Peace to You!

10 EASTER REFLECTIONS FROM

COVER DESIGN

Hailey Smith

INTERIOR DESIGN Steve Gier

EDITORIAL TEAM

Tom Felten, Tim Gustafson, Regie Keller, Alyson Kieda, Becky Knapp, Monica La Rose, and Peggy Willison

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked NIV from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved.

© 2022 Our Daily Bread Ministries® • All rights reserved. Printed in the United Kingdom.

HIS PEACE, OUR PEACE

Peace. Who among us doesn’t long for the state of mind and heart that is quiet and calm? A place where our inner being is as tranquil and undisturbed as a quiet lake?

Peace is universally desired—the personal, interpersonal, and international varieties of it. The worldwide quest for peace accounts for a fair share of the trillions of dollars spent in our world on prescription drugs and medical care. If it could be packaged and purchased, it would be one of the hottest commodities ever.

How we long for the day when the earth and, indeed, the entire universe will be renewed, and peace will be the portion of all (ROMANS 8:21, REVELATION 21:4). Yet even now our backs aren’t ultimately against the wall. Our quest for true peace doesn’t have to meet an inevitable dead end.

One of the names for the promised One in Isaiah 9:6 is “Prince of Peace.” Jesus Christ was, and is, that promised Prince. He is the true source of lasting peace. Several incidents in the Gospels illustrate this.

PEACE, BE STILL

In Mark 4:35–41, when Jesus and His followers were making their way across the Sea of Galilee, they encountered a severe storm

INTRODUCTION | by Arthur Jackson

(V. 37). Jesus was asleep. His disciples were alarmed and fear-filled both before and after Jesus stilled the storm (VV. 40–41). With the words, “Peace! Be still” (V. 39 niv)—which The Message renders, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind and water were chastened. Nearly one hundred fifty years ago, Mary Ann Baker penned the words to the hymn “Peace Be Still” based on Mark’s account of Jesus’ miracle that night.

No water can swallow the ship where lies

The Master of ocean and earth and skies: They all shall sweetly obey Thy will. Peace, be still! Peace, be still!

In the very next chapter, Jesus encountered disruptions of a different kind. A man under the control of unseen demonic forces (MARK 5:1–20); a woman plagued by unceasing bleeding (VV. 24–34); a pre-teen girl prematurely gripped by death surrounded by grieving family and friends (VV. 21–23, 35–43). Each faced disrupting difficulties. But each experienced peace—in mind and body and spirit—because the peace of Jesus became theirs.

As we navigate the turbulence of life, Jesus remains the ultimate source of peace to sustain us. The presence and power of the Prince of Peace can counter the storms we face like nothing else can. In our search for wholeness, we must make sure that Jesus is sought first and foremost. He can be trusted by those who seek Him.

DISCIPLES IN TURMOIL

Words can disturb our peace, make us anxious, send us places in our hearts and minds that we’d rather not go. On the eve of His death, Jesus had gathered those closest to Him to share intimately with them. During the mealtime in John 13, several sets of disturbing words came from the mouth of Jesus. “Deeply troubled” in his spirit, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!” (V. 21).

As if the news of His betrayal wasn’t enough, Jesus then spoke of His departure. “Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going” (V. 33).

Finally, on that fateful evening, Jesus spoke unwelcome words to Peter when He said, “I tell you the truth, Peter— before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me” (V. 38).

This was the emotion-filled setting in which Jesus said,

John 14 offers a snapshot of the priceless peace we long for. Its source is Jesus. He bequeaths it to His followers, to whom He promised His Spirit (VV. 15–17). It is medicine for troubled hearts and an antidote for fear. The peace that Jesus offers is for those who understand His worth—those who recognise the limitations of “less-than-Jesus” remedies.

One day, because of Christ’s victory, the whole world will experience the true peace we all long for—shalom, the state of being in which wholeness and flourishing is the portion of all. We wait in eager expectation and longing for that day. But as we wait, we cling to the reality that true peace can already be enjoyed in Jesus, God’s Son. And that’s a gift to be treasured. Among Jesus’ final words to His disciples that night is this comforting promise: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (V. 27).

The peace that Jesus offers is for those who understand His worth.

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favour.”

36 “What is your request?” he asked.

37 They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honour next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptised with the baptism of suffering I must be baptised with?”

39 “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptised with my baptism of suffering. 40 But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

41 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.

SOMETHING NEW

With a splotch of white from the artist’s palette and a few flicks of his wrist, purplish clouds appeared on the black canvas. As the painter splashed in bits of blue and red, mountains soon loomed skyward. Flecks of white draped them in snow. Then the artist slathered the base in a shocking spray of yellow. The scene appeared ruined. But as the painter continued dabbing at the canvas, a green pasture watered by a brook began to emerge. What had looked like a mistake became something new. Something better.

To the disciples, Christ’s promise of a new kingdom seemed an enticing prospect. They envisioned a government led by a Messiah who would free the Jewish people from Roman oppression and appoint the disciples as His ‘cabinet’. The disciples even squabbled over who would have the most prominent positions (MARK 10:37,41).

To the disciples, the cross would look like a colossal mistake, a complete defeat. They couldn’t see the scene Jesus was painting— one in which the leader bends to serve, weakness becomes strength, and the last becomes the first. They didn’t realise Jesus was winning when all appeared lost.

We too make our own plans and they seem good to us until reality intrudes. God is doing something different. When He jolts us out of our complacency, we can anticipate beauty and creativity beyond our imagination. The Supreme Artist is always doing something new.

TIM GUSTAFSON

How do you think the disciples felt when their leader was crucified? Why do you think God’s way is different than ours?

Heavenly Father, give us the wisdom to see life’s surprises, both good and bad, as opportunities to trust You and Your good purposes.

1 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”

4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” 5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days. 7 Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”

8 But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”

9 Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. 10 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” 11 Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”

12 The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” 13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

14 So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him. . . .”

40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”

44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

The dead man came out.

ALIVE AGAIN

Henry Ossawa Tanner burst onto the art scene in 1896 with his masterpiece The Resurrection of Lazarus. The painting earned a medal at the Paris Salon, making Tanner a phenomenon. The most stunning feature of Lazarus is the many evocative expressions painted on the faces of those gathered round Jesus and Lazarus. Tanner explained his desire to illuminate the biblical narrative while also adding the human touch “which makes the whole world kin.”

Tanner knew that whatever our differences, we as human beings are all bound together by the inevitability of death. And, Tanner believed, we all together find our hope in Jesus who is victorious over death. In John, it was “a man named Lazarus [who] was sick,” but the truth is we are all sick (11:1). We are all, one way or another, doomed to the grave. Though Mary and Martha asked for Christ’s help, Lazarus died before Jesus arrived. Surely, then, this was the end of the story. Everyone knew death owned the final word.

Jesus disagreed. Standing before the dead man’s tomb and the astonished crowd, He thundered, “Lazarus, come out!” (V. 43). And Lazarus walked out of his crypt.

All of us know the weight and fear of death. The death of our bodies, our relationships, our hopes. But Jesus has the final word. His transforming ways continue to bring light and life to our world.

WINN COLLIER

How have you experienced the bitter effects of death? Where do you sense God speaking life into you and your experience?

Jesus, there’s death everywhere. Would You bring me Your life? Would You speak the final word?

1 This is a vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.

3 People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.”

For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem.

4 The Lord will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore.

Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore.

TRUMPETS OF PEACE

he death of a nine-year-old boy in his hometown spurred Shamarr to create a way to get weapons out of kids’ hands. Recalling his own childhood in the city and how music helped him forge a healthy path through life, Shamarr collaborated with the police and spearheaded a community effort to offer trumpets and music lessons to anyone who turned in a knife or gun. He hopes that by replacing weapons with musical instruments, area youth will have something safe and constructive to do, thereby diminishing the plague of violence and bringing more peace to his city.

