Peace

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation

Ephesians 2:14

Jewish people have a real thing about peace. In Hebrew it is called “Shalom.” That’s the way they say hello and goodbye and it’s how they give a blessing. It’s interesting that the highest concentration of these peace conscious individuals is in Israel, where rocket attacks or bombing can occur at almost any moment.

The Savior came to bring them peace. He has reconciled both Jews and Gentiles by breaking down the old wall of separation between them. He continues to knock down barriers and “to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20).

Christ didn’t come to this troubled world to bring us peace; He is our Peace. Sorrows, frustrations, trials, and tribulations melt away when the Lord Jesus is in our hearts and we’re trusting Him. What happens and how it happens is rather difficult to explain; I suppose that’s why the Apostle Paul explained it as “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

To the world, peace is the absence of conflict. But what Christ has brings peace into a conflict and overcomes it. While Christ hung on the cross, even before He died, He rested in peace. This same unexplainable peace has been given to the Lord’s followers:  “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Peace is who the Lord Jesus Christ is. When life gets really overwhelming and the stress and anxiety begins to become unbearable, flee to the arms of the Savior, cast all your burdens on Him, “and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9).

  

Lord and God

And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

John 20:28

“Doubting Thomas” earned His nickname honestly. He asked the Lord serious questions when he didn’t know the answers (John 14:5) and He followed Christ sincerely believing that he was the Jewish Messiah. But when he saw his Master crucified, and he was overcome with grief, he lost it; he lost his faith. Nothing made sense to him anymore. All his assumptions and expectations were dashed to pieces and he wanted to be alone.

The resurrected Lord only appeared to believers. He appeared to the women at the tomb, the ten apostles in the upper room and two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He didn’t show Himself to Pontius Pilate, the Roman soldiers that crucified Him or the Sanhedrin. They had rejected the Lord of Glory and they would not be forced to believe.

Jesus, however, made one exception. He appeared to Thomas. A week after Christ first appeared to the apostles, Thomas was in the upper room and he really wanted to believe but couldn’t. As soon as he saw the risen Savior he fell on his knees and cried out “My Lord and my God!”

Over the years, I’ve had many young people tell me they have “given up” their faith. Actually, just like true salvation can’t be lost, true faith can’t be given up; but in any case, these doubters now want to shed their Christian beliefs. Many have been active in their youth groups or counselors in Bible camp but they somehow become disillusioned by some aspect of Christianity.

My heart really grieves for these spiritual drop-outs and I pray for them continually. The bottom line is that Christ never became their Lord and God. My prayer for them is that they can be honest with themselves and sincerely desire to make their faith real. At that point, Christ will make Himself known to them in such an unmistakable way that they drop to their knees and confess Jesus as their Lord and their God.

  

Living Bread

I am the living bread which came down from heaven…
John 6:51

Bread really isn’t alive. It dries out or gets moldy if you don’t take care of it; it’s a lot of work to make and you need an oven to bake it. Wouldn’t it be great if bread could just grow on trees?

Actually, breadfruit does exist and on paper is the perfect food. Its slightly yeasty odor and texture remind people of bread and it is actually very nutritious. It’s a good source of energy and high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. One tree can produce over 400 pounds of fruit a year, so it seems ideal. There is one problem, however; it’s almost tasteless. The food has never really caught on, so it fails as living bread.

After the Lord Jesus fed  5,000 people, they hung around until the next day wanting Him to provide breakfast and lunch. He left that place so they searched for Him, but when they finally found Him, the eatery was closed. He wasn’t there to make bread; He came to the world to be bread, Living Bread.

The bread He offered wasn’t the kind that filled men’s bellies; He came to feed their souls. Here again, there’s a problem with market appeal. People would rather feed their faces than satisfy a hunger and thirst for righteousness.

The fast-food and grocery industries have built  multi-billion dollar businesses counting on people to make poor nutrition decisions. Food high in fats, sugars, and chemicals will kill you, but that doesn’t matter as long as it tastes good.

People walked away from Jesus on the day He offered them living bread. They wanted the kind of bread that can dry out or get moldy, the kind of loaves that get eaten up today and need to be bought again tomorrow.

Living Bread satisfies the emptiness within a sin-sick soul. It costs no money, produces sustenance within the person, and keeps on satisfying. That’s a much better deal.

  

Heavenly Man

As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.1 Corinthians 15:48, 49

 In 1994, Danny DeVito starred in the motion picture Renaissance Man. In the film, he uses many talents to motivate an underachieving bunch of army recruits to complete basic training. Most of us at some point in our lives have experienced a Renaissance Man or Woman (often a school teacher) that has inspired us to succeed in areas in which we considered ourselves failures.

