30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 24 50-53 THE BLESSING OF GOD 07 19May2022 Luke 24 50-51 The blessing of His peace
📖 Luke 24:50-53
07 – 19May2022 – The blessing of His peace - Luke 24:50-53 - THE BLESSING OF GOD - Bible reading: Luke 2:13-14
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You want us to come into Your Shalom. This is the blessing with which You have blessed us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”
Luke 24:50-51 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. (51) Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.
It was a glorious departure of the Lord Jesus and as He departed, He blessed the disciples. Let us continue to consider the Aaronic blessing.
Numbers 6:26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace." '
The final part of the Aaronic blessing was that the people should enjoy the Shalom of God. God longs for us to be in Him and have His Shalom. He longs for us to be in His habitat. In Christ is the fullness of life, which is eternal life.
Psalm 29:11 The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.
God made the way, through Christ, that we are reconciled with Him and enjoy the fullness of life or His Shalom.
Colossians 1:19-20 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, (20) and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
In the Old Testament, there are several passages that give us pictures of the life of Shalom. This passage is one which I quote often.
Isaiah 32:16-18 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field. (17) The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. (18) My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,
This portrayal gives us an understanding that this is a complete experience. An experience where we are rightly related with God, related within ourselves, rightly related with one another in the community, society and nation and rightly related with God’s creation. It is to this Shalom that the Lord is bringing us, through the cross of Christ.
Humanity was created to be in the experience of Shalom. This was the original design of God. Today we are far removed from the Shalom experience. Yet, God has not cast us aside but He is restoring us back to His original plan, through Christ and through His cross.
This is the message that we must first experience and share with the world around us. The good news is of His kingdom, where we come under the government of God. The government of God is Shalom.
This was the message of the angels to the shepherds.
Luke 2:13-14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: (14) “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
God was bringing the world, back to His Shalom, through Christ. Jesus came to give us His peace.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
The Lord is pulling us out of the world, where everything opposite to Shalom is the rule. We are to be separated from the world. We are to be a people of Shalom in a world without Shalom. We also bridge people around us into the Shalom of God.
This experience of the Shalom of God is an ongoing experience for us since this is the work of the Holy Spirit, who is always with us.
John 14:26-27 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (27) 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 afraid.
There is no need for us to be troubled or afraid. This is because we are in the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Shalom. This is what the kingdom of Jesus is all about. It is a kingdom of Shalom.
Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
The good news of Jesus is about His reign and His government. This government of Jesus is of Shalom.
What we see in our world today is the opposite of the Shalom kingdom. We, the church, are the representatives of the kingdom of God. If we do not reveal the Shalom of God, how can we impact people to come to Christ and have His Shalom?
The blessing of Jesus to the church is His Shalom.
Thought to ponder
How very sad, when the church of Jesus does not depict Shalom to our world.