Speaking of Christ, Ephesians 2:14 says, “He Himself is our peace.” The word “our” refers to different peoples, to the Jewish and Gentile believers. The peace spoken of here is not that between God and man but that between one man and another. Through the blood of Christ we have been brought near not only to God but also to God’s people. Christ, who has accomplished full redemption for both Jewish and Gentile believers, is Himself our peace, our harmony, in that He has made both one. Due to the fall of mankind and the call of the chosen race, there was a separation between Israel and the Gentiles. Through Christ’s redemption this separation has been removed. Now the two are one in the redeeming Christ, who is the bond of oneness, the bond of peace. The very Christ who has removed through His redemptive death the separation between the Jews and the Gentiles is now our peace.
The Gospel of John also presents Christ as the believers’ peace. The Lord 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 heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful” (John 14:27). The peace Christ gives overcomes all troubles and fears, especially those caused by the persecution of religion. When the Lord Jesus spoke these words, the disciples followed Him at the risk of losing their lives, or, at the very least, of losing the way to earn their living. Because the disciples were under the fear of the opposing and persecuting religion, the Lord told them that in Him they had peace. He left His peace with them, a peace that is actually the Lord Himself. No matter what opposition and persecution we may face, the Lord Jesus within us is our peace, and we may enjoy Him as peace.
In John 16:33 Christ said, “These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but be of good courage, I have overcome the world.” This reveals that the believers have peace in the overcoming Christ. Although the Lord Jesus died and has been resurrected, we remain in the world where there is no peace. In this world we shall have only trouble. But the Lord Himself will be our peace, and we can have peace in Him. No matter how much this world troubles us and persecutes us, the Lord has overcome the world. We do not need to worry nor to fear the world. The world may persecute us and trouble us, but Christ is our peace, and He has overcome the world.
In His person Christ is joy to the believers. “These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full” (John 15:11). The context of this verse is the Lord’s word concerning the vine and the branches being an organism to glorify the Father by expressing the riches of the divine life (John 15:1-11). For us to be branches of the divine vine and to bear fruit to express the divine life is a matter of joy-a joyful life. If we abide in the Lord and keep abiding in Him by abiding in His love so that we may bear much fruit to express the riches of His life for the glorification of the Father, we shall be filled with joy. Our joy always comes from our abiding in the Lord, from our abiding in His love, from our fruit-bearing in His rich life, and from the expression and glorification of the Father. In this kind of life we are full of a joy that is actually Christ Himself.
In John 17:13 the Lord Jesus again speaks concerning His joy being made full in the believers. In His prayer to the Father, He said, “Now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world that they may have My joy made full in themselves.” The fullness of joy is in the real oneness. When we are one in the Father’s name by the Father’s life, enjoying the Father together, we shall have the Lord’s joy made full in us. This is the reason that when we are truly one, we are filled with praise to the Father. This praise is the overflow of the inner joy. We rejoice in oneness with the overflow of joy.
In Philippians 3:1 Paul says, “For the rest, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not irksome, and for you it is safe.” Here Paul charges the saints to rejoice in the Lord. His word indicates that rejoicing in the Lord is a safeguard, a security. For Paul to write to the saints about rejoicing in the Lord was safe to them. There must have been a situation in Philippi that required a safeguard, some kind of protection. The situation Paul had in mind was the trouble caused by the Judaizers. As a protection from that trouble, Paul encouraged the saints to rejoice in the Lord.
In Philippians 4:4 Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” All believers need to rejoice in the Lord. Those who do not rejoice are wrong, and those who do rejoice are right. According to Paul’s word here, we should rejoice in the Lord always. This rejoicing affords us the strength for the oneness spoken of in Philippians 4:2 and 3. If believers are to think the same thing, it is necessary for them to learn to rejoice. Rejoicing in the Lord is also the secret of having the excellent characteristics listed in Philippians 4:5-9. If we would have the virtues found in these verses, we need to rejoice in the Lord. Therefore, rejoicing in the Lord is very important.
In His person Christ is the believers’ rest. In Matthew 11:28 the Lord Jesus sounded out a call related to Himself as rest: “Come to Me all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” The labor mentioned in this verse refers not only to the labor of striving to keep the commandments of the law and religious regulations, but also to the labor of struggling to be successful in any work. Whoever labors thus is always heavily burdened. After the Lord Jesus had praised the Father, acknowledging the Father’s way and declaring the divine economy (Matt. 11:25-27), He called such laboring ones to come to Him for rest. Rest refers not only to being set free from labor and burden under the law and religion or under any work and responsibility, but also to perfect peace and full satisfaction.
In Matthew 11:29 Christ gives us the way to rest: “Take My yoke on you and learn from Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls.” The Lord’s yoke is to take the will of the Father. It is not to be regulated or controlled by any obligations of the law or religion, nor to be enslaved by any work, but to be constrained by the will of the Father. The Lord Jesus lived such a life, caring for nothing but the will of His Father (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38). He submitted Himself fully to the Father’s will (Matt. 26:39-42). Therefore, He asks us to learn from Him, the One who is meek and lowly in heart. To be meek means not to resist opposition, and to be lowly means not to esteem oneself highly. In all the opposition the Lord Jesus was meek, and in all the rejection He was lowly in heart. He submitted Himself fully to the will of His Father, not wanting to do anything for Himself nor expecting to gain something for Himself. Hence, no matter what the situation was, He had rest in His heart. He was fully satisfied with His Father’s will.
The Lord Jesus said that if we take His yoke upon us and learn from Him, we shall find rest to our souls. The rest we find by taking the Lord’s yoke and learning from Him is for our souls. It is an inward rest; it is not anything merely outward in nature.
If we are opposed as we minister for the Lord, and we resist, we shall not have peace. But if instead of resisting we submit to the will of the Father, we shall have rest in our souls. Christ always submitted to the Father’s will, taking God’s will as His portion and not resisting anything. As a result, He was always at rest. We need to learn of Him and also take this view. If we do, we shall have rest in our souls, a rest that is actually the indwelling Christ Himself.
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