to circumference. Then, where was the peace? While the Lord was speaking the words, the foul betrayer, Judas, was out on his murderous errand. Then followed the agony in Gethsemane, and the terror and consternation among the disciples as they began to realize the fate of their beloved Lord. Soon their almost breathless suspense deepened into more fearful forebodings as he stood alone before his merciless accusers and persecutors in the Hall of Pilate and the Court of Herod, while they were powerless to shield him. Then came the tragic end—the horrors of the crucifixion.

What Had Become of the Peace?

Where was the promised peace under such circumstances—when, overcome with fear and dread, they all forsook him and fled; and when Peter, although anxious to defend him, was so filled with fear that three times he denied his Lord and with cursing declared that he never knew him? The explanation is, that the peace had not yet come; for as the Apostle Paul tells us, “Where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament [a bequest] is of force after men are dead; otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.” (Heb. 9:16,17) But as soon as the tragic scene was over and the cry, “It is finished,” fell upon their eager ears, strange as it may seem, there is evidence that peace began to steal into their grieving hearts. The darkend heavens, the quaking earth, the rending rocks, the torn veil of the temple—all spoke to them a message of comfort which the world could not receive.

To the world (Jews and Gentiles, both participating in the crime) the language of these events was that of divine wrath and indignation against them. And as fear fell upon the people, and the clamor and excitement of that awful day died away, they smote upon their breasts and returned to their homes. The Roman centurion and they that were with him, fearing greatly, said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

But to the disciples of the Lord these events spoke a very different language. The cause of their blessed Master was their cause and it was God’s cause. To them these supernatural demonstrations were evidences that God was not regarding this matter with indifference; and though through the veil of darkness they could not read his bright designs, in these events there was to them a whisper of hope.

Three days later hope was revived by the news of our Lord’s resurrection, confirmed to them by his appearance in their midst. Again forty days later hope was strengthened by his ascension after his parting counsel and blessing and promised return, and the instructions to tarry in Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit of adoption, not many days thence—at Pentecost. Then the peace of Christ, the Lord’s rich legacy, began to be realized, and the tarrying days of prayer and expectancy were days of abiding peace—peace which flowed as a river. But when on the day of Pentecost the promised Comforter came, the river of their peace found a deeper bed; and their joy knew no bounds!

“Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace,
Over all victorious in its glad increase.
Perfect; yet it floweth fuller every day;
Perfect; yet it groweth deeper all the way.”

Our Rich Legacy of Peace

But not alone to the early church was this legacy of peace bequeathed. It is the blessed inheritance of the entire church, even to the end of the age. The Lord showed his thought for us all on that very day, when in his prayer he said, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for all those which shall believe on me through their word.”—John 17:20

The peace promised, observe, is not the short-lived peace of the world, which is sometimes enjoyed for a little season—while fortune smiles and friends abound and health endures, but which quickly vanishes when poverty comes in and friends go out, when health fails and death steals away the treasures of the heart. “My peace,” the peace of God which Christ himself by faith enjoyed, who, though he was rich, for our sakes became poor, who lost friend after friend, and in his last hour was forsaken by all of the few that remained—his peace endured through loss, persecution, scorn, and contempt, and even amidst the agonies of the cross. This peace is something which none of the vicissitudes of the present life can destroy, and which no enemy can wrest from us.

What richer legacy could the Lord have left his beloved people? Suppose he had bent his energies during his earthly life to the accumulation of money; and that in so doing he had amassed an immense fortune to leave in the hands of his disciples wherewith to push forward the great work of the age when he should be taken from them; money to pay the traveling expenses of the apostles and to defray the numerous expenses incidental to the starting of the work in various places, such as the renting of lecture rooms, the payment of salaries to traveling brethren, etc. How soon would it all have vanished, and how poor would be our inheritance today! The “man of sin” would surely have gotten hold of it in some way, and not a vestige of the legacy would have reached this end of the age. But, blessed be God, his rich legacy of peace still abounds to his people!

