We
live in a stressful society today. One of the most stressful
situations is to go through bereavement. The planning of the
wake and funeral is physically and spiritually draining. After
that, the grieving parties still need to come to terms with
the loss of the loved one.
On
Good Friday, the Jesus’ disciples felt deep grief and
shock over their loss. The One they had loved and put their
hopes in had died a shameful death. The external environment
further aggravated their emotions. The disciples lived in fear
of the Romans who were determined to capture them. Furthermore,
they had to deal with confusing reports about how Jesus’
body had gone missing and how He had also been seen alive.
Given
these stressful circumstances, we can understand how frightened
the disciples were when Jesus suddenly appeared to them (Luke
24:37). Knowing how they felt, Jesus came into their midst to
help them cope. Just as He had done for the disciples, He can
do the same for us today. It is comforting to know that the
Lord comes into our midst to help us deal with the difficult
emotions and stresses of life. He also leaves us His peace.
John
14:27, Jesus tells us that His is a special kind of peace. It
is a peace that the world cannot give us. It originates from
God and is a gift that God gives us to help us cope with difficulties
in life.
The
peace that Christ brings has these purposes:
1
It reconciles us with God (John
3:16) so that we can have an open relationship with Him.
2
It brings about reconciliation
amongst humanity. It soothes antagonism and strife among the
people. In the early church, there was a clash of cultures between
the Jewish and the Greek. However, Paul reminded them of their
status as children of God and the need to build the church on
the foundations of love found in 1 Corinthians 13. Similarly,
we must be bearers of the peace of Christ today.
3
Christ brings us a peace that
touches both heart and mind. It is our source of inner strength
that calms our spirit, enables us to trust in God and helps
us cope with anxiety, fear, anger and unresolved pain.
4
Finally, it is a peace that
renews our resolve not to give up on life no matter what the
difficulty is. This is a dynamic peace which says, “Go,
in the name of Christ and do not be afraid”. It moves
us forward and does not cause us to withdraw from life.
As
Christians, we must know that the risen and crucified Christ
are one and the same. Hence, if we want the victory of the risen
Christ, we must also bear the suffering. We must bear our cross.
Even so, we can take heart. Bearing the cross does not mean
that God will forsake us. For each time we encounter crosses
that are unbearable, we will see the peace of Christ before
us to help us. In Him, we are able to overcome all things.