Although it is commonly translated 'peace,' Shalom can also be translated as 'well-ness,' if such a word exists. It refers to a sense of completeness and soundness. ![]() Now the word 'shalom' itself means more than just an absence of war or conflict. When Dr Raymond Saxe was here some years ago, he remarked that one could never tell if a Jew was saying 'Hello' or 'Goodbye' to him because it was always 'Shalom' (Peace). It is perhaps this lack of peace that has caused Jews since ancient times to greet one another with the greeting, 'Shalom.' For whatever occasion, the Jews would always use the same greeting 'Shalom.' Till today they have always been troubled by war, bondage, oppression, captivity, and persecution. One nation that has not enjoyed much peace in its history is Israel. In 3,521 years, there have only been 286 years when no wars were fought! And over 8,000 peace treaties have been broken on an average of 2 years after they were made. And this is a peace that does not last - Since the beginning of man's recorded history, the world has been seeking for peace, but it has only enjoyed it for only 8% of time. What kind of peace is that? It is a peace that is said to exist when there is no war or conflict. You will notice that the comparison Jesus used to contrast His peace is the peace that the world gives. It is a peace that can keep our hearts from being troubled and afraid. Thirdly, we must experience the Effective Results of this Peace. It is a peace that comes only from Jesus - you cannot obtain it anywhere else. Secondly, we must seek the Exclusive Source of this peace. I would like to bring out three basic truths about this peace: Firstly, we must know the Exceptional Nature of this peace is - that it is quite different from any peace you can find in this world. Let us study this verse now and learn all about the Peace that is mentioned in it. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.' (Many of you will recognize that this was our memory verse for the first two weeks of this month) Whenever we are bereft of a close friend or a loved one and feel as if our entire world has collapsed, we know Christ can always find tremendous encouragement in the tender words of comfort that Jesus gave to His followers just before He left them, including the words of John 14:27 'Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. But the good news for all of us is that there we can always find tremendous encouragement in our Lord Jesus Christ in times like this. Now, what do we do when things like that actually happen to us? We may be tempted to become very sorrowful and depressed because the future does not seem to be very bright for us. Or when someone that we love very much is taken away from us by death, and we wonder, 'Will I ever see him again? Will I be able to cope with the vacuum he has left behind in my heart?' When someone we depend on for strength and support suddenly has to go away from us, maybe to work or study overseas for a few years, and we wonder how we will ever cope with life during his absence. I think that all of us can identify with those kinds of thoughts and feelings at some time in our lives. Why did their master have to go away from them? Could He not stay longer with them? What will become of them when their master is gone? These questions must have troubled them and made them feel quite discouraged. There were probably many unanswered questions on their minds. Life would obviously not be the same for them without Jesus. ![]() In their hearts the future seemed very uncertain. He had told them that He would soon have to leave them, and naturally, this made the disciples feel quite fearful and anxious. He knew that He was going to die on the cross the very next day. Why did He say this? Because at this point, He was already having His Last Supper with His disciples, and sharing His final moments with them. You will notice in v.28 that Jesus had told His disciples that He was going away. This is real peace - the result of remaining calm in the midst of raging trials and difficulties in life.And this is the peace that we are going to learn about this morning, as we consider our sermon text in John 14:27,28. Here she was safe from her predatory enemies, shielded and protected by the roaring waterfall. But on a branch of a tree overhanging the swirling waters a bird had built its nest and it sat peacefully brooding over her eggs. The second artist painted a raging waterfall with winds whipping the spray about. The first painted a canvas depicting a carefree boy relaxing in a boat on a little placid lake without a ripple to disturb the surface. Two artists set out to paint a picture representing perfect peace. Preached at / Published Life BPC 8 am service,
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |