Continued 👇🏾
✍🏾Saint Ephrem, in his praise of the Sabbath, says:
“He who is the Mediator of the New Testament, the Son of God, the Son of Mary, through the shedding of His precious blood brought peace between man and God. We always thank Him Jesus Christ, the Son of God who brought peace between man and God through His blood. He is the Prince of Peace, and we pray: ‘Give us Your peace, O Prince of Peace.’”
👉🏾The holy angels also proclaimed at His birth:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” (Luke 2:14)
His birth brought peace to humanity, for before Him, we lived under the curse of sin.
As Saint Paul teaches:
“Among these we all once lived in the desires of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest.” (Ephesians 2:3)
👉🏾Saint Ephrem the Syrian teaches:“He directed our feet into the way of peace.”(Wudase maryam Zekedamit )
Through the redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have been brought into this way of peace.
There was no other hope for the destruction of the wall of enmity between man and God apart from the Incarnation and redemptive work of Christ.
Our Lord Himself said:
👉🏾“Righteous Father, the world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
✍🏾The Peace That Comes From God
The Apostle James teaches:
“Let him who turns a sinner from the error of his way know that he will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:20)
To turn a sinner from sin through repentance is to create peace between man and God. For this reason, God is rightly called the God of Peace
(Romans 15:33; Philippians 4:9; Hebrews 13:20).
The peace given by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is not like the peace of the world.
He said:
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world gives, do I give unto you.” (John 14:27)
The peace of Christ is an inner peace that no one can steal.
It is peace with God and peace with others that remains firm even in trials.
Saint Paul teaches:
“The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
This divine peace is deeper than human thought and stronger than human fear.
It guards the heart, strengthens the soul, and keeps the believer firm in faith.
✍🏾Our Lord said:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
✍🏾True peace is found when we live in communion with Him.
Even in times of temptation and suffering, the believer overcomes the world through the peace of Christ.
The Apostle Paul teaches:
“Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1),“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)
Our Lord told His disciples:
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34)
This does not mean that Christ came to create violence or war. Rather, He came to establish eternal peace between man and God, not political peace or earthly kingdoms. He did not come to take political power or to free Israel from Roman rule, as many expected.
The “sword” He spoke of is the Word of God, which separates truth from falsehood and light from darkness.
Continues 👇🏾