- Overcomer Literature Trust
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’ (John 10 v10).
THE DIVINE LEGACY OF PEACE.
By Horatius Bonar.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you:
I do not give to you as the world gives (John 14 v27).
Surely “no-one ever spoke the way this man does”. Well might we wonder at "the gracious words that came from his lips”. Grace was poured into His lips, and out of His lips grace flowed to all. He had an “instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary” (Isa. 50 v4).
Never did any one enter so deeply and tenderly into our feelings, anticipating with His words of sympathy and consolation, every sorrow and need. What love, what thoughtfulness and sympathy. What majesty, for who but One who knew that He had come from God and was going to God, that He was the infinite source of peace could say, “Peace I leave with you”. The words here uttered are certainly the assurance to us of the love and power of the Promiser. What He has promised, He is able also to perform.
The words are still fresh and new. They can never grow old, for He who spoke them is the same yesterday, today and for ever. They were spoken for us in these last days as truly as for the ages past. Christ meant us when He uttered them.
The legacy - "Peace I leave with you.”
This is the parting gift of One who was about to depart. He Himself was bidding farewell, but He was not to take His peace away. He brought it when He came, ”peace on earth” and He leaves it behind Him as a heavenly relic. His presence had been the source of peace to them and His absence was not to dry it up. That source would remain the same. Present or absent, far off or near, on earth or in heaven, He was still to be the fountain of their peace. The world would be blank without Him, but He was leaving behind Him a peace which would cheer and gladden. It was not all that they had when He was with them, nor was it all they were to have when He returned, but still it was much, enough to comfort, to bless and to shed light upon the darkness of their way. In the world there was to be tribulation, in Him peace. The peace of God was to rule in their hearts. They were to abide in peace and have peace in them.
The gift - "My peace I give you.”
This is evidently something in addition to the former statement. The peace is not merely something left, but positively given, "I give”. It is not lent or sold but given. It is Christ’s own gift free and unconditional. His peace is like Himself, a gift to us, unsolicited, un-purchased and unmerited. But the striking expression here is “my peace”. Christ's own peace, peace altogether special, transcending in nature and in fullness all other peace. What then was Christ’s peace?
It was the peace of a conscience on which there never rested the shadow of guilt. It was pre-eminently a good conscience, a conscience void of offence. Why do we lack peace? It is because of guilt. It is an evil conscience that destroys our peace. In Jesus there was the perfection of a good conscience. It is a blessed thought that there was once here a man like ourselves, whose conscience was never touched with the slightest stain of guilt, who never had to regret one thought, or recall one word, or wish one action undone. What peace He possessed, even in the midst of a stormy world. It is into this profound peace of conscience that He would lead us, partakers of that very peace. The result of our receiving Him, of believing on His name, is to bring us into that same state of conscience and that same kind of peace which He who knew no sin possessed. He has made peace by the blood of His cross, indeed He is our peace and as soon as we come to know this and take Him as our peace we are made partakers not merely of peace but of that which He here calls “my peace”.
It was the peace of One entirely obedient to the Father’s will. It was to do that will that He came and His life was the doing of it. “I delight to do your will, 0 my God.” “Not my will but yours be done”. As in all obedience there is peace, so in obedience to such a will, from such a being as the Son, there must have been a peace passing all understanding, a peace altogether infinite, a peace proportioned to the entirety and perfection of the obedience. Such an obedience had never been rendered before and such a peace had never been possessed either on earth or heaven, by man or angel. It is into this peace that He leads us. Peace perfect and profound, peace not springing from nor proportioned to our obedience but to His. The peace of which His obedience to the Father is at once the foundation and the measure.
It was the peace of One who was “the Word made flesh”, Son of God and Son of man. As such He was a vessel of infinite dimensions, capable of containing a peace such as no one else could. Into this vessel of infinite capacity all fullness of peace was poured by the Father and out of this vessel this peace is poured into us. It is of the divine peace of the God- man that we are made partakers. What peace is there like this? This peace, which filled the Christ of God, is particularly excellent and it is of this peace that He gives His saints. “My peace I give you”.
