Convincing Proofs - Positioning

Having seen how Jesus speaks His Peace to His scared disciples and all their fears are gone, they are overjoyed in the Lord. We are ever mindful of the change which has been wrought in them, as fear no longer has a stronghold on their lives. They are now living testimonies of the truth of God’s Peace. Our Lord’s Peace cancels not just fear but the ferocious terror of fear.

The disciples once witnessed the power of their Lord’s Peace, when they were caught in a most violent and fierce storm, which threatened their boat and their lives. Jesus was asleep in the boat at the time and when they could take it no longer, when they were certain that they were going to perish in that unforgiving, unrelenting storm, they woke Jesus up. When He was awakened, He turned to the raging, ferocious sea and spoke His Peace. And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mark 4: 39 KJV. Jesus spoke nothing but Peace and there was peace from the moment He spoke.

Don’t you see the same in these disciples, as Jesus has served His Peace and they all have received and are now overjoyed, with changed hearts and minds? It is in this Peace, evidenced in outward confidence and joy that Jesus then serves them with a second helping of Peace, as it were.

I like to see this as a double portion of our Lord’s Peace, where He fixes and fits them to receive His Presence and His Positioning. This is what John 20: 21 – 23 relates. Again Jesus said, Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. In the text, please note! Peace is being served on those who are no longer afraid. These are believers who are no longer under the chains and shackles of the fear of others. These are the servants to whom Jesus now serves the Peace of Presence, the Peace of Positioning and the Peace of Power.

Positioning.  As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.  

Will you join me in looking at this as the Peace of Positioning?

I say this because we hear Jesus tell them exactly where He wants them to be. He wants them to be sent servants, disciples who are not behind closed doors, but disciples who are sent, wherever the Spirit leads. Has Jesus not given them position? Indeed! This convincing proof is that Jesus is not just alive, but He is working as One sent. He has positioned them with Him, the Risen Lord, to also rise from their present positions, as He gives them a new position.

When we listen to those words, does it not bring a response of submission, and death to self? Listen again. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.  I tell you, such words can never be spoken to those who are afraid or who are feeding self-desires, self-pampering, self-limitations and all the gamut of self-issues. You see, Jesus never specifies where, when or who, about anything. It takes a surrendered life, a heart and mind free of all human fear, to receive such positioning.

Are you and I recipients of this Peace of Positioning? This is what a double portion of peace gives.

 We will continue this tomorrow.