‘Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ‘ John 20:21
So I get up this morning and open my Bible application, and right there on the opening screen is this verse as the “verse of the day.” Within moments of reading it, thoughts and questions start coming to mind. Yet again proving that “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword” Hebrews 4:12.
Two distinctly different yet inseparable ideas came to mind. Let’s look at them one at a time beginning with the phrase from the verse that they came from.
- “Peace be with you”
- “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
“Peace be with you”
The word translated as “peace” here when we look into the original language has so much more depth and meaning to it. The original word is εἰρήνη, eiréné. It is translated as one, peace, quietness, rest, set at one again. This is where it gets interesting. It comes from the primary root word eiro which is a verb meaning “to join.” Thus it has been understood to mean “to join together as a whole” or “wholeness.”
Thus, my interpretation – TRUE peace, contentment and wholeness can ONLY come when we are joined together with HIM. Peace is the result of having a relationship with God and putting out faith and trust in Him. Peace is not something that we can make happen without Him.
‘And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ‘ Philippians 4:7
‘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. ‘ John 14:27
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3
“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
The true depth of this simple statement is simply endless, but I hope I can scratch the surface of just a couple of ideas.
- All that Jesus did was due to being empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit that was in Him is now in us.
- ‘Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ‘ Philippians 2:6
- ‘As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ‘ Matthew 3:16
- ‘On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ‘ Acts 1:4-5,8
- ‘And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. ‘ Romans 8:11
- The same authority that the Father gave Him, He has given to us,
- ‘Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”’ Matthew 28:18-20
- ‘Behold, I have given you authority to walk on snakes and scorpions, and authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. ‘ Luke 10:19
- The works He did and even greater we will do
- ‘Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ‘ John 14:12-13
Let me sum this all up in clear and simple statement – When we are joined to and in relationship with Him we will know peace and wholeness within our own being, Out of that wholeness we will go out into our lives with boldness and confidence in His Name, power and authority and by faith overcome ANYTHING that the enemy tries to throw at us, He gives us peace so that we can GO!
‘You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. ‘ 1 John 4:4
‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ‘ Matthew 28:19
I urge you then by the mercy and grace that He has so richly shown us to
“GO IN PEACE!”