The Coming Peace

Luke 1:78-79 “because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

            Luke was written by the physician Luke who sometimes traveled with Paul. It is the first book of a two-book series, Luke and Acts. Both were written to someone names Theophilus, which means “lover of God”. This leaves some to believe that this name is not referring to a specific person by rather to all who love God (1). Luke gathers the information by interviews and investigation of all events that he records. This book, like the other three gospels give an account of the life of Jesus, His birth, important childhood events, adulthood, death, and resurrection. The beginning of Luke also includes John the Baptist’s conception and birth. This is important to Jesus’s life because John announces Jesus’s coming ministry before Jesus begins to teach and perform miracles.

            The first chapter of Luke discusses how John the Baptist was conceived. His father and mother were past the age of being able to conceive a child. When Zachariah, John’s father, was chosen to go into the temple to burn incense to the Lord and offer up a prayer for all the people of Israel that year, an angel visited him and told him that his wife would become pregnant and bear a son that would be named John. Zechariah doubted this message, and so the angel told him that he would not speak until his son was born. After the birth of John, eight days later, he was taken to the temple to be dedicated to the Lord. Zechariah was then able to speak and name his son, John.

Read Luke 1:67-80

            Zechariah was filled with so much joy that he broke out in a song of praise and prophesy to God for his faithfulness to his promise. Beginning in verse 76, Zechariah begins to speak about his child, John, and the many things he will do. He will prepare the way for Jesus Christ’s ministry. He will tell people of the coming salvation and forgiveness of sins. He will bring light to people living in darkness. This will lead them to living a life of peace (Luke 1:76-79). This prophesy shows that John would point people to Jesus and that He would be the one that would forgive them of their sins. That He would bring them peace.

            Jesus came not only to forgive us for the sins we had committed, but He came to invite us into a relationship with Him. He came to give us rest from trying to fill the desire in our heart with the world. He showed us how to live through His ministry that is recorded in all four gospels. When we stop trying to fix ourselves and allow Jesus to heal our hearts and our minds, we gain peace and we gain a relationship with the solution to the hole, or the desire in our hearts for Him. Stop fighting your flesh and allow Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, to fill your heart and give you peace.

           

            Have you fully accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior? If you have asked for forgiveness of your sins, have you committed to letting Jesus be the King of your heart, or are you still struggling to fill that void with things the world can offer? Take time to reflect and pray. Ask God to come into the areas of your life that you have not yet allowed Him to enter.

1.Schenck, Kenneth. Jesus Is Lord!: an Introduction to the New Testament. Triangle Publishing, 2009.