The peace promised is not such as the world can always recognize and appreciate; for the possessor of it, like the Lord himself, and like the Heavenly Father as well, may have a stormy pathway. Indeed, that it must be so to all the faithful until the purposes of God in the permission of evil are accomplished, we are distinctly forewarned, but with the assurance that through all the storms this peace shall abide—“In the world ye shall have tribulation, but in me ye shall have peace.”

Faith the Basis of Peace

If we would know the foundation and security of this abiding peace which is able to survive the heaviest storms of life, we have only to look to the teaching and example of the Lord and the apostles. What was it that held them so firmly and gave them such rest of mind while they suffered? It was their faith—their faith in the love, power, and wisdom of God. They believed that what God had promised, he was able also to perform, and that his righteous and benevolent plan could know no failure. By the mouth of his prophets he had declared, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. … Yea, I have spoken it and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” “The Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it?” (Isa. 46:9-11; 14:27) On the assurances of God they rested. In him their faith was anchored; and it mattered not how fiercely the storms raged or how they were tossed by the tempests of life while their anchor still held fast to the throne of God.

The language of our Lord’s faith was, “O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee.” He had been with the Father from the beginning, had realized his love and his goodness, and had seen his power, and had marked his righteousness and his loving-kindness and fatherly providence over all his works. And so it is written, “By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isa. 53:11) The knowledge which he had of the Father gave to him a firm footing for faith in all God’s purposes concerning the future. Hence he could and did walk by faith. And that faith enabled him to overcome all obstacles and to secure the victory even over death.

So also it is written for our instruction—“This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”—that faith in God built, in our case, upon our Lord’s testimony of the Father; and again it is written that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” It is only through steady, unwavering faith that the peace of God—the peace of Christ—will abide with his people. While the Lord was with his disciples, and they saw in him the manifestation of the Father, their faith was strong and they had peace in him, as he said, “While I was in the world I kept them.” But not until after he had left them was their faith anchored in God. After Pentecost they experienced the same peace that Christ had enjoyed—the blessed peace that came from a knowledge of the fact that God acknowledged them as sons and heirs, and joint-heirs with Christ, if they would continue faithfully to follow in the steps of the Redeemer.

Cultivation of Unwavering Faith

Herein is also the basis of our peace. No matter how fiercely the storms of life may assail us, we must never let go our anchor and allow ourselves to drift, but always remember that “the foundation of God standeth sure”; that “his truth is our shield and buckler”; that “what he has promised he is able also to perform,” notwithstanding our human imperfections and frailties; that covering these we have the imputed righteousness of Christ, our Surety and Advocate; and that “the Father himself loveth” us. He considereth our frame and “remembereth that we are dust,” and so has compassion for the sons of his love and is very pitiful and of tender mercy. Indeed, “What more can he say than to us he hath said,” to assure our faith and to steady and strengthen our hearts to patient endurance in the midst of the trials and conflicts of the narrow way of sacrifice.

There is nothing which puts the Christian at greater disadvantage in the presence of his foes than for him to let go, even temporarily, his grip upon the anchor of faith. Let him do so for a moment, and of necessity darkness begins to gather round him. He cannot see the brightness of his Father’s face; for “without faith it is impossible to please God”; and while he grapples again for the anchor, the powers of darkness fiercely assail him with doubts and fears. These attacks are generally based upon his human imperfections, which he should ever bear in mind are covered by the robe of Christ’s righteousness.

If we would have the peace of God reign in our hearts we must never let go our anchor, “nor suffer Satan’s deadliest strife to beat our courage down.” The language of our hearts should always be, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” With this faith the peace of God, the peace which the Master bequeathed to us, ever abides. Thus “the peace of God which passeth all understanding will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”; for it is written again, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.”

In the midst of the Christian warfare let our hearts be cheered and our minds be stayed, not only with such assurances that all the divine purposes shall be accomplished, but also with such promises of personal favor as these:

“Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him; for he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” “Can a woman forget her suckling child? … Yea, they may forget; yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have engraven thee upon the palms of my hands.” “The Father himself loveth you,” and “It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” “Such as are upright in their way are his delight.” “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart”—the peace of God, even in the midst of storm and tempest.

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