The Way of Peace

 Luke 1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

The end of the prophetic utterance of Zacharias the Father of John the Baptist. He declares by the spirit of God the salvation which has come, and which his son would usher in. A prominent part of this is that the salvation to come would guide our feet in the way of peace.

This phrase, way of peace, comes from a particular passage in Isaiah.

Isa 59:8 The way of peace they know not;    and there is no judgment in their goings:

they have made them crooked paths:    whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

This verse is in the middle of God's declaration of the fault in Israel. How they have refused his ways. It begins with the following:

Isa 59:1 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save;    neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God,    and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood,    and your fingers with iniquity;

your lips have spoken lies,    your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

It ends with this declaration:

Isa 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion,    and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

This contrasts clearly that there is a way of destruction, and a way of salvation. The way of peace will be shown to all those who put their trust in the salvation which God has provided. Zacharias is declaring that the way out of the place of condemnation has been made. Salvation is coming to guide us in the way of peace that we have not known.

This passage in Isaiah is also quoted in Romans. Paul declaring that every man needs the salvation which God provides.

Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

This is the state of men without a redeemer. But praise be to God the conclusion of Paul's treatise on salvation is this:

Rom8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Peace is a wonderful path. Freedom from condemnation, relationship with the Father in heaven, and the ability to be a peacemaker. It is a path which is only found by wholly trusting in Jesus. It is a way that man cannot find on his own, we need a guide! Praise the Lord salvation has come, Jesus has shown us the way of peace and sent us the paraclete from heaven to guide us in peace. Oh how wonderful to know the love of God which declares to us that the way of peace is open unto us.

Notice that it is the presence of iniquity and sin which have prevented the salvation of God. Your iniquity. Your Sin! God declares. Praise the Lord that the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin! The way of peace is found in that state of sinlessness before God. Zacharias had also declared in his prophecy that we should serve God-

Luke 1:75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

The iniquity is removed and the sin purged and the way of no condemnation is available to us.

A few months after Zacharias' prophecy, at the birth of Jesus we see this scene:

Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And 8 days after that this declaration:

Luke 2:29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Simeon declares that the salvation of God is here, and he can now depart in peace.

The way has come and He will declare and show Peace between God and man. This is the peace that we are declaring. God the Father has reconciled man unto himself, he has made peace between Jew and Gentile and he has redeemed all men who will put their trust in him.

Jesus declared peace:

Luke 7:50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.   (Woman at Simon's house)

Luke 8:48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.   (Woman with the issue of blood) Mark 5:34

These are similar to when he said to the woman caught in adultery:

John 8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Jesus is the way of salvation; reconciliation unto God. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. (Isa 1:18)

Jesus comes declaring the kingdom of God and that peace is at the center of it. In fact Paul defines the kingdom of God in contrast to earthly rituals.

Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

In the opening most of Paul's epistles is this declaration:

Gal 1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Eph 1:2; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 1 Th 1:1; 2 Th 1:2; 1 Ti 1:2; 2 Ti 1:2; Tit 1:4; Phm 1:3

Peter John (Rev 1:4) and Jude (Jude 1:2) do as well:

1 Pet 1:2b Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

2 Jn 1:3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Peace with God is an important aspect of this life in Christ Jesus.

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful

Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

So be reconciled to God; trust in him alone. For he has made this way of peace, and will guide you in it. He has taken away iniquity and forgiven and destroyed sin and brought us into his way of the spirit wherein is no condemnation. Oh the glorious riches of the beauty of the salvation of God!