2023-01-27
Good Morning Dear Ones,
When the Holy Spirit commanded me to write about expecting peace, He meant for me to do it on the day I had previously been preparing questions for my “Through the Bible” class on PR 8. The latter is a chapter dedicated to personifying wisdom, i.e. putting it in such terms that would attract young people to what He was saying. It reads as if wisdom were a person, created in the beginning by God and inviting the reader to choose wisdom, instead of folly. It’s a clear to me as it can be all these years after the book of Proverbs was written (in the 900’s BC), that God had inspired King Solomon with amazing writing skills at that time in his life. I’ve heard it said that our amazingly generous God knew he had to abrogate some of His own power in order to give humans free agency. That is the ability to make choices demonstrating the status of their ethics and wisdom of their own. He also knew that a period in each human’s life would have to elapse before the human was mature enough to make those choices. Our God is not only generous, but He is patient, as well, even though there are limits.
We need to examine on what basis can wise people expect peace. PS 19: 8-9, “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.” I can’t hold back from concluding the truth of PR 9: 10-13, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing.”
While the gospels are the stories of each author’s, Matthew’s, Mark’s Luke’s and John’s experience with the Lord Jesus, each one tells his story from a slightly different point of view. Matthew, the former tax collector, describes Jesus as the son of David’s line, who establishes the kingdom of heaven. Mark is the disciple, Peter’s, secretary, who describes Jesus as the Son of God who ransoms others. Luke, a doctor, describes Jesus as the Savior of the world, Who seeks the lost. John, Christ’s “beloved” friend and disciple, who wrote as an older man in 85-90 AD. He describes Jesus as the Lamb of God, Who brings eternal life through people’s faith in Him.
Such cynical people as most of us can be at times, need faith that these four writers of the gospel’s could testify to Christ’s post-crucifixion appearance. It happened right after Cleopus and his unnamed pal walking on the road to Emmaus saw Christ, Who explained the truth to them, until they realized Who He was. The crucifixion of Jesus had already happened. Jesus taught them and then, suddenly disappeared [LK 24: 13-22]. We next find Him appearing among a group of eleven disciples and some women, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna (wife of Chuza, who was healed by Jesus and later supported Him and his disciples in their travels as a witness to the resurrection), and Mary, the mother of Jesus. Please read LK 24: 36 -49, which will give the remarkable picture of what was happening here. LK 24: 36, “While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’”
John’s gospel relates a bit more detail. Christ, in JN 14: 27, tells us, “Peace, I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Believe me, the significance of this statement is great! We further learn from JN 14: 28-31, that Christ is referring to the Holy Spirit as “the One Who gives differently than the world gives,” that we should be glad that Jesus was going home to the Father, Who is “greater than Jesus,” He will be coming back to us (a reference to His second coming), and that the prince of this world will come, who has no hold over Jesus. To me this is a concise picture of God’s “shaker” that will deny salvation to the evil and grant it to the righteous in His sight. While faith alone may grant salvation, JAS 2: 17, 22 makes it clear that while salvation is by faith, faith must be made alive by being accompanied with righteous actions. [See also EPH 2: 8-10]. Our Lord has made it clear through the Holy Spirit what the road to eventual peace is!
PRAYER: O Lord, because of Your need to give us our free agency, You show great patience in waiting for us to mature and make the choices that lead You whether to grant us eventual peace or not. You alone through Your Holy Spirit, guide people along the way. Some are righteous and others are wicked; only You, through Your Son Jesus, have the right to choose the fate of each individual person. No human holds that right [DN 7: 13-14]. We were created out of Your love for each of us. Whether or not we disappoint that love depends on our response to Your teaching. We offer You utmost thanks and praise for making the opportunity for peace and salvation available to us, and for the guidance You give us throughout our lives. These notions are offered in reverential prayer in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: There is a bit more to be said about expecting peace, and its cost, so I will continue with that subject next week. When we are questioned by others about the events in these stories, we must remember that four writers have written about them independently and that the supernatural portions of the story must be taken with faith. HE 11: 1, reminds us that, “Faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” One can’t hold faith in His hand and yet this intangible force can be powerful when it’s combined with righteousness and truth. We can depend upon the Lord to keep up any promises that He has made. Now the question is: Do we have the same will to honor the love and devotion we have for Him that He has for us? Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2023. All Rights Reserved.
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