More Peace – John 16: 33

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus is more concerned about his disciples than he is about himself? Who among us, knowing what Jesus knows about his future, would be concerned about those closest to us rather than our selves?

Imagine that you have been unjustly accused, tried and convicted, and the punishment is death. Not just any death though, a nasty, painful death. What do you do? Do you think about the concerns and feelings of others? Or, do you rail against your fate to anyone who will listen? It puts Jesus’ words and deeds into perspective, doesn’t it?

And then there is the reason he told the disciples the things that he did. He wanted them to have peace. Isn’t that amazing? While Jesus goes to his death, untimely by the world’s standards, he wants to make sure that his disciples, his friends, are at peace.

In one Bible study I attended there was a man who came every week but rarely said anything. He was a large man with long hair, always wearing a ball cap. He always wore cutoffs, even in the dead of winter. When he stood up straight he was over six feet tall.

One evening we were talking about what it meant to each of us to have Jesus in our lives. When this man answered, I was caught off guard. His face, instead of being downcast lit up. His eyes brightened and he sat up straight. He said, “What I like is being able to sleep at night! No more nightmares.”

He had been homeless. He had been on drugs. He had been living in the shadows. When Jesus came into his life, he found he had peace. I can relate. What an amazing testimony to the reality of our Lord and the blessings of knowing him.

Food for Thought: Do you have enough peace in your life? Do you know someone else that needs peace? The answer may be more Jesus!