The Lord Jesus is so much more than that; He’s the Heavenly Man. He lifts us out of the dust of planet Earth and gets us ready for heaven. He’s busy now getting our accommodations ready in heaven and since He is the Way, He’s made the travel arrangements.

I fully expect to see Christ as soon as I get to heaven. My main reason for even going there is to see Him. Without Him, I wouldn’t know where to go or what to do. How much do you tip an angel for opening up the pearly gates or do they even do that up there? I have so many questions, so it’s always great when you visit a strange place you’ve never been to before to know somebody there.

Jesus is the Heavenly Man; He’s from around those parts and is my contact in the afterlife. Traveling is always a little scary, especially when you don’t know the language, you’re going to be there a long time, and there're no plans to return home. But it’s not going to be that way for me. I know that hundreds of millions of Christians will be there already and probably thousands will arrive the same day I get there, but the Lord will still have time for me; after all, He always has. He’s my go-to man; He’s my Heavenly Man.

  

Overseer of Souls

For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 2:25

 Hearing the word “overseer” brings to mind images of a white guy with a whip sitting on a horse scrutinizing black slaves as they pick cotton or perhaps it’s a line boss supervising hundreds of factory workers to make sure they stay on task. In any case, it doesn’t seem like a fitting name of Christ.

This title in the Old King James Version is rendered, “Bishop of your souls,” which also has its own drawbacks. Here, the stereotype is of a cleric in fancy robes that has the control of church leaders. Again, the image is off the mark.

The original Greek word sounds a bit like “bishop” so the translators of the KJV transliterated it to be that. The actual translation is “one who watches over” and is associated with the job of a shepherd. Now, the title makes sense. Jesus is the One who is looking out for the believers; He is the Overseer of Souls.

The Greek word is sometimes translated overseer and sometimes bishop a total of eight times in the NKJV, but only once referring to Christ. The other seven instances are regarding elders in the church. If church leaders care for and shepherd the flock of God, then in the same way the Chief Shepherd watches over the progress and welfare of the church.

Before David became King of Israel, he felt abandoned and alone while hiding in a cave. He cried out to God in Psalm 142:4 saying, “Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul.” But David never knew Jesus, the Overseer of Souls.

Christ Our Life

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Colossians 3:4

I really feel sorry for all those who have bought into the lie of evolution. Instead of seeing the intelligent design that is woven into every cell of every living thing, they are taught that life began by accident, proceeds by accident, and ends by accident. That is not exactly a message of purpose or hope.

The gospel message is different. People were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and were put on earth for a reason, to give glory and honor to God (Revelations 4:11). People can know Christ who is our life and knowing Him leads to glory (Colossians 3:4).

It’s interesting that in the verse above, “who is” is in italics. This means that those words don’t appear in the original Greek so the title actually reads “Christ our life.” Jesus Christ is the source of life and people don’t really live until the Savior comes into their lives.

Jesus said, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Paul said, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).           

^“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

When people believe that human life was not created on purpose, then, the only conclusion is that life has no purpose. However, for the believer. Christ Our Life gives both direction and reason to live in this crazy world.

  

Chief among Ten Thousand

My beloved is white and ruddy, Chief among ten thousand.
Song of Solomon 5:10

The Lord Jesus is one in a million; actually, He’s one in several billion since he surpasses anyone and everyone who was ever born on earth. Calling Christ Chief among Ten Thousand seems to be selling Him short. What does this verse actually mean?

The reference comes from Song of Solomon in which the Shulamite is describing her beloved. She goes on long describing her feelings for her husband. For centuries this passage has been interpreted as either describing the sentiments of marital love or the beauty of the Messiah.

The verse is a statement of personal opinion. How many people does someone meet in a lifetime? Counting all classmates in elementary school and then the higher grades, and figuring in friends, family, work associates, acquaintances, and casual contacts, the number would be in the thousands. Some people get  a thousand Facebook friends, but we really  can’t keep up with more than about 150, maximum. In a lifetime people might interact with  ten thousand others at some level.

To the Shulamite, her beloved was better than anyone she ever met or could possibly meet in the future; He was Chief among Ten Thousand. The phrase communicates the idea of far surpassing the competition to the extent that there is no competition.

Christ loves us so intensely that He was nailed to a cross in order to save us. He also wants us to love Him intensely in return, even to the point that it surpasses the love we have for anyone else.

Jesus told His disciples: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37). The question begs to be asked of every Christian: “In my life, in your life, is the Lord Chief among Ten Thousand?”