At Easter we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. We celebrate that He lives and that He was gracious to us. By His grace we can experience Jesus very close and thus also His peace. Discover who Jesus is and who He wants to be for you in this series.
Jesus the Prince of Peace
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the rulership shall be upon His shoulders. These shall be His royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.’ – Isaiah 9:5
“He was pierced and bruised for our sins. He was severely punished so that we could have peace, He was beaten and because of that we were healed!’ – Isaiah 53:5
That is what we will soon be able to remember at Easter; the work of redemption of Jesus on the cross. Because He bore the penalty of sin, man who is born in sin can make right with God again. What a grace when you realize: Jesus the Prince of Peace took my place, bringing His peace upon me.
“Then you will experience the peace of God, a peace that is beyond human comprehension and that watches over your hearts and minds, because you are in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7
In Jesus we find a peace that surpasses all human comprehension. In the midst of difficulties and unexpected circumstances, we can still experience a wonderful inner peace and tranquility because we are in Christ Jesus. Because He has carried everything for us, has everything under control and takes care of us. That does not mean that we will never have problems or difficulties. The difference is: you can surrender them to Him. You no longer suffer because you have peace in your heart.
I personally experienced this in a very special way. When I had a stroke five years ago, all kinds of things went through my mind. ‘What about my wife, my children, the congregation?’ As I prayed to Jesus in the ambulance, the text from Psalm 91:1 came to me, which reads:
“Whoever takes refuge in God Most High can sleep peacefully, for the Almighty protects him.”
The moment I got this text in my mind, such a calm and peace came over me. All the things I was worried about suddenly disappeared. I was so at peace and such a peace had come over me. While I was in the ICU with my family around me, I said to them, “If the Lord takes me home now, I’ll be ready to meet Him.” I had rest and peace and knew: my soul is well. All my worries were suddenly no more.
But praise the Lord: God had other plans for me. It wasn’t time yet. But more importantly, as children of God, we can pray for healing, and I fully believe in that. But the greatest miracle is the salvation of your soul. That you know for sure that nothing stands between you and God.
