What manner of PEACE is Jesus talking about when He said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

One of His commands when we get into the consciousness of fear and anxiety is, “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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-8)

How did Jesus demonstrate such peace that surpasses all understanding?

One powerful way was when He was asleep on a pillow in the boat in the midst of a strong stormy weather. Mind you, some of his disciples were experienced fishermen who were masters of the sea yet they were so fearful that they woke Jesus up and raised this question, ”Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38)

Jesus on the other hand was a Carpenter whose expertise was on building or repairing wooden structures or their structural parts, yet He was sound asleep while they were being tossed and turned by the winds and waves with a possibility of being wet.  “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.” (Mark 4:37)

If we picture ourselves in this scenario, I don’t think we will be still let alone be fast asleep.  But this is one of those powerful imagery of how one can BE STILL and KNOW that GOD is GOD, He is good and He is our Father.

I believe the PEACE that kept Him still was the power and presence of the Holy Spirit within Him without measure. He was totally submitted and surrendered to the exceeding greatness of His power that no amount of external condition could shake His relational position of being the Son of our Good Good Father.

In Caesarea Philippi , Jesus asked His disciples, Who do you say that I am? Peter answered, “You are Christ the SON of the Living God.”  Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” (Mark 16:15-18)

Jesus knew His identity as the Son of the Living God Who has the resources, power and authority to subdue the earth.  What He has spoken to Peter is a picture of whoever sees and believes that He is the Son of the Living God will have the same resources, power and authority as He said, “I will give you the KEYS!”

What are keys for?  They are to open and close the door.  Jesus was so full of heavenly atmosphere in the presence of the Holy Spirit that when He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39)  The key operated to open the door for the heavenly atmosphere to invade the natural when He spoke the PEACE that came from deep within Him into the chaotic situation around Him and it obeyed.  Out of the abundance of His heart, His mouth spoke and everything around trembled in submission to the word of His power.

The power of the stillness within Him, His mouth spoke, “Peace be still!” and the winds and waved obeyed that made His disciples marvelled, “What manner of a Man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matthew 8:27)

Jesus’ confidence was all about His oneness with the Father that He only did what He sees the Father doing and speak what He hears Him speaking.  His identity was rooted and grounded on Who He is before His Father’s eyes whom the Father withholds nothing.  He was given all authority by His identity.  Because of this intimate Father-Son relationship, He was never moved.

The beauty of this revelation lies on the truth that the Father’s love did not stop there. Jesus said, “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love.” (John 15:9) He issued us an invitation to explore and experience what it means to be sons and daughters of the Most High God when we are IN CHRIST.  He gave us this blank check,  For I will do whatever you ask me to do when you ask me in my name. And that is how the Son will show what the Father is really like and bring glory to him. ¹⁴ Ask me anything in my name, and I will do it for you!” (John 14:13-14) 

What Jesus powerfully illustrated is an invitation for us believers to partake, participate and partner with Him in bringing heaven on earth, for the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead and made Him sit at the right hand of the Father lives in us.  What Jesus was capable of doing while He walked on earth, He delegated such authority to us for us to walk the same way with only one qualification and that is to BELIEVE in the Son of the Living God Who Himself made available the same power and authority to us, His sons and daughters, commissioned to subdue the earth.

This is the good news that is too good to be true and until we are fully persuaded how fearfully and wonderfully He made us to be, we deprive ourselves from such glorious life that He created us to be.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father,  thank You, for lavishing us with Your love, calling us Your very own sons and daughters, created according to Your image and likeness.  Thank You, Jesus, for loving us beyond measure.  Truly, it is Your presence in our lives Who is the PRINCE OF PEACE that keeps us still even in the midst of the worst storm.  Peace indeed is not the absence of trials and tribulations, but it is the PRESENCE of Someone and that Someone is YOU.  You won all our challenges for us that we may become victors and not victims.  It is You Who deprived those trials the power to harm us and You, Yourself, have conquered them for us and You call us “more than conquerors!”.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for being the exceeding, excellent greatness of power at work in us at all times, quickening us on how we live and move and have our being in You and be IN PERFECT PEACE.  Amen!