East Baptist Church – Denison, TX

Easter Is All About PEACE Found Only In Christ Jesus

John 14:27 – 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.

You may recognize our Scripture for this Easter Sunday from our time over the last weeks in the Upper Room on the night of Passover when Our Lord was arrested and then hung on the cross of Calvary. I would like us to notice that our Lord promises to leave His Peace with those He is getting ready to die for. As we read our verse, we see Our Lord states the truth of the promise as a done deal. 

Simply put, without Easter there is NO hope to come to God, because in order to come to the Great Creator God of eternity and forever we have to find first Peace with Him as sinners, and then peace with ourselves. 

Matthew 28:2-6 (NASB77) ²And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. ³And his appearance was like lightning, and his garment as white as snow; ⁴and the guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. ⁵And the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. ⁶He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” 

The Peace the Lord offers changes lives all the way into eternity; The best example of this is Saul that became Paul one of, if not the greatest church starters in Biblical history. Our Lord met him on the Damascus Road and after accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour found true peace. Paul famously said he could be content in any circumstances.

Philippians 4:11-13 (NASB77) ¹¹Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. ¹²I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. ¹³I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.  

Where does a person find the peace that Paul constantly puts in front of any reader of the Bible? Peace that cannot be affected even by trouble, danger and even sorrow.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB77) ⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

 So, the message of Easter is Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. Most people face death with fear, but Christ overcame the grave and death, and in doing so opened the door to heaven, and personal relationship with God in this life. Once we settle our eternal destination we find the avenue to peace today.

Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

This is not a command to seek peace, but rather a plea from the Bible to let the Lord’s peace rule in you. The peace of Christ is yours. Now let it rule in your heart!