Peace is something for which we all strive, hope, and long.  A lack of peace from physical troubles, emotional troubles, and spiritual troubles is something that plagues each of us from time to time or season to season.  Jesus spoke of giving us peace--peace that was possible because of his victory over the world; victory that came as the cost of his perfect life, suffering, death (cf. Jn 16.33).

His victory is our hope.  Luther writes:

We should learn to remind ourselves of Christ's victory.  In Christ, we already have everything that we need.  We live only to spread this message of victory to other people.  With our words and example, we tell them about the victory that Christ secured for us and gave to us.  Christ, our victor, accomplished everything.  We don't need to add anything to it.  We don't need to wipe away our own sins or try to conquer death and the devil.  Everything has already been done for us.  We're not fighting the real battle.  We're only suffering now in order to share in Christ's victory...The battle must have been won already if we are to have any comfort and peace.  Christ says, "I have already won.  Accept my victory.  Sing about it and glority it.  Take comfort in it."...

May God help us to hold onto to Christ's victory during our troubles and when we're dying.  Even though we don't understand these words of Christ completely, we can still believe in them in times of trouble and reassure ourselves: "My Lord and Savior spoke thse words to my heart.  In Christ I have a victor over the world, death, and the devil.  It doesn't matter how small and weak I am.  Amen."

(from Faith Alone: A Daily Devotional / LW 24:421)

Let us comfort ourselves with these words...we have a victor in Christ Jesus, no matter how small and weak we are!   Amen.

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