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12 April 2007
John 20 v 19-23
When it was evening on the first day of the week, the followers were together. The doors were locked, because they were afraid of the Jews. Then Jesus came and stood right in the middle of them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The followers were thrilled when they saw the Lord.
Then Jesus said again, "Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, I now send you." After he said this, he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven. If you don't forgive them, they are not forgiven."
Jesus says those powerful words "peace be with you" Peace is a mighty thing. In 1938 the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, said we have "peace in our time" following a meeting with Adolf Hitler in Munich. The next year the Second World War broke out, it was not "peace in our time" at all.
We go through life pondering, worrying, having anxiety about so many things. If we are really honest we would all admit that we are at times confused, in a muddle, worrying about life itself. Peace seems so far from what we feel, yet when we look to God in all things, we can just let him take charge and then we can have peace. Our trouble is that we don't let him take charge, we do our own thing thinking we know best.
The most powerful people I have met as Christians are not the loud upfront ones but the silent ones who seem to have a serenity and peace in how they go about things. Christ died and rose again so we might have new life and also peace in our lives. We remember that he died and forgives us but also give us His peace.
Father God we pray for those areas where there are conflicts in the world grant wisdom to those helping to form peace. Help us also to find peace in our lives where there is turmoil, grant us your peace. Amen
Written by Graham Nunn.
John 20 v 19-23
When it was evening on the first day of the week, the followers were together. The doors were locked, because they were afraid of the Jews. Then Jesus came and stood right in the middle of them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The followers were thrilled when they saw the Lord.
Then Jesus said again, "Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, I now send you." After he said this, he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven. If you don't forgive them, they are not forgiven."
Jesus says those powerful words "peace be with you" Peace is a mighty thing. In 1938 the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, said we have "peace in our time" following a meeting with Adolf Hitler in Munich. The next year the Second World War broke out, it was not "peace in our time" at all.
We go through life pondering, worrying, having anxiety about so many things. If we are really honest we would all admit that we are at times confused, in a muddle, worrying about life itself. Peace seems so far from what we feel, yet when we look to God in all things, we can just let him take charge and then we can have peace. Our trouble is that we don't let him take charge, we do our own thing thinking we know best.
The most powerful people I have met as Christians are not the loud upfront ones but the silent ones who seem to have a serenity and peace in how they go about things. Christ died and rose again so we might have new life and also peace in our lives. We remember that he died and forgives us but also give us His peace.
Father God we pray for those areas where there are conflicts in the world grant wisdom to those helping to form peace. Help us also to find peace in our lives where there is turmoil, grant us your peace. Amen
Written by Graham Nunn.
