True Peace
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PEACE
A former president of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and historians from England, Egypt, Germany, and India have uncovered some startling facts: Since 3600 B.C., the world has experienced only 292 years of peace. During this time, there have been 14,351 wars, both large and small, in which 3.64 billion people have been killed. The value of the property destroyed would cover a gold belt around the world 97.2 miles wide and 33 feet thick.
Since 650 B.C., there have also been 1656 arms races, only 16 of which have not ended in war. The rest ended in the economic collapse of the countries involved.
With all this in mind, what does the Bible say about peace and what does it mean when it calls Jesus the Prince of Peace?
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Clearly, there is no sense of peace on earth, especially on a global scale.
There is ongoing unrest in the Middle East.
There is war between Ukraine and Russia.
There have been world wars.
Within our own country, there is palpable tension between those who stand for truth and those who do not.
Men like Charlie Kirk have lost their lives for speaking truth.
So, is the Bible lying when it says Jesus is the “Prince of Peace?”
No. The Bible does not lie, and yes, Jesus is indeed the “Prince of Peace.”
However, peace on a global scale will not be fully realized until Jesus rules from His throne during the Millennium; even then, there will be one more rebellion led by Satan that will be quickly defeated.
The Scriptures tell us there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth, and peace will reign forevermore. At that point, there will be no more rebellion, no more sin, and every knee will bow, recognizing Him as Lord.
so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
In the meantime, you and I are here on earth, and the Bible tells us in Romans 12:18 to as much as possible live at peace with all men.
How is it possible for us to do this?
How can we find peace in our lives when there is so much evil, sickness, and death surrounding us?
I believe the answers are found in the second verse we read earlier this morning…
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
As we analyze this verse, we see that the first step to having “Peace” is the peace Jesus left us after He ascended back into Heaven.
He says…
Peace I Leave With You
Peace I Leave With You
To leave something with someone means to make something available to them that they didn't have access to before.
For example: Let’s say Jim doesn’t have a skill saw and needs to cut some two-by-fours in half. I see that Jim needs my skill saw to finish the project he is working on, so I leave my skill saw with him. I have just given him access to something he didn’t have before.
So when Jesus says “Peace I leave with you,” what “Peace” was Jesus intending to leave with us?
In the context of the previous verse in John 14, we see that He was going to leave the Holy Spirit with us. John 14:26, says…
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Just as Jesus is the “Prince of Peace,” the book of Galatians affirms that one of the fruits of the Spirit is “Peace.”
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
As we work to understand how you and I can experience peace in our lives, the first step is recognizing that “Peace” is already dwelling inside each of us who are believers.
Jesus continues, after stating “Peace I leave with you,” He now says, “Peace I give to you.”
Peace I Give To You
Peace I Give To You
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
We just finished talking about leaving something with someone, but let's look at the difference between leaving and giving…
In my example: I left Jim a skill saw for him to use to cut some two-by-fours in half. But if I tell Jim, I want to give you the skill saw, not only does he have what he needs to do the job, but he also takes ownership of a new tool.
Jesus has given us the gift of “Peace.” But, just like a Christmas present, unless you unwrap the gift and take possession of it, it remains sitting under the tree.
We have to take that gift of “Peace” and use it for it to be any good to us.
This gift of “Peace” is unique, and Jesus lets us know it’s different from the peace the world offers.
A survey was conducted, and a question was once asked: "If you could choose what you want most in life, what would you ask for?" The most common answer was "Peace."
People seek peace in their marriages, families, workplaces, country, and the world.
Our country has some of the best medical and psychological treatment centers, top educational institutions, and global communication capabilities.
Yet, despite all these resources, most people still lack true inner peace.
The results are devastating—broken marriages, fractured families, hatred, rebellion, financial anxiety, and an unsettled nation.
The world offers many forms of escapism for peace—drugs, alcohol, immoral relationships, constant entertainment.
It’s often pursued through pleasure, self-satisfaction, and positive thinking.
Many believe that peace is simply the absence of trouble.
They ignore the problems in their lives, thinking that avoiding trouble means finding peace.
However, the world has never held the answer to genuine peace.
The peace the world offers is temporary and ultimately futile. And yet so many of us seek the peace the world offers instead of what has already been given to us by Jesus.
“True Peace” can only be found in the author of “Peace.” - Jesus
Jesus follows up at the end of the verse by stating…
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
So, if you are anything like me, you might find yourself asking, “Jesus, You have said You have left us peace, and You have given us peace, and because of this we are not to worry or be fearful. But how does this actually work?”
How can you and I experience the reality of “True Peace”?
True Peace
True Peace
Many of Paul's epistles in the New Testament were written while he was imprisoned in very uncomfortable conditions.
There was one occasion on one of Paul's missionary trips where he and Silas were beaten with rods and then thrown into prison for preaching the gospel and for healing a girl of a demon.
That night, although bloodied, bruised, and sore, Paul and Silas began praying and singing hymns together.
But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;
Paul appeared to have the answer to our question of how we can find “True Peace.”
“True Peace” starts and ends with the Person of Peace. Jesus!
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
If our eyes are on Jesus and focused on what He has done for us, like how He has saved us and blessed us, and on how He is the perfecter of our faith, then our eyes are no longer on our circumstances.
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
There is nothing the world or Satan can do to take away our peace because both have been defeated at the cross.
But as soon as our eyes drift away from Jesus and turn to ourselves or our circumstances, any peace and contentment we had disappear.
While keeping our eyes on Jesus, we follow the example of Paul and Silas by praying and worshiping.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Somehow, when we fully rely on Jesus, we can find peace even in the most difficult situations. That’s why Paul writes that it “surpasses all comprehension,” and look what it does: it “guards our hearts and minds,” where we will either have chaos and fear or experience “True Peace” that only Jesus can give.
Let me close with this…
There is a story about a king who offered a prize to anyone who could paint the best picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied him, he announced a contest to create this masterpiece. The challenge sparked the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings flowed in from all over. Finally, the great day of unveiling arrived. The judges revealed one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.
But none of the pictures seemed to satisfy the king. Only two pictures remained covered. As a judge lifted the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. The first picture showed a calm lake. The still water reflected the mountains decorated with vibrant fall leaves and fluffy white clouds against a blue sky. Everyone who saw it instantly felt at peace. Clearly, this must be the winner; what painting could better capture the image of peace than that?
The judge lifted the veil over the last painting, and the crowd gasped in awe. Could this be peace? A tumultuous waterfall spilled down a rocky cliff; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy gray clouds loomed with the threat of lightning, wind, and rain. Amid the thunder and bitter cold, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches stretched out over the rushing waters as if foolishly trying to experience its full force. But on this branch was a little bird who had built a nest in the bend of that branch. She was content and undisturbed in her stormy environment, resting on her eggs. With her eyes closed and wings ready to cover her chicks, she showed a peace that surpasses all earthly chaos.
The wise king chose this painting as the perfect image of peace, explaining, “Peace doesn’t only exist in the absence of noise or suffering.” Often, this type of peace is temporary. Peace, “True Peace,” can be found even in the midst of the most ominous situations, when all we have to lean on is Jesus.
I know many of you are facing really tough times right now.
Like the little bird, it sometimes feels like there's nothing but chaos around us.
Storms are approaching, and it seems like there’s no end in sight.
But just as the bird has learned to rest and be content during the storm and chaos, so can we.
Fix your eyes on Jesus, and He will give you peace.
Let’s pray.