God’s vision of the future is one in which His peace will transform our communities and end violence of all kinds. In that future day, “Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore” (ISAIAH 2:4). We won’t have need for weapons, so they’ll be reformed for constructive—instead of destructive—purposes. Instead of war, we’ll gather together to worship God.

Until that day comes, we can pray and serve our communities, acting as a balm to soothe the pains of our troubled world. We can’t transform the world—only God can do that—but we can strive to bring His peace to the places where we live, inviting others to “walk in His paths” with us (V. 3).

KIRSTEN HOLMBERG

What do you most look forward to about the future Isaiah describes? How might you help bring God’s peace to your community today?

Thank You, Father, for being the author of peace. Please use me to bring Your peace to those around me.

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

Matthew 5:9

Certainly squalls and storms await us in this life. But in Jesus, we outlast life’s tempests by standing in Him.

Jesus, You calm every spiritual storm. When tempests rage, speak peace to our souls as we put our hope in You.

Patricia Raybon

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Romans 5:1

Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11

1 Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2 How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

3 Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.

4 Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.

5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.

6 Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us.

7 Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound.

8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

SLEEP STEALERS

After Ambrose (AD 340–397) became bishop of Milan, he introduced a new kind of music to the church that borrowed from Eastern styles. Some people didn’t approve of this ‘radical’ development, but the new form took hold. Several of Ambrose’s hymns survive to this day. A translation of one of them, “Before the Ending of the Day,” says:

From all ill dreams defend our eyes From nightly fears and fantasies.

Such things threaten the rest God intends for us, so Ambrose’s hymn appeals to God to protect us even as we sleep.

In Psalm 4, King David addresses the concept of sleep in spite of fears. It may have been while fleeing for his life that David cried out to God, “Give me relief from my distress” (V. 1 NIV). After this deeply personal plea, David turned from himself and towards his hearers. “When you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent,” he urged (V. 4). Doing so places the focus on God and not on our fears, which naturally led to David’s conclusion: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (V. 8).

These ancient songs—David’s and Ambrose’s—uplift the peacegiving response to whatever threatens us. Before the ending of the day, share your concerns and fears with God. We can leave them all with Him.

TIM GUSTAFSON

Father in heaven, thank You for rest. Help me give You my fears and problems and rest in You as I go to sleep.

What threatens your sleep? How can you give your worries to God at the end of the day?

11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

14 If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

CREATED TO LOVE

After leading a prayer vigil in 1962, Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. spent more than two weeks in jail. While enduring this unjust treatment, he wrote sermons about loving enemies that would later become part of his book The Strength to Love. His powerful message declared love as a catalyst for social and political change. Inspired by Dr. King’s teaching over the years, I’ve prayed for my biracial sons, now adult men. My husband and I have taught them to fight hate with love, which isn’t always easy. When it seems like hate is winning, I cry out to God. How long, Lord, will we be divided by hate when we know You created us in Your image and commanded us to love You and others?

God instructed His people to love “from the beginning” (1 JOHN 3:11). He proclaimed, “Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them” (V. 15). God urged His people to use our words, our actions, and our attitudes to show love towards one another (VV. 16–18).

As we stand against injustice, the Holy Spirit will empower God’s people to “believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us” (V. 23). We are created to love.

XOCHITL DIXON

How has God helped you love people who are different from you? Why is it vital for you to respond to hate with love?

Loving Creator and Sustainer, help me to love You and others as I celebrate our differences and our sameness as Your beautifully diverse and purposefully connected people.

11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.

16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility towards each other was put to death.

17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near.

18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.

PEACE AT A PRICE

Water Lilies, one of Claude Monet’s most famous series of paintings, depicts the serene flowers of his garden pond. He created them to give viewers “an asylum of peaceful meditation.” This aim was achieved in the 1920s when two galleries were built to house eight of the Monet paintings in Orangerie Museum in Paris, creating a haven of tranquility after the ravages of World War I.

