“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain

 

I enjoy much of Mark Twain’s wit and humor but this quote goes way beyond his normally astute quip. With this thought he has entered into the realm of the kingdom of God. I don’t think he understood the depth of what he said but he sure hit the nail on the head. From the moment a person is born into this world their entire existence will attain nothing more than being a singular sheep moving in step with dozens of other sheep doing what sheep do; and that is just being part of a herd. Until someone discovers why they are born they just think and act like several billion other transgressors/sinners. It is only when they understand the purpose for their birth that they obtain the ability to become something other than just a sheep.

The Greek word translated as peacemaker is a compound word. The individual definitions of these two words are crucial to understand its meaning. When these two words are joined together peace and maker take on a special place in our response to the gospel of the kingdom and in the plan of God.

 Let’s first look at the concept of the Greek word translated peace and how it is used throughout the New Testament. This will help establish the significance this word has in the plan of God and the reason why we are born. Keep in mind as we look at the word peace that its usage here is not referring to peace between two humans but peace between God and man.

One of the main uses of this word peace is to describe things in harmony such as harmonious relations between countries, humans, business ventures and beliefs. It is also used to describe the state of material goods when they are guarded in such a way that they cannot be stolen. The material goods are then said to be at peace. It is used to describe an absence of confusion that comes from differing views. But by far though the most significant use of this word peace is found in re-establishing the harmony between God and man that was lost in the Garden of Eden of which each of these definitions also apply to.

Another way to help describe the meaning of peace is to show what it is not. When Adam and Eve transgressed God’s will disharmony was immediately felt between them and God. They hid in fear from His presence. They made excuses for what they did and passed the blame rather than owning up to their actions. They tried to cover the transgression with fig leaves so God wouldn’t notice. How they thought, reasoned, felt and responded to God all changed. They were no longer in harmony with God. Everything about them was now out of tune with the purpose and reason for their lives.

Understanding this disharmony can help us learn about the concept of peace that Jesus combines with the word maker that will describe how we can rise from the common life of being a transgressing sheep to becoming a uniquely different human being endowed with the highest calling anyone on earth will ever receive.

Restoring the harmony that once existed between God and man is what peace is concerned with. This was not an easy fix. It was the greatest test of love and courage the world has ever seen.

“When He (Jesus) approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.’“ (Luke 19:41, 42)

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to be crucified for the transgression, sin and iniquity of the human race. The brutal execution He would soon be going through at the hands of the Roman judicial system was only a portion of the things that make for peace. What went on inside Jesus was much more painful and challenging than what occurred physically to His body. Jesus becoming sin was far more devastating to His morally righteous nature than being whipped, cut, spit upon, punched, mocked and nailed to a cross was to His physical body. Jesus became all the sin that has ever flowed from mankind’s transgression while being crucified.

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”     (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“and He himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

When Jesus became sin He then received the full penalty due all humanity’s sin, each and every one of them. The punishment for our sin was by far the cruelest blow Jesus received and this is what it cost to make peace between God and man. The peace Jesus speaks of is the harmonizing of our transgressor/sinner nephesh with every aspect of God’s morally righteous character. Jesus did this by removing every obstacle and barrier between us fallen humans and the perfection of God.

        “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)          

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:8-10)

Reconciled is a word not often used in our everyday language, it is part and parcel though to the concept of peace. By definition it means, return to favor, to change, to exchange for another of equal value. Reconciliation is what Jesus did to bring peace between God and man. The wrath of God against the iniquity from our transgression and sin has been propitiated through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The judicial nature of God has been appeased therefore the merciful nature of God is free to lavish us with grace and kindness.

Because we have been reconciled and justified we can have peace and harmony with God. The lost image of God in us humans can be exchanged for the righteous image of Jesus. We can now be returned to favor with God.

        “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

 Having no condemnation, being restored to favor and living in harmony with God shows the fullness of the peace Jesus purchased with His own blood. We must also look at what all this means in the whole plan of God for only then will we grasp peace makers meaning.          

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”       (Genesis 2:1-3)

“God’s promise of entering His rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news–that God has prepared this rest–has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter His rest. As for the others, God said, ‘In My anger I took an oath; They will never enter My place of rest,’ even though this rest has been ready since He made the world. We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day; ‘On the seventh day God rested from all his work. “ (Hebrews 4:1-4 NLT)

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’“ (Matthew 25:34)

 These three passages give us the reason a person is born. In the third verse we learn that we are born to inherit the kingdom God prepared at the foundation of the world. The purpose then for our birth is not found in this world. It can only be understood looking past the everyday life we live here on earth and gaze into God’s plan for the future. In the second verse we learn that the kingdom, which God calls His rest, is the ultimate focus of His plan. We were born to inherit the kingdom and live in that perfect world under the sovereign, righteous rule of God forever. In the first verse we learn about God’s purpose from the picture God created with the six days of working and the seventh day Sabbath rest, which was set aside so God could enjoy all He had created. What all three of these verses show is that this world that we live in is all about determining WHO the ones are that Jesus says, “are blessed of My Father.” These are the ones who will inherit the kingdom. Do not move on to the next paragraph until you understand why you were born and the purpose of living here on earth. This is vital to experiencing the fullness of the makarios life.

