PEACE

My wife and I are members of a study group that meets weekly to examine Scripture and discuss various faith topics. The gathering is comprised mostly of longtime devoted followers of Jesus, many having served or still serving in vocational ministry. One of the more recent topics gave focus to the covenant between God and his creation.

A covenant is a special agreement comprised of obligations and benefits. It is enacted between two parties wherein one or both make promises to perform or refrain from certain actions.

The divine promise God made with his creation was revealed in stages through various events. (There is only one covenant, yet it is progressively revealed.) This special arrangement was implicitly seen in the Garden of Eden yet became implemented to his fallen creation at the time of Noah. The covenant was further established with Abraham (Genesis 12, 15, 22), defined by Moses (Deuteronomy), and refined in David (2 Samuel 7). The agreement will become fully realized at the return of Jesus Christ, the soon coming King.

The covenant’s structure was one commonly used throughout all civilizations and was familiar to everyone. Like all agreements, the promise between God and mankind began with a preamble, followed by a historical prologue, the stipulations, the blessings, the curses, and the witnesses. It ended with the oaths and the provision for periodic readings. In the Bible, Deuteronomy shows all the characteristics of a covenant.

When confronted by satan in the wilderness, Jesus cited from Deuteronomy. (Matthew 4, Luke 4) Not only was the quotation a rebuttal to the specific temptation but, by coming from this book, the devil was reminded of the covenant that assured his final defeat and doom.

How is Jesus connected to this ancient arrangement? Since salvation today is viewed through the empty tomb, most people instantly connect his association with the covenant by his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension; rightfully so. But how did Jesus connect himself to it to his family, neighbors, friends, and even enemies while here on earth – to those he came to save, to those looking to be rescued from their circumstances and situations?

For Jesus to be the long-awaited deliverer, the covenant-promised people were looking for the “Prophet” promised in Deuteronomy, the “Son of Man” promised in Daniel, and the “Messiah” (Anointed One) promised in Isaiah and Zachariah. This redeemer, described in Scripture in three ways, was the one who would bring forgiveness of sins, would end the exile from God and would bring people into a lasting freedom. The signs of God’s deliverance from exile involved a new Davidic king, a great ingathering of people, a rebuilt temple, a glorious divine presence, and the nations coming to worship God.

Jesus needed to show a clear relationship with the covenant, linking him to the Garden of Eden and the promise of Abraham. The people he had come to rescue had to recognize him as the prophet/priest/king coming from God. The crucifixion, burial, and resurrection had not yet occurred; how does he show his connection to God’s promise? May I suggest to you, with the Beatitudes – described by some as his “Kingdom Manifesto.”

Of the four gospel narrators, two refer to the Beatitudes – Luke and Matthew. They wrote to different audiences for different purposes. They may have recorded two different incidences, or the same incident seen differently. The Beatitudes was probably a recurring teaching, mentioned on many occasions at several locations, heard by numerous witnesses.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul. His beliefs were rooted in Pauline theology. Paul’s ministry focused on the Greco-Roman world and showed Jesus as the “second Adam” (Romans, 1 Corinthians). His audience was looking for human perfection through wisdom, through philosophy (philos: “love”; Sophia: “wisdom” – “the love of wisdom”). Paul shows that true perfection only happened in the first Adam, the man initially created perfectly. If perfection is the roadway for peace and joy, then becoming associated with the second Adam, the perfect God/man, is the true answer.

Luke wrote his narrative to a Greek friend named Theophilus (Theos: “God”; philos: “love”). This may have been an invitation for all lovers of God to read his gospel narrative. Luke connects Jesus by genealogy to Adam and, like Paul, shows Israel’s Messiah as perfect. The way to wholeness is only accomplished by accepting and abiding in him.

Matthew, however, is writing to the Hebrews and connects Jesus by genealogy to Abraham. The name “Hebrews” is a better portrayal of these people than the name “Jew”. Hebrews means “those who crossed over” – not just crossing over the Red Sea but over into God’s camp, His Kingdom. The title “Jew” was given to those exiled and separated from the land of Judah after the Babylonian conquest. The name brought attention to the shame and pain associated with breaking the covenant and moving into its consequences – removal from God’s presence.

