#DailyDevotion Jesus The LORD Speaks Peace To The Nations
Zechariah 910He will get rid of the chariots in Ephraim and the war horses in Jerusalem; He will also get rid of the bow used in battle. He will talk peace to the nations, and He will rule from sea to sea and from the Euphrates river to the end of the world. 11As for you also, because you have a covenant made with blood, I’ll send your captives out of the waterless pit. 12They will return to the fortified city captives who have hope. Even now I’m telling you I’ll restore to you twice as much for all you’ve gone through.
Now this is what Israel and Zion were looking for when Jesus came to them. They were looking for a Messiah take names and knock heads. They were wanting this Messianic kingdom to be established where the Messiah would reign from one end of the earth to the other.
Well before he would do that he had a few other things to do first to accomplish it. He would have to make peace with God between God and man. He would do this by becoming the atonement sacrifice for the sin of the world. He would have to spill his blood to make a covenant with God and with man. He would rise from the dead to conquer death. This is the peace he speaks to the nations. Jesus has done this and has sent his ambassadors to the nations proclaiming this peace from God the Father to the people of the earth “from sea to sea and from the Euphrates river to the end of the world.”
I find it interesting he says from the Euphrates. We know Adam sinned and rebelled against the LORD in Eden from which the head of the Euphrates flowed at the time. We know Babel was on the Euphrates where man once again rebelled against the LORD by building the tower and from whence he sent mankind forth into all the world. Now the good news of the peace won for mankind by Jesus the Messiah would spread from that place to the ends of the earth. Indeed, this peace which Jesus won for us has gone forth. There is not a country on earth where the good news of Jesus Christ, the peace won for people with God is not spoken of. We will continue to speak this peace to the nations from sea to shining sea until his glorious return. God has sacrificed his Son for you and by his blood he has obtained for peace between you and God and you and your fellow man.
The blood poured out by Jesus made a covenant. Because of this covenant the Father will sent forth the captives from the waterless pit, i.e. the grave. He will raise up the dead on the day Christ returns and we see his reign over the earth and all creation. Some will be raised to everlasting life, all those who trusted in him for their salvation. Some will be raised to everlasting perdition, those who rejected his peace.
We who were captives to sin and death will return to the fortified city, the New Jerusalem where righteousness reigns. We will return to that place where the sun does not scorch us by day nor the moon strike us by night because the LORD Jesus Christ will be our light. Nothing wicked will enter this city. We will not have to fear because there will be nothing to fear there. Sickness, illness, want, wars, disasters etc. will be no more. Finally he will pay us back double for all we have gone through. That is to say, the crosses we bear in this life, the suffering we participate in as we join Christ Jesus in his passion, he will pay us back double for. We need not fear loss in this life for following Jesus and being loyal to him. The dividends we receive for our faithfulness no matter what we may lose in this life are far more worth the things we lost which are only temporary while the dividends, the rewards are eternal like our God. Christ Jesus has sealed this with his blood.
Heavenly Father, grant us faith that we may receive, live in and rejoice in the peace your son Jesus Christ won for us with his blood. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.