AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE
TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY: kai elthon (AAPMSN) eueggelisato (3SAMI)
eirenen humin tois makran: (Psalms
85:10;
Isaiah 27:5;
52:7;
57:19-21;
Zechariah 9:10;
Matthew 10:13;
Luke 2:14;
Luke 15:5,6;
Acts 2:39;
10:36;
Romans 5:1;
2 Corinthians 5:20)
He -
referring to Christ.
Came (2064)
(erchomai) means to come or go. Having come (aorist
tense = past
completed action) in His first advent.
S Lewis Johnson
has an interesting comment on this verse writing that...
in verse 17 we read, “And came and
preached peace.” That seems strange, isn’t it? You would think that he
would’ve put, “And he came and preached peace, and then he reconciled
men to himself by the death of the cross.” In fact, if you were in a
Bible class with the Apostle Paul you might raise your hand and say,
“Paul, haven’t you got the order reversed there? You say, he’s abolished
in the flesh the enmity by means of the cross, he’s reconciled us
through the cross slaying the enmity, and then say, and he came and
preached peace. Shouldn’t you reverse those?” Paul would probably say,
“I’m not surprised you asked a question like that. But, I want you to
understand what I mean by “and he came and preached peace,” is this is
preaching by means of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who is the
means by which men preach Christ, so that we preach him, by means of the
Holy Spirit. And that, I think, is the force: “and he came and preached
to you who were far off and you who were nigh.” Ultimately, it is the
word of Christ through the messenger...“Faith cometh by hearing and
hearing through the word of Christ.” (see note
Romans 10:17)
And in the course of the exposition, I tried to make the point that
faith comes by the message, but it’s a message through Jesus Christ.
In other words, it’s Christ in the word that is the saving
instrumentality. So the word is an instrumentality by which
Christ himself, in His messages, reaches us. That, I think, is
perfectly harmonious with this: “He came and preached peace.” Men were
doing it, Apostles were doing it, but they were giving out the word and
Christ Himself was coming to them through the word of the apostles. So
he came and preached peace. I think the order of the words demands that
interpretation. (pdf
)
Preached
(2097)
(euaggelizo from eu = good, well + aggéllo =
proclaim, tell) means to announce good news (gospel) or bring glad
tidings. Literally one could say that Christ "gospelized peace!"
to both Jew and Gentile.
In the OT
euaggelizo was used of any kind of good news including the joyful
tidings of God's kindnesses especially as they related to the promised
Messianic blessings. In the NT euaggelizo was used especially of
the glad tidings of the coming kingdom of God and of the salvation
through Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God Who took away the sins of the
world. Here euaggelizo is used to instruct men concerning the things
that pertain to salvation, specifically the peace Paul has been
explaining.
Morris
explains
This "[preaching] of peace"--not only
peace between Jew and Gentile but also individual peace with God through
the forgiveness of sins--had long been in God's plan. The promised
Messiah was "anointed" to "preach good tidings unto the meek" first
among the Jews, but then also to "declare my glory among the Gentiles"
(Isaiah 61:1; 66:19). Jesus not only confirmed that He had come in
fulfillment of this prophecy to "preach the gospel to the poor" (Luke
4:18) but also reminded the Jews that He had "other sheep" which were
"not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice;
and there shall be one fold; and one shepherd" (John 10:16). Later He
commissioned His disciples to "be witnesses unto me...unto the uttermost
part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Then, through Paul and others, He had
been "preached unto the Gentiles" and "believed on in the world" (1
Timothy 3:16). (Morris,
Henry: Defenders Study Bible. World Publishing)
Peace
(1515)
(eirene from the verb eiro = to bind or join together what
is broken or divided) (Click
word study on
eirene) means in essence to set
at one again or join together that which is separated. In secular Greek
eirene described the cessation or absence of war. By Christ's
vicarious death He procured peace and by His servants He proclaimed glad
tidings of peace based on His atoning work on the Cross.
Did you observe
the progression? In
Ephesians 2:14
Christ is our
peace.
In
Ephesians 2:15
He made
peace.
In this verse He came and preached
peace.
When did Christ
preach peace? John records in one of His first post-resurrection
appearances to His disciples...
When therefore it was evening, on
that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where
the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their
midst, and said to them, "Peace
be with you."...Jesus
therefore said to them again, "Peace
be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you."...And
after eight days again His disciples were inside, and Thomas with them.
Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst, and
said, "Peace be with
you." (John 20:19, 21,
26)
Note in the
preceding passage, that Jesus sent out the apostles in the power of the
Holy Spirit (John 20:22 "Receive
the Holy Spirit", cf Acts 1:8)
and they obediently went forth and preached peace Luke recording Peter's
proclamation that...
"The word which He (Jesus) sent to
the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ
(He is Lord of all)... (Acts 10:36).
Paul
records that now all believers...
are ambassadors for Christ, as though
God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be
reconciled to God. (2Cor 5:20)
Later in this same letter, Paul
exhorts his readers to have their feet shod with the "preparation
(firm footing) of the gospel of peace" (see note
Ephesians 6:15).
Apart from proclaiming peace, there is no way for those in rebellion to
know, understand, and act on the terms of that peace. Years after World
War II there were Japanese soldiers discovered on several islands still
waging war who had never heard of the peace that had been declared in
1945 when the Emperor of Japan surrendered to the Allied forces. In the
same way, there are many today who are uninformed of the good news that
through the Cross of Christ they can experience eternal peace with God,
the One with Whom they are otherwise in perpetual conflict (see "enemies"
Romans 5:10,
"alienated, hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds"
Colossians 1:21)
Ruth Paxson writes that...
Having become peace and having
made it, Christ now preaches peace. It was His personal message after
His resurrection (Luke 24:36; John 20:19,21,26). He preached it later
through His apostles, and continues to preach peace through His Word
faithfully given by His ministers. It is God’s clearly declared purpose
to heal the schism made by sin in humanity; otherwise His plan of
salvation would be incomplete. In this present age He would do it
through grace. Peace has not been established on earth because men will
not follow God’s way. But in the age to come, through government the
Lord Jesus Christ shall rule over the earth as King of kings and Lord of
lords. Then righteousness shall prevail and peace shall be its fruit.
(The Wealth, Walk and Warfare of the Christian)
Far off (3112)
(makran from makros = far) means a long way off but is
used figuratively here to describe the Gentiles who were separated from
Christ, etc, and thus were a long way off from God.
This preaching of
peace was not only peace between Jew and Gentile but also between
believing Jew and Gentile and God, with Whom they had been enemies and
hostile. This had always been God's plan and had been prophesied, for
example, in Isaiah who recorded the actual words of the promised
Messiah...
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon
me, because the LORD has anointed (mashach - related to the
Hebrew word Mashiach, Anointed One, the Messiah) me to bring good
news (euaggelizo in the
Septuagint =LXX)
to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners. To proclaim the
favorable year of the LORD. (Isaiah 61:1-2a) (Comment: Isaiah
61:1-2a was the very passage that Jesus read in the synagogue in
Nazareth, closing the book with the words ""Today this Scripture has
been fulfilled in your hearing." He could not have been much clearer
about Who He was and what His purpose was!)
AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR:
kai eirenen tois eggus:
(13,14;
Deuteronomy 4:7;
Psalms 75:1;
76:1,2;
147:19,20;
148:14;
Luke 10:9-11)
Those who were
near - the Jews were near but nevertheless just as needy as the Gentiles for they
too were dead in their trespasses and sins. In
Ephesians 2:12
Paul list 5 ways the Jews were
nearer to Christ and God - but salvation is not like horseshoes --
nearer to the goal does not count. Only being in Christ counts! Every person, far or
near, Gentile or Jew, has access to God's peace through Christ.
Near
(1451)
(eggus) indicates a position relatively close to another position
and figuratively refers to the Jews who were "near" to God in the sense
of having Messianic prophecies, a national identity and government set
up by God, covenants that promised salvation by faith, a hope in the
coming of Messiah and the presence of God in their midst (the Tabernacle
in the wilderness, the Temple in Jerusalem).
This peace
that was preached to both Gentiles and Jews is a fulfillment of
the a prophecy given hundreds of years earlier, Isaiah recording
Jehovah's promise...
"I have seen his (wayward Israel's)
ways, but I will heal him (those Israelites who would humble themselves
and repent of their rebellion and unfaithfulness). I will lead him and
restore comfort to him and to his mourners, creating (Hebrew = barah =
to create out of nothing) the praise of the lips. Peace, peace
to him who is far (Gentile) and to him who is near (Jehovah)," Says the
LORD, "and I will heal (rapha cf
Jehovah Rapha - The LORD our Healer)
him." (Isaiah 57:18-19) (Comment: The repetition of
peace is a Hebrew idiom or way of saying that something is
superlative in kind and total in extent! What amazing grace is seen in
this passage.)