Ironically, while the Water Lilies have brought peace to countless people, Monet was rarely peaceful while painting them. Wind blew away his canvases, and road dust settled on the lilies, causing deep frustration. He stomped on or slashed dozens of paintings he didn’t like. “I often suffer tortures when I paint,” he said of the anguish involved. The peace we enjoy from his work came at a cost.

In Ephesians 2, Paul recalls the hostility that existed between Jews and gentiles before Jesus reconciled them to each other and to peace with God (VV. 11–15). This war was won, however, at a tremendous price. The forgiveness that made a relationship with God available, and the reconciliation that’s now possible between us all, came through Jesus’ torturous death (V. 16). The peace of the gospel came at a cost.

I want to remember that when I next see Monet’s Water Lilies. The peace we enjoy with God and each other exists because of Jesus’ anguished work.

SHERIDAN VOYSEY

Jesus, my peace came at the cost of Your agony. I never want to take that for granted. Thank You.

Where and when do you feel closest to God? How can you remind yourself that this peace exists because of Jesus’ work on the cross?

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

And the Father who knows all hearts knows that the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

PRAYER WITHOUT WORDS

asked the young man who was dying in a hospital bed if he had any prayer requests. After he rattled off a litany of names and concerns, he sheepishly looked at me and said, “I was taught not to pray for myself.”

He was dying. He was on pain medicine to make him comfortable in his last days, yet he didn’t believe it was right to ask for prayer for himself. I reminded him that God’s Spirit could intervene for him even if he didn’t know how to put his requests into words.

God knows our hearts and minds. He knows what we need and promises to give it to us according to “God’s own will” (ROMANS 8:27). Sometimes life makes it tough to put into words what we need from God and we may not know how to pray. Perhaps we can utter only “groanings that cannot be expressed in words” (V. 26). But Paul’s words provide comfort and assurance that we have a great intercessor in the form of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit actually talks to God for us on our behalf (V. 26). God knows. God hears. God’s will—His perfect plans—will be done.

Rest in this assurance as you wait on God for whatever your request may be—whether uttered audibly or only in your heart or mind.

KATARA PATTON

Father in Heaven, thank You for Your Spirit that intercedes on my behalf even when I’m uncertain of what to pray or how to pray.

A SPIRIT OF PEACE

Growing up, I was taught about a heavenly Father up above and Jesus in my heart. And that was good. But the “Jesus-in-my-heart” part wasn’t explained particularly well. How does that work, exactly?

John the disciple provided valuable insight into the mystery of the Trinity, which is crucial for us in understanding how Jesus lives in us. John recorded Jesus telling His disciple Philip, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (JOHN 14:9). Christ also said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (V. 11).

In that same discussion, Jesus talked plainly about the Holy Spirit, whom He would send to us. “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth” (VV. 16–17).

The apostle Paul would later explain how one God in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—work together. He wrote, “Because you belong to [Jesus], the power of the life-giving

FEATURE

by Tim Gustafson

Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death”

(ROMANS 8:2). Paul then referenced the Father who gave us the Son: “God . . . sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have” (V. 3).

Paul went on, “And in that body [the Son’s body] God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins” (V. 3). Now we “no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit” (V. 4).

He continued, “Letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace” (V. 6). Paul reminded us, “You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you” (V. 9). Then he assured us, “Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (VV. 13–14).

This work of God’s Spirit within us eradicates fear. “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father’. For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children” (VV. 15–16).

God isn’t merely ‘up there’, looking over our shoulder to see if we make a mistake. He’s taken up residence in us. We need not be motivated by fear, but rather by love and connectedness to the One who knows us intimately, bringing us His peace.

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.”

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptised into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

PORCH WARS

here’s a war being waged on my porch these days. It’s a daily battle fought between Sylvester and Chris—two local squirrels I’ve enjoyed getting to know—over who gets to eat the peanut butter and nut treats I set out for them. One squirrel inevitably gets to the goodies first and jealously guards them with loud chattering, chasing away the other if he gets too close. Ironically, there are enough treats for both my squirrel friends. If they could simply share, they could both eat in peace. But, so far, self-protective survival instincts have prevailed, and the war continues.

