Reflections on the Cross: Christ Our Peace

READ: ISAIAH 9:6; ROMANS 5:1; COLOSSIANS 1:15-22 Jesus purchased peace for me,died upon that cursed tree;Now He is my hope and rest,beneath His blood our righteousness.Yes, He offers peace to all—always, ever, loving.Jesus fills my heart with song,paid the debt for every wrong;Now He makes my face to shine,His own love becoming mine.Yes, He offers peace to all—always, ever, loving.Christ the King, once a child,by His body reconciled;Lord of Life, strong yet meek,glory to the Prince of Peace.Yes, He offers peace to all—always, ever,loving. This poem celebrates the reconciling peace Jesus offers. Reconciling implies something has been torn apart or broken. And so it has! Our relationship with God has been broken. We—and creation itself—are “cursed” (Romans 5:17; Galatians 3:10, 13), separated from God by sin and ruled by its consequences: death and decay. We are living in a good creation gone bad. However, as Colossians 1:20 wondrously proclaims, God “made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” By faith we simply accept God’s payment for us. Jesus took the curse of sin upon Himself on the cross—and by His resurrection destroyed it! This means every kind of brokenness will be undone (Romans 8:18-25; Revelation 21:1-5). Though we are still waiting for the final Hallelujah upon Christ’s return, the payment has already been made. Heaven and earth will again be at peace. On that day we will join the heavenly host in their joyful shout: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). • G. Kam Congleton • What sticks out to you about the reconciling peace Jesus offers? (If you want to learn more, see our “Know Jesus” page.) Through Him [Jesus Christ] God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. Colossians 1:20 (NLT)