Matthew does not portray Jesus as the second Adam but as the “second Moses”. Matthew’s narrative focuses on five sermons, connecting Jesus to the Torah. The first sermon is referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5, 6, 7) – the “Genesis” teaching. Jesus starts the “beginning” sermon with the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit….” (Matthew 5) The liberator brings his audience back to Deuteronomy, the blessings and curses of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. (Chapters 27-28)

When Matthew gives the Beatitudes, he only gives the blessings. The Hebrews had been living under the curses for centuries. Jesus announces that he is the Messiah who is restoring the blessings to those who cross over into God’s kingdom. They are no longer exiled from the Lord.

Matthew presents the covenant curses (“woes”) at the opening of the final sermon, known as “The Olivet Discourse” (Matthew 23, 24, 25) – the “Deuteronomy” teaching. Before foretelling the end-times, he denounces falsehood, shallow religion, pompousness, and predator behavior. Woes are pronounced to those who, by their behavior, show themselves as choosing to remain in exile.

Luke presents the Beatitudes in the actual covenant format, combining blessings with woes. (Luke 6) The Gentile converts were familiar with the Hebrew ways but were not fully engaged in the history, culture, customs, and covenant of Israel. But, by their connection with Israel’s Messiah, the Greco-Roman believer could benefit from the promises given to the Hebrews. By embracing Jesus, they would cross over and place themselves under the only covenant that fully liberates people.

Matthew restores the Hebrews to the blessings; Luke introduces the Gentiles to the promises. Both groups experience newfound freedom and become bound together by a common and single covenant with God.

When it comes to salvation, most of the attention is given to the forgiveness of sins. Why is that important? What is meant by sins being forgiven? Is it just for a warm fuzzy feeling and a clean conscience? No, it ends a person’s exile from God. Jesus is saying, “You’re pardoned, and your exile is done!” Welcome home!

What does exile look like? What identifies an exile experience? When you read about the exilic event in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Daniel, Ezra, Esther, and Nehemiah, it is associated with shame, humiliation, defeat, hate, anger, suffering, fear, turmoil, pain, trouble, agony – things regularly faced by people today. The person (the Prophet, Son of Man, Messiah) the Hebrews were looking for came to the hopeless exiles and announced that their sins were forgiven. The guilt that caused the exile and the torment associated with the exile has ended and been replaced with peace.

I regularly spend time at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. Every morning, before the gate is opened for guests, the community members come together for worship, prayer, and Scripture reading, followed with a brief devotional thought. One morning, the Deputy Director had an early appointment and was unable to oversee the gathering. He asked me to lead the session.

In my brief devotional comment, I asked the question, “If you were asked to describe salvation in one word, what word would you use?” The community members expressed words that gave attention to love and forgiveness. But the word used by Jesus and Paul was “peace”, a word communicating the end of exile and estrangement from God.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27 ESV)

Paul wrote, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:15–20 ESV)

Everlasting peace (peace with God, with others, and with ourselves) is what Jesus gives to those who bow at his cross and recognize him as the Peacemaker. In a world still alienated from God, seemingly crazy and messed-up, peace is available by sins being forgiven. The hostility of exile (pain or suffering or shame) is behind you through Jesus the Anointed.

Recognize him as your Lord and come home. Leave your exile, abide in him, and gain the peace only he provides.

[A brief footnote: Currently, in Israel, many orthodox Jews do not believe the exile has ended, which started in 587 BC under Babylon, followed by Persia, Greece, Rome, and then the dispersion. They see the return of Jews to Palestine, occurring in 1948, as accomplished by the efforts of Zionist, not done by the anointed divine deliverer. Today, a Davidic king is not ruling, the temple is not built, and the nations are not rushing to Jerusalem to worship God. Consequently, modern Israel is not a fulfillment of biblical prophecy, though it may be one step closer to the outcome. They have yet to recognize Jesus as the Davidic king, or his followers as the Temple in which the Spirit dwells, or the nations gathering to worship God by their proclaiming the message of salvation. Pray for them to gain a clear revelation from Scripture of Jesus the Anointed so they, like you, can gain their release and find freedom from their exile.]