My peace I leave with you not as the world gives therefore do not be troubled. (John 14:27)
Can you image what it was like for Jesus’ disciples? They had spent days and nights listening to him, watching him heal people and see him perform the most incredible miracles. They were so convinced that he would become the new leader of Israel, like Moses who led their ancestor’s out of Egyptian captivity. The disciples had argued among themselves who would be first in Jesus’ kingdom. In their heart of hearts, it made perfect sense that Jesus would become their new king, especially when Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, and with everyone singing “Hosanna to the Son of David … Hosanna to the King of Kings.” (Matt 19:27–30; 21:9).
Later in the week Jesus knelt down and washed his disciples’ dirty feet, to teach them about servant leadership (John 13:2–7). Did you know that Jesus washed his disciples’ feet on the same evening as the Last Supper. Here he explained that the bread is his body that would be broken for them. It was at this supper that Jesus identified his betrayer, Judas Iscariot.
After supper Jesus and his companions made their way to the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Jesus a few hours later with a kiss. The Roman soldiers came to arrest Jesus and a commotion ensued. Simon Peter took his sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. Jesus’s response is counter intuitive, he rebuked Peter for his act of violence and then healed him, giving the servant a new ear! After this dramatic episode, Jesus surrendered himself. The Roman guard took Jesus away shattering the hope and expectations of his beloved disciples. As the account goes, Peter follows Jesus at some distance, eventually denying him three times (Matt 26:31–53).
One can only imagine how Jesus might have felt when one of his disciples, Judas betrayed him, and another disciple—one within Jesus’ inner circle—Peter, denied him three times after the rooster crowed. And all the other disciples scattered in fear while Jesus was at the mercy of the Jewish authorities and the Romans. The Roman soldiers mocked, beat, and flogged Jesus. After his humiliation and torture, they sent Jesus on his way to the Place of the Skull carrying his own cross. On his way to the crucifixion site, Jesus was overcome with physical exhaustion and was unable to carry his cross any further. Not long after, Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross and experienced unimaginable loneliness and cried out with a loud voice as he bore the weight of the world’s sin, “My God my God why have you forsaken me!” (Matt 27:45).
Jesus’ mother, Mary, and a number of other women where there at the foot of the cross. One wonders how Mary might have felt, especially when all those years ago, the archangel, Gabriel promised that she would give birth to “the Son of the Most High.” Gabriel pronounced, “The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:32–33; ESV). She had watched Jesus grow up “in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52; ESV). Now she was watched in horror as her son was being crucified.
After Jesus had died, they placed him in a tomb. On the third day, the women came to his tomb with the hope to anoint Jesus’ body. But when they arrived the tomb was empty! “Where was Jesus?” They wondered in confusion and desperation. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. At first, she does not recognise him and asks, “where have you taken Jesus’s body? Please help me find him.” As soon as he uttered her name, “Mary.”, she recognized her redeemer, and responds, “Rabboni,” meaning, teacher (John 20:16–20, ESV).
Later that evening, while the disciples here huddled together in a locked room in fear of the Roman soldiers, Jesus shows up among them alive and well, having conquered death. He greeted them, “Shalom.” This greeting was more than just, “peace be with you” as we often read in many English translations, it means more than that! Recently, I learned that when Jesus greets with, “Shalom” he means that he comes to give peace, not as the world gives, but a peace that only he can give, so that we need not be troubled and afraid (John 14:27). In the Old Testament, Shalom also means to make good, to make complete, to make whole, and to make full restitution (Hersey 2020)—a reminder, as Paul Mosdell (2024) explains, when Jesus cried out while he was on the cross, “It is finished!” Meaning, it is complete (John 19:30).
Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples was missing that evening. They told him all that they had witnessed, and he responded by saying that he would not believe it unless he could place his fingers in Jesus’ wounds. On another day, while all the disciples, including Thomas were together, Jesus appears again, with his greeting, “Shalom.” Jesus looks to Thomas and with a smile, says, “[Come] put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” (John 20:27b; ESV). In utter amazement, Thomas responds, “My Lord and my God!” And Jesus says, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:28–29).
For you and I, today, our world is in turmoil, with wars and violence, there is little peace and for many there is no hope. At this time when there is so much fear in our world, let us not deny Jesus or respond in disbelief. Instead let us, in hope, fix our eyes upon Jesus Christ, the author, finisher, and perfector of our faith, for he is in control. Therefore, let us welcome his Shalom into our lives and believe in him, and not be troubled, because he holds the world in his hands.
Works Cited
Hersey, Doug 2020. “The true meaning of Shalom.” Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries. 14 April 2024. https://firmisrael.org/learn/the-meaning-of-shalom/
Mosdell, Paul. 2024. “Peace be with you.” YouTube video, 26:34. St Francis United Church. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHCN1Xwr8rI&t=601s
