“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
“But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
The cross was not a peaceful event. The shouting and the beatings that preceded it were more of a mob scene than the worship experience we sing about. It was an ugly scene on that hill called Golgotha. The soldiers nailed the three criminals to their crosses and cruelly lifted each one into the burning sun. Those hungry for blood were cheering. The friends and relatives of the condemned were weeping. No…it is hard too find peace at the cross. Amidst the blood, the pain, the suffering, and the humiliation…peace?
Even for the followers of Jesus it was the ultimate defeat. It was anything but peace as they watched their hopes and dreams get shattered against the rocks of hatred and fear. The Messiah…the Savior that was to come to free them has been captured and unjustly executed and now struggles to breathe. It’s over…the hope for peace has been snuffed out.
But, according to the Prophet Isaiah it was this very act of violence that brought us the peace that we desperately needed. The peace between the Creator and His creation…between the loving Father and His lost children…between the Shepherd and His wandering sheep. Since our initial rebellion in the garden, the consequences of sin had disrupted our fellowship with God and left us unfulfilled. In a constant state of unrest, we have searched for anything that would satisfy our thirsty souls.
Then came Jesus…the Messiah…”The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). God became flesh to live among us and to die for us. He pierced the darkness of this world and shined the light of His love on us. The barrier that had kept us from experiencing the peace that we were intended to enjoy was removed. The walls came down. The curtain that separated us from the presence of God was torn in two (Mark 15:38). We were forgiven and set free by the selfless act of the cross. Yes…peace…peace can now be ours…by His “stripes we are healed”. This is the peace that is beyond understanding. It is not peace as the world understands it which is the absence of conflict. It is an inner peace that is there even amid the conflicts of this world. A peace between us and God…a reconciliation…a home coming.
At the cross we find the answers to our questions about who we are and who God is. At the cross we find forgiveness for our failures and grace for our future. At the cross we are invited into a relationship with a God who loves us passionately. It is at the cross that we see His unfailing mercy and grace. In this most unlikely place…at the cross…we find what we have been searching for. Yes, my friends, there is peace to be found at the cross.
Today, are you at peace?