Peace be to you

3 John 15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name. One of the greatest needs we have in a fallen and troubled world is peace. We need it, and so do our friends. Jesus’ last words to His disciples in the garden was “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” His first words of greeting when he first appeared to the disciples after His resurrection was, “Peace be with you.” Peace with God is possible to all who are friends of Jesus. He overcame sin and the world for them. The resurrection declares that peace with God has been secured in Christ. Therefore we can and should greet one another with these comforting words, “Peace be to you.” We know we are secure in God’s love. Nothing can separate us from His love in Christ, and if God is for us, who can be against us? That was the line of reason of the apostle Paul, who with Peter, closed their letters with the same words to their readers (Ephesians, Galatians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Peter). As we love with Jesus, we should be at peace with all of our friends in Christ because we all have peace with God through Him. When we abide in God’s love, we have peace in our souls and in all our relationships with those who also abide in His love. John’s description of the relationship between brothers and sisters in Christ is unique here. It’s the only place in the Scriptures where believers address one another as friends. However, we know where the idea came from . As I read this verse, John 15:13-15 came to mind. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. Because we love with Jesus, we have the same basis for calling each other friends that Jesus did. Jesus laid down His life for us all, so we are all friends of Jesus, and thus any friend of His should be a friend of ours. We are united by God’s great love in Christ. Notice also John’s love for the individuals in Gaius’ church. “Greet the friends by name” is another way of saying, “Greet every single person.” This tells us something about the size of the church, and perhaps provides insight into what is best when it comes to church size. There comes a point where a pastor can’t greet everyone by name. Maybe we ought to ask ourselves what church structure provides the best channels for the love of God to flow unhindered, especially if our purpose is to live to love with Jesus. This isn’t a criticism, it’s simply an observation with a thought in regards to encouraging us to love well. May the peace of Jesus Christ be yours. Pass it on!