and on Earth peace to men on whom His favor rests. Luke 2:14 NIV
Peace is found at His table. It’s the knowing that He, Jesus, Savior of the world, is here with us. His presence, which is our peace, is why Jesus came down to us in bodily form. Jesus is our peace. {Ephesians 2:14 NIV}
Suddenly, a memory pops: The time frame – one day close to Christmas, way back in the early 1980s.
Grandpa Floyd called to us – all of us, and the whole family congregated, curious, in my parents’ family room. We wondered, “Who did it?” It was highly unusual to be summoned by a grandparent for a family meeting. Whatever the matter, it seemed urgent.
As we settled in, Grandpa opened his big leather-bound Bible to John 1 and he read these words.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. John 1:1-2 NIV
The urgent matter was Grandpa’s right now revelation of Scripture, which he might have read hundreds of times. But on that day in his 7th decade of life, he saw something about Jesus that brought such peace and reconciliation to his soul that he had to share this good news with the rest of us. Grandpa was awestruck at his new understanding that Jesus wasn’t born on Christmas day in Bethlehem, but Jesus, The Word, always was from before the creation of the world.
In this moment, I was just as amazed as Grandpa Floyd. A devout Baptist man, crusty and always whistling a hymn, Grandpa was a church going man for my whole life. I thought he knew everything about God, and yet, here he was actually sharing with us something about God that was new to him. And so, I leaned in a little closer to learn about this ‘aha’ moment.
Again, Grandpa flipped the pages of his big fat Bible. This time he went all the way back to the very beginning and read out loud to us, Genesis 1 and 2. He stopped on a verse that read ” Let us,” and asked us why God was speaking in the plural. Well, since I had never read the Bible, this was all NEWS to me. This was really good news to me.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26 NIV
Just like Grandpa Floyd, the scriptures found in both Genesis 1 and John 1 describing Jesus as God come in the flesh, always existent with God, brought such peace to my heart. Christmas, the nativity, would never be the same for me again. Maybe it was just me and Grandpa on that day, but I don’t think so. Peace permeated that room on that day because together as a family we had come into communion at Christ’s table through His word. As a family, we shared a revelation of Christ’s love for us, His intentionality, and His desire to be with us.
I’m so grateful that my grandfather humbled himself in that moment to share with us that he was still learning about God. What was new to Grandpa mattered so much to him that he needed to share it, and he wanted first to share it with his kids and grandkids. This is a wonderful memory and a great lesson for me to ponder because now I’m the grandma. I’m learning new aspects of scripture all the time, and I am experiencing God as increasingly personal and interactive. My hope is to have the great joy of sharing peace inspiring moments with our own grandchildren.
I get it! Grandpa may not have ever known what a pivotal moment this was for me as I was taking my first steps in following Jesus. I’m embarrassed to reflect on the reality that I probably never thanked Grandpa for teaching me. I’ve taken much for granted. So, hopefully in Heaven, we get to thank all those caring people who lovingly impacted our lives – especially those who pointed us toward Christ.
Peace often comes to us through shared experiences. My dear man and I continually experience this phenomenon as we are still learning about God and His people in a new land and a new culture full of new customs and viewpoints. It’s the shared learning experience about God, His presence, and His character – never changing – that overwhelms us with His peace. If I lose sight of God’s calling and provision, my dear man has multiple stories of God’s faithfulness with which to refuel my faith. And vice versa. We are living in the PEACE of knowing experientially that God is with us!
I see this in the scriptures, so popular during the Advent season. Once again, I am back in Luke 1-2, pondering the relationship between Mary and her cousin, Elizabeth. They shared a pivotal moment in time when God, in His timing and by His will, allowed both women to become miraculously pregnant. Mary, a virgin, and the elderly Elizabeth was barren in her womb. But God, in His kindness, allowed them both to share in the miracle of an unexpected baby son.
In my imagination, I see Elizabeth great with child and giddy as a teen girl in love, welcoming her teen virgin cousin into her home. These two women come to God’s table of communion through the presence of the Holy Spirit. The baby, John, leapt within his mother’s womb at the presence of the Christ child in His mother’s womb.
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! Luke 1:39-42 NIV
Can’t you just imagine, in a sanctified and scriptural way, that these women had stories to share. Mary surely told Elizabeth about the appearance of the angel, Gabriel. Possibly, Mary’s description of the angelic messenger connected some dots for Elizabeth, whose husband Zechariah had not been able to utter a word since that one day when he served as priest in the Holy of Holies.
I imagine broad smiles with tears slipping down cheeks and dripping off their chins as they embrace and give thanks to God for His kindness and provision. Perhaps, overwhelmed and silent they found acceptance in the embrace of the other. I imagine them, through days of conversations, encouraging one another that this is really happening and God will make a way for an old woman to raise a son. And for an unwed mother to find favor with her betrothed, Joseph, and be provided for so that the Messiah would live and thrive in their harsh world. Oh, isn’t it apparent – God’s intentionality in allowing these two familial women to come to His table together for such a time as this.
It’s the shared God experience that cultivates peace.
It’s Him.
He is our peace.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 NIV
Eyes on Jesus and Shine,
Lisa
An Advent video: The peace that comes through a shared experience
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