The Message Of The Resurrection Of Jesus Is Peace! Series

Dr. Wayne C Solomon

Resurrection Sunday Message

Theme: PEACE

“And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them,

Peace [be] unto you.”

Luke 24:36 (KJV)

Text: Luke 24:36 “And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you.” (KJV)

If you read today’s news, you will see that our world is in a state of conflict. Urban violence is at an all-time high. Police brutality has become so common-place. School shootings continue to alarm us as even last month 3 teachers and 14 high-school students were mercilessly killed in Parkland Florida. Domestic violence still claims the lives of over 40% of the female murder victims in America. Today’s headlines read like a page out of Revelation. Brother against brother, nation rising up against nation, wars, and rumors of wars. There are over 500 wars being fought worldwide today on all continents and regions except the Caribbean, North America, and Australia. The manufacture of weapons continues to escalate in this volatile world. Though Geopolitical and military strategic interests govern the thinking of world leaders, commerce and trade are at the center of the manufacture and distribution of weapons designed to snuff out human life in seconds. The arms trade is a multi-billion-dollar industry that caters to the vile thirst for power being exercised by political leaders as well as the need for self-defense in developing nations worldwide. Developed nations are the manufacturers and developing nations are the customers. Britain, Switzerland, France, Russia and China and several other nations combined, sell and distribute 56% of the arms used worldwide, while the United States market share in this bloodletting industry is a whopping 44%. Between the year 2000 and 2014, almost 1.6 million deaths from wars have been reported. In spite of these alarming statistics, war drums are still being beaten. Russia and America, two world super-powers, are flexing their military muscles in a new arms race. North Korea is sparing no efforts to enter the nuclear club. Russia claims to have developed more powerful and more accurate weapons of mass destruction that will carve highways of death across the skies. The President of the United States has stated that he intends to make our military ‘the biggest and the "baddest" so that nobody will want to mess with us.’ China is conducting diplomatic negotiations with North Korea an undermining American leadership. China has stated that they will restart the production of nuclear weapons and enlarge their arsenal. America has said that the diplomatic negotiations that have been used over the last 20 years with North Korea are not working. I just feel like screaming at the top of my lungs, “stop the insanity”. It is either we end wars or wars will end us! Wars, wars and rumors of wars that is why the Message of Easter is so relevant to humankind. When Jesus arose from the grave on that first Easter morning, and later that day entered the upper room where his disciples were hiding, the first word He said to them was “PEACE….” In a world inundated by violence, murder, mayhem and war, Jesus is still speaking PEACE!.

The word peace is found 429 times in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is shalom which means completeness, welfare or help. In the New Testament, the Greek word describes harmonious relationships between people, harmony between nations, between friends, freedom from molestation, order in the state, in churches, harmony between God and man. After His resurrection, the first thing that Jesus said to his disciples was “peace be unto you.”

The message of the risen Savior is a message of Peace.

Today we will look at three aspects of this peace: the Purpose, the Presence and the Power of His Peace.

1. The Purpose of His peace

a. was a benediction he wished the disciples peace

b. The purpose of this peace was a declaration of the position with God. The disciples were brought into a state of peace with God.

c. The purpose of this peace was an inspiration. He showered His peace on them.

d. The purpose of this peace was an absolution for he blotted out all their offences with His mighty peace.

HIS PEACE WAS PURPOSEFUL

2. Second the Presence of his Peace

This peace that Jesus gives is personal. It is His personal peace. He is the one who is giving it because He is the author of peace.

a. This is the same presence that breathed upon the face of the waters on the first day of creation.

b. This is the same presence that walked with Adam in the cool of the day in the garden of Eden.

c. This is the same presence who sent Moses to tell Pharaoh let my people go.