Jesus replied, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let you heart be troubled and do not be afraid.”- John 14: 27
Two followers of Jesus were returning to Emmaus from Jerusalem following Jesus’ crucifixion and death. When Jesus joined them on their journey, they didn’t recognize Him. Luke tells us that their faces were downcast (Luke 24: 17) because they had hoped Jesus would be the One to redeem Israel (v. 21).
Ruth Graham (Fear Not Tomorrow) explains that often we become so absorbed in our adversity we don’t recognize God’s presence in our lives:
“How often do we become so absorbed in our pain that we fail to recognize God working in our lives? In our despair, God may send us encouragement through others or through circumstances, only to see it go right over our heads. We miss His assurances, the messages of peace. . . . We have our eyes on the ground.”
Peace, Ruth states, is not something for us to figure out or achieve. Peace is something that Jesus is. Jesus wants us to rest in Him.