Wars for survival may be what’s expected in the animal world, but the apostle Paul wanted new believers to know that it’s selfdestructive and dangerous when it happens in the family of believers. Believers—those who’ve put their faith in Jesus—have been joined through His Spirit into one interdependent body, the body of Christ (1 CORINTHIANS 12:12–13). And in this body, fighting each other for our own survival is as ludicrous, Paul emphasises, as our eyes saying to our hands, “I don’t need you” (V. 21).

Both when we’re in agreement and when we’re not, we have so much to learn from fellow believers (V. 22). We aren’t in competition with each other; we need each other. And in the face of the other, we see Jesus.

MONICA LA ROSE

When have you observed a competitive spirit causing harm in relationships? How have you been blessed by non-combative, mutually beneficial relationships?

Loving God, it’s so easy to descend into a spirit of resentment and bitterness towards others, even fellow believers in You. But we know that there’s a better way—teach us that way.

11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognise him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

“Mary!” Jesus said.

“MARY”

“

Jeremy” (not his real name) was excited for his big announcement. Too excited. He threw a party in the dry grasslands near his home to reveal the gender of his unborn baby. He packed a target with explosives and blue powder (it was a boy), then shot the target. There was an explosion of fire. So much fire that it took 800 firefighters an entire week to put it out. Jeremy learned the hard way that bigger isn’t always better. Sometimes an understated announcement works best.

Consider the resurrection of Jesus. How did He announce this biggest news ever? Jesus didn’t run to a palace and proclaim Himself king. He didn’t call down lightning. He didn’t even go first to the twelve disciples. He lingered by the tomb, waiting for the women He knew were coming to anoint His body. One of them mistook Him for the gardener and asked where He’d put Jesus’ body. He simply said, “Mary!” (JOHN 20:16).

That’s right. Jesus announced His resurrection with a single word, the name of a woman—a woman who had been demon-possessed (LUKE 8:2). A woman whose testimony was discounted in that ancient world. But a woman Jesus loved, and He entrusted His explosive news to her.

As He now trusts us. We don’t have to be spectacular, because our message is. We need only tell others what we’ve seen and heard.

MIKE WITTMER

Father, please use my mouth to tell others about Your Son.

Who do you know who needs to know Jesus? What might encourage you to speak kindly and confidently with them?

16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him—but some of them doubted!

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

ANOTHER, WALKING BESIDE US!

n 1922, poet T. S. Eliot wrote the poem “What the Thunder Said” about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Who is the third who walks always beside you?

When I count, there are only you and I together But when I look ahead up the white road There is always another one walking beside you.

Eliot notes, “These lines were stimulated by the account of one of the Antarctic expeditions . . . it was related that the party of explorers, at the extremity of their strength, had the constant delusion that there was one more member than could actually be counted.”

There is indeed another walking beside us. Jesus said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (MATTHEW 28:20). What a magnificent promise. His presence accompanies us just as He accompanied the disciples during the days He walked this earth. He is with us in every circumstance of life, a fact that gives us courage when we have no other encouragement but His love.

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” Jesus told His disciples. His promise looks beyond optimism to the end of time itself. New life awaits us at the end of our journey here. There is always ‘Another’ walking beside us.

DAVID ROPER

How might it help to take a moment to envision Jesus alongside you right now? How does that affect the way you approach the challenges you face?

I’m thankful that You’re always by my side, Jesus.

CHRIST’S PEACE OFFERING

sat in the doctor’s office next to my husband, as the doctor said, “Pain management may be the best we can do.”

I gripped the handle of my cane. With limited mobility caused by chronic pain and fatigue due to a back injury, I would be considered disabled. I couldn’t face my husband, who I was sure was already exhausted from serving as my carer.

Handing me a tissue, my doctor said, “Don’t lose hope.”

I wiped my tears. “My hope is in Jesus,” I said. “I’m just . . . grieving.”