Even in His birth peace was
"preached"...
"Glory to God in the highest, And on
earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." (Luke 2:14) (Comment:
Who is He pleased with? Those with whom the Lord is pleased are those
who trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.)
Jesus is the Prince of Peace...
For a child will be born to us, a son
will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And
His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father,
Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6)
He promised His disciples,
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I
give to you." (John 14:27).
Like their Master, His disciples are
also to be peacemakers
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for
they shall be called sons of God.
(Matthew
5:9)
When Jesus sent forth the seventy He
commissioned them:
"Whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace be to this house.' And if a man of peace is there, your peace
will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you (Luke 10:5-6).
Peace surrounded the ministry of
Jesus as an aura that continually blessed those who believed in Him.
Among His last words to His disciples were,
"These things I have spoken to you,
that in Me you may have peace." (John 16:33).
The ministry of the apostles and
other preachers of the early church was characterized by
"preaching peace through Jesus
Christ" (Acts 10:36).
The ministry of the Spirit of Christ
is characterized by the giving of
"love, joy, peace" (Galatians
5:22-23)
God's kingdom is characterized by
"righteousness and peace and joy in
the Holy Spirit" (see note Romans
14:17).
God is the God of peace...
"for God is not a God of confusion
but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." (1 Cor. 14:33)
Now the God of peace, who brought up
from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the
eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, (see note
Hebrews 13:20)
Now the God of peace be with you all.
Amen. (see note Romans
15:33)
And the God of peace will soon crush
Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (see
note Romans
16:20)
Now may the God of peace Himself
sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be
preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. (see note
1Thessalonians 5:23)
><> ><> ><>
Our Daily Bread - "The War is
Over"...
The bitter conflict had finally ended
between the North and the South. The soldiers of the US Civil War were
free to return to their families. But a number of them remained hidden
in the woods, living on berries. They either didn't hear or didn't
believe that the war was over, so they continued enduring miserable
conditions when they could have been back home.
It's something like that in the spiritual realm too. Christ made peace
between God and man by dying in our place. He paid sin's penalty on the
cross. Anyone who accepts His sacrifice will be forgiven by a holy God.
Sadly, many people refuse to believe the gospel and continue to live as
spiritual fugitives. Sometimes even those who have placed their trust in
Christ live on almost the same level. Either out of ignorance or
unwillingness, they fail to claim the promises of God's Word. They do
not experience the joy and assurance that should accompany salvation.
They do not draw from their relationship with God the comfort and peace
He intends for His children. They are the objects of His love, care, and
provision but live as if they were orphans.
Have you been living apart from the comfort, love, and care of your
heavenly Father? Come on home. The war is over!—Richard De Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
We fail, O Lord, to realize
The fullness of what You have done,
So help us trust Your saving work
And claim the triumph You have won. —D. De Haan
Christ's victory over death means peace for His saints.
><> ><> ><>
Our Daily Bread - "The
Peace Initiative"...
It was the night before Christmas in
1870. French and German armies faced each other on the field of battle
in the Franco-Prussian War. A French soldier started walking toward the
German lines. His comrades watched breathlessly, expecting to hear at
any instant the crack of a rifle that would end his life. As he neared
the enemy lines, he stopped and began singing, "Noel, noel! Noel, noel!
Born is the King of Israel!" No shot rang out.
Slowly the Frenchman returned to his ranks. There was silence! Then from
the German side came a lone soldier to that same spot and sang the
German version of the same song. After each stanza both armies united in
the chorus. For a few minutes Christ brought peace to that battlefield.
God is a peacemaker who always takes the first step. Jesus came as a
baby, and when He grew to manhood He preached peace to a warring world.
Then, in the greatest peace initiative this world has ever seen, Christ
made peace between God and man by dying for our sins (see note
Colossians 1:20).
Peacemaking efforts may be rejected, but the alternative is continued
hostility. God didn't settle for that, nor should we. Let's take the
first step in healing a broken relationship, even at the risk of being
"shot down." --D J De Haan (Ibid)
O Prince of Peace, keep us, we pray,
From strife and enmity;
Help us to speak with loving words
That quell hostility. --JDB
What this world needs is the peace that passes all misunderstanding