We also learn from these three passages what determines why one person is “blessed of My Father” and why another is not. The Greek word translated here as blessed means favored. So how does one become blessed or favored by God while living here on earth? We are told in the Hebrews 4 passage, “For only we who believe can enter His kingdom rest.” Those who do not believe God very sternly warns that they will never enter His place of rest.

What then does God refer to in these verses that He wants us to believe? It is the good news that God has the future kingdom rest already prepared for His favored ones. From the beginning of creation God made it clear when He established the seventh day as a picture of His plan. There was a time for doing work and a time for enjoying the fruits of that work. Six days He worked creating our world and then the seventh day all His work was finished. God could now enjoy His creation with nothing getting in the way. Six days plus one day equals a seven-day week. We still count this way and every week should still be a reminder that this earth is not our permanent home. There is a rest in the future when all work is stopped and we enter into God’s permanent resting place, which is the new heaven and new earth under the sovereign, righteous rule of God. This time of work as pictured in the six days of creation refers to the world we live in now. A time to determine who God’s favored ones are who will be allowed to enter God’s future rest.

Now let me bring back a passage that Jesus preached and see if it doesn’t make a whole lot more sense now in light of God’s plan and why a person is born.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

 The only ones who will seek the kingdom and His righteousness FIRST are those who BELIEVE there is a future kingdom and that they were born to inherit it. Only those who hunger and thirst for His righteousness will be filled to overflowing with righteousness and allowed entrance into God’s future rest. These are the ones favored by God, the ones who can’t wait to enter His rest where nothing will hinder them from enjoying the life that is found in this eternal relationship.

The word rest as it is used in the Hebrews 4 passage and throughout the Bible is very similar to what the word peace conveys, but it has a slightly different focus. Where the word peace is concerned with the harmony that allows us to have a complete relationship with God without fear, the word rest is concerned with the absence of the things that prevent such an open, intimate and joyful relationship with Him. It can best be expressed this way: Peace allows us to experience the relationship that is the focus of God’s plan while the kingdom rest is the environment where everything is removed that could possibly hinder such a magnificent, joyful relationship.

 The second word of the compound peacemakers has to do with action. Makers is a verb and means, to do something; to bring forth. When combined with the word peace it changes the meaning from just explaining what peace is to making peace happen, bringing peace to all you do. Let me remind you that this is how Jesus says we should respond to the gospel of the kingdom and it is focused on restoring us transgressors/sinners back to the way we are supposed to be.Fulfilling the reason we were born by restoring a harmonious relationship WITH GOD is the concern of a peacemaker.

The entire gospel of the kingdom message Jesus preached everywhere He went is a message of peace and restoration of all that separates us humans from God. This is also the gospel of the kingdom God preached when He made the world and finished His work of creating in six days. He then made one additional day, a Sabbath day, and set this seventh day apart so nothing would interfere with the naphash or joyful relationship He wanted with Adam and Eve. This was not a day designed to do nothing. It was a day to be filled with joy for God and His new creation. As it says in Hebrews 4, this Sabbath day was a picture of the future kingdom rest when there would be nothing hindering the relationship God has with His favored ones. The propitiation that Jesus accomplished from His death, burial and resurrection provided the peace that allows this unhindered rest.

 When peace and maker are joined, these two words explain what is the greatest purpose we can accomplish with our lives: as a peacemaker we help restore peace between God and man. We attain peace with God in our personal relationship with Him by faith in what Jesus did and we bring this same peace into all we do within our life. When we do, we are no longer just one of a million other sheep following along with the herd. Now we are called sons of God. We will never achieve a higher designation than this. The entirety of what Jesus taught here of how we should respond to the gospel of the kingdom message are step-by-step instructions of how we can be restored to the way we are supposed to be. Establishing a relationship with God based on peace rather than fear and judgment. Whatever we choose to do with our life this is for sure, we will never do anything greater than be a peacemaker. Someone who helps a transgressor/sinner establish a harmonious relationship with God where there is no condemnation and no reference to any sin they have ever committed. A relationship built completely around being in harmony with all that is right and good that springs from the makarios life overflowing with righteousness, peace and joy.

“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”         (Romans 14:17)

 Whether it is reestablishing our own peace with God, introducing a transgressor/sinner to the way of peace, or helping restore peace to someone who is already one of God’s favored ones but has stumbled and is living out of harmony with God, being a peacemaker is the greatest good we can ever do with our life. This is the fulfillment of the makarios life – to be in such harmony with God that we become a peacemaker working hand in hand with God to restore transgressors/sinners to the kingdom lifestyle and the rest they were born to enjoy.

      “For we are God’s fellow workers;” (1 Corinthians 3:9a)

 

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