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Another Holy Week is upon us, that week in the Church Year calendar when attention is focused on our Savior Jesus and His work of salvation for us. Centuries before it took place, the prophet Isaiah foretold the suffering of God’s Servant, the terrible price He would pay, and the result that would come from the Savior’s work. “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” [Isaiah 53:5 NIV]
Out of the violence of the crucifixion came peace—real peace—peace with God in the forgiveness of sins and life that resulted from Christ’s work. We celebrate that peace at Easter, rejoicing in the message the disciples received and proclaimed: the Good News of reconciliation with God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. No wonder, following His resurrection, when Jesus appeared to His disciples that first Easter evening, His greeting was “Peace be with you!” [John 20:19] It was a common greeting, yet Jesus gave it an uncommon meaning! The resurrected Lord Jesus, through His presence is the gift of peace.
Even as the resurrection appearances recorded in Scripture reveal how our Lord’s presence created inner peace within the midst of the fearful disciples, Christ’s Easter victory brings that same peace to us. The Easter event makes Jesus our contemporary, for in His resurrected glory Jesus is “the same yesterday and today and forever.” [Hebrews 13:8] Jesus transcends time and history as He continues to come to us in His Word and in the Sacraments, bringing the power of His forgiveness to bear on our lives.
In life there are inevitably those moments when each of us experiences apprehension or fear. The Good News of the Gospel is that Christ is always present to uphold us with His peace, especially in the midst of earthly turmoil. The Savior who has conquered sin and death for us promises His presence and power to us as we do battle with sin in our lives. We have peace—real peace—because Jesus has gone before us; He has fought the battle for us; He has won the battle for us!
So anytime we feel all locked up inside because of fearful conditions, we can rely upon our Lord to bring us His peace, as He did for His first disciples. In our world where peace is sorely lacking, this Easter season our Lord comes to us once more with the Good News of His resurrection victory over sin and death, which brings us God’s peace—real peace!
The peace of Easter comes from our Lord’s presence...
before us to guide us...
above us to enlighten us...
behind us to protect us...
beneath us to support us...
beside us to befriend us...
within us through His Word.
Rejoice! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
See you in Church!
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