It was the peace of One whose relationship to the Father made Him possessor of real peace. His must have been peace as special as it was infinite, the peace poured into the bosom of the beloved Son by the Father Himself. This is not the peace of a servant, or a friend, but the peace of a Son, and such a Son. This peace of the only begotten of the Father He gives to us as His free gift. This becomes all the more true and blessed when they to whom He gives the peace are themselves sons of God. The Father pours a special peace from His paternal heart into the heart of His beloved Son and the Son pours this special peace into the hearts of those who are partakers of His sonship, sons of God.
It was a peace that could never be destroyed. The peace is like Himself, and like Him from whom He receives it, eternal and unchangeable. This peace is partaking of His character as the eternal One, the same yesterday, today and forever. It is peace begun now and to become perpetuated in the eternal kingdom, peace without end or interruption or change forever.
Such is Christ’s gift to His own. It is precious, perfect and divine. It is like Himself. It is a peace which passes all understanding. What a treasure for earth and what a promise of the fuller treasure in store for us when He comes again. For great as is the peace which He gives now it is nothing compared to the peace in reserve for us hereafter. He gives it to His own and He bids all to draw near to become His own. “Come to me and I will give you rest” is His first message and His second is like it, “My peace I give you”.
The contrast - “I do not give to you as the world gives”.
There is always a contrast between Christ and the world, with nothing of likeness or sympathy. But it is not of Himself that He here speaks, but of His gifts and manner of giving. Christ’s peace and the world’s are opposites, so are His giving and the world’s.
Christ’s peace is perfect, the world’s is partial and imperfect with no depth or greatness. It is and has been a poor thing at its best.
Christ’s peace reaches the conscience, the world’s does not. It soothes the conscience asleep but that is all. It intoxicates but gives no rest to the inner man. It is not the result of a purged conscience.
Christ’s peace is satisfying, the world’s is unsatisfying. The peace which comes in any way from any region of this evil world, cannot fill. It meets none of our spirit’s cravings and longings. It does not feed our hunger or quench our thirst. It leaves us as empty as before. It speaks peace when there is none.
Christ’s peace is steady, the world’s wavering. The world itself is unstable and so are all its gifts, especially that of peace. This is easily ruffled, easily broken and ever-changing.
Christ’s peace is holy, the world’s unholy. Christ's peace is everlasting, the world’s soon ended. At the longest the world’s peace is but for a lifetime, but seldom does it last half as long, generally a day or an hour at most. Eternal peace is Christ’s gift.
Christ’s giving is free, but none of the world’s gifts are. He gives as He gave Himself. The world bargains and sells.
Christ’s giving is genuine, the world’s is a pretence. The world wishes us peace, this is its daily greeting, but all is hollow. Christ means what He says when He wishes us peace.
Christ’s giving is ungrudging. The world has no pleasure in giving, it is not generous and loving. Christ gives as a King, in full-hearted love.
Christ’s giving is immediate, but the world keeps us waiting, Christ does not. His word is now.
Christ’s giving is unalterable, but the world often takes back what it gave. His peace is sure, He does not recall it, nor shall He forever.
The contrast is so vivid. Can anyone hesitate in choosing? To reject the world’s false peace and to take Christ’s true peace is of all things the most sensible. Consider the contrast well and act accordingly.
The consolation - “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”.
There will be many things to trouble and terrify in this world, where all is hatred and persecution, but against all this provision has been made and that provision is the peace of Christ. He gives other things also for days of trial - like strength, faith and hope - but it is His peace that is the special antidote, the pre-eminent sustainer and comforter in evil times.
It is His peace and it keeps the soul unmoved when the tempest is raging around. It makes us feel as if we are hidden in the hollow of Christ’s hand, defended by His shield, embraced by His arm. It is light in darkness and is a strong tower in the midst of assailing hosts. Let the world reproach or persecute for we have a peace within which more than meets all its reproaches and persecutions, the divine peace within keeps us immoveable. Let bodily pain assail us, we are sustained by the peace of Christ. Let sorrow, bereavement and losses surround us, we are kept calm and cheerful by the peace of Christ. Our hearts are not troubled with anxiety or trial, nor are they afraid in the midst of persecution and rejection.
With Christ’s peace within us and Christ Himself as our companion by our side, we can go forth on our pilgrimage as those who are in possession of heavenly protection which preserves us in patience and tranquillity and which makes us more than conquerors through Him who loves us.
From ‘Studies in the Gospel of John’.