My hope is in Jesus, but how could I persevere when my husband and I were already running on empty?

Anxious thoughts pounded my temples as my husband drove me home in silence and then returned to work. Disappointment. Frustration. Anger. Grief. Confusion. Desperation. Self-pity. Fear. Mixed emotions bombarded me as I entered the house, slumped onto the sofa, and sobbed.

My puppy wiggled onto my lap, licking my tears until I laughed. “I’m okay,” I said. Distracting her with a toy, I stared at the wrought iron cross hanging by our staircase. How could I

FEATURE

by Xochitl Dixon

have forgotten that Christ is my strength when I am weak?

“Help me, Jesus,” I said, scratching behind my pup’s ears. Peace enveloped me as I focused on the crosses decorating our living room. Each cross affirmed that I could overcome anything on this side of eternity with my hope secured in the constant presence of my Risen King—Jesus Christ. “I’m going to be okay, Callie Mae,” I said as I stroked my pup’s soft fur and allowed the tears to begin flowing again.

I used to think crying was evidence of weak faith, until I discovered that even “Jesus wept” (JOHN 11:35). His tears confirm He can empathise with those who grieve. But what happened before and after Jesus wept brought me peace that didn’t depend on my ever-changing feelings or uncontrollable circumstances.

Jesus said Lazarus’ sickness would “not end in death” but would bring God glory “it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this” (JOHN 11:4). Jesus gave His disciples countless opportunities to rest in the peace of His presence and rely on the hope of His promises. Miracle after miracle, He had proven His faithfulness and power. Still, the disciples succumbed to fear and remained spiritually nearsighted—focused on what they could see rather than what Jesus had said (VV. 8–16).

Jesus arrived at Bethany after Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days and a crowd had assembled to mourn with the family. He reiterated His promise to Martha (VV. 17–23). She acknowledged who Jesus was but her response wasn’t much different from her sister’s (VV. 29–32). Instead of condemning or chastising them for their slowness to understand, Jesus showed compassion and wept when He saw her and those in the crowd grieving (VV. 33–37). They had doubted until Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb (VV. 41–45). Lazarus’ resurrection proved Jesus’ power and validated the promise He’d given the disciples as He led them to the foot of His cross.

stepping into his new life, Lazarus rested in Jesus’ presence. Martha served Jesus. Mary worshipped Jesus with an extravagant display of adoration. The chief priests even plotted to kill Lazarus because his life was causing many of the Jews to turn to Jesus (JOHN 12:1–2, 9–11).

Jesus’ loving and constant presence is His peace offering. When we’re dead in our sin and brokenness, Jesus calls us out of the tomb. He invites us to step into a new life through the forgiveness of our sins when we repent, turn away from sin, and place our hope in Him. By giving His life for ours— taking on our sin, death, and brokenness and transforming it into resurrection life—Jesus extends His peace for us to enjoy now and when we enter eternity.

In this world, we will have trouble (JOHN 16:33), but we can trust Jesus with our vulnerability when we’re struggling. We can be confident in His unchanging goodness, His mercy, and His plan and pace for our journey because our hope remains secured in His unbreakable promises.

Our Risen King provides an open invitation with plenty of opportunities for us to believe every promise He has given through His Word. He calls us to abandon our grave clothes and step into a new life. When we surrender to Jesus, He will be our peace and empower us to serve Him, worship Him, and live in such a way that causes others to turn to Him. Will you accept Christ’s peace today?

Learn more here: odb.org/personal-relationship-with-god

Jesus extends His peace for us to enjoy now and when we enter eternity.

Find True and Lasting Peace

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

—JOHN 14:27 (NLT)

We all want peace. Real soul-satisfying peace. The good news is that it’s actually possible because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. He took the sin and pain of the world on His shoulders so that we can experience abundant life and peace—His shalom. God’s shalom means living in peace with God, peace with others and peace with yourself. As you read these 10 reflections that reveal more about this gift, may you experience the power and promise of His true peace now and always. ourdailybread.org

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