Day Five: Jesus is Prince of Peace
In our final lesson, our evidence is that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is able to rescue us from sin and death and wipe away every tear. He can change our hearts because He has forever conquered sin and death through His death on the cross and resurrection. He is our savior. There is nothing we can do to make Him love us less.
Today we will learn about Thomas, who needed to see evidence that Jesus was alive before he believed it. Even if we cannot see Jesus, he comes to each of us in the midst of our doubt and says, “peace be with you.”
Because Jesus really died on the cross and really was risen from the dead, He has power over sin and death.
Jesus tells Thomas that people will believe in Him even if they do not see Him, and that they are blessed.
We, like Thomas, need to see the evidence of Jesus for ourselves. Even if we cannot see Him, Jesus comes to each of us in the midst of our doubt and unbelief and says, “peace be with you.” It is then that our hearts are stirred and we know that He is our Lord and our God, and are never the same again!
Because we know that Jesus is our Lord and our God, we can trust Him when He says, “it is finished.” He has conquered sin and death, and will bring us peace. The case is closed.
Here is the portion of the Bible from 2 Timothy 3:14-17 that we learned today.
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Our friends find their final clue: The Cross, and learn the significance of Jesus’s death and resurrection: it is finished. The case is closed.
Take a moment to read John 20:19-29. What clues can we learn about Jesus here?
- Thomas, a disciple and friend of Jesus, doubted that He was alive.
- Jesus came to Thomas to show him what he needed to see.
- Jesus showed proof that He really had died, and really had risen.
- Jesus tells Thomas that people will believe in Him even if they never see Him.
Sylvester Sleuth considers the peace that Jesus brings us, and the blessings that come from believing in Him, even if we cannot see Him.
Going back to John 20:19-29, what evidence have we found about who Jesus is?
- We all need to see the evidence for Jesus. (Remember, the evidence is the Word of God.)
- Jesus brings us the evidence, even while we are in the midst of doubt.
- Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Because Jesus really died and really was risen back to life, He has conquered sin and death, and can bring us peace. We can trust Him when He says: “It is finished.” The case is closed.
- Even though we cannot see Jesus, we can believe in Him, and are blessed because of it.
This week, we have been investigating a closed case. We have seen the clues and evidence that lead us to answers about who Jesus is.
We have seen how He is Emmanuel (God with Us), Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. We have seen how Jesus can be near to us even if we can’t see Him. We have seen how He sees and speaks to the secrets of our hearts, not our outward appearances. We have seen how He has power of everything, and how nothing is too difficult for Him. We have seen how the sin in our hearts is the biggest problem that we have, and how Jesus is hurrying to joyfully forgive us of our sins. We have seen how Jesus has conquered sin and death, comes to each of us individually in the midst of our sin and doubt, and helps us to believe.
We have seen, above all, what the Bible says about Jesus” that Jesus loves us all individually. He loves you, He loves me. He is the Son of God sent in love that whosoever believes in Him may not perish, but live forever. Long before His birth the Bible gives His job description: Emmanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace—His life, death, and resurrection was planned all along.
He came to Earth to save us all. He came to Earth to save you. He came to Earth to save me.
The more we understand all of this, the more our hearts will burn within us.
Have you seen Jesus? Do you believe even though you have not seen Him?
The case is between you and God. Is the case closed for you?
We hope that this VBS has been a blessing to you and your family. As a church, we want to lead people to Jesus and a community where they matter and belong. If you do not have a local church family, you are welcome at Apostles!
When we share good reports of God’s work in our lives, it encourages all of us. Therefore, if this content has been helpful to you and your family, please let us know by emailing us at 2020vision@apostles.org.