# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1912_S25 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) The Lutheran Pioneer, A MISSIONARY MONTHLY. Pusiisnep By THE EvancenicaL Lutineran Synopicat, ConFERENCE or Nori AMERICA. R. A. BISCHOFY, Eprror. Entered at the Post Ofice at St. Louis, Mo., as second-class matter. Vol. XXXIV. Peace Is Made. Peace is made; for Christ is risen, Conqueror over ev'ry foe! He has broken death’s dark prison, Savior from all sin and woe! Peace is made, and heav'n rejoices; Jesus lives who once was dead. Join, O man, the gladsome voices; Child of God, lift up thy head! a “Peace Be Unto You!’’ “Peace be unto you!” With these words the risen Savior greeted His disciples as He came to them on the evening of the first Easter Day. They were not mere words. No. ‘The words brought to them the peace which He obtained for man by His bitter sufferings and death, and certified to man by His glorious resurrection. Sin had caused enmity between God and man. If peace was to be restored, sin must be put away, the punishment due to sin must be borne. To this end Christ took upon Himself our sins and suffered the punishment which we deserved. ‘Thus He put away sin and made peace. ‘The chastisement of our peace was upon Him,” says the prophet. He “made peace through the blood of His cross,” says the apostle. Christ’s resurrection is the proof that peace is made. “The God of peace brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,” Hebr. 13, 20. By bring- ing Him again from the dead, God the Father de- clared that He is perfectly satisfied with the work of His Son, and that peace is made. Every enemy has been conquered, every accuser silenced. Peace for sinners has been secured by Christ, “who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for ' T. LOUIS, MO., APRIL, 1912. No. 4. our justification,’ Rom. 4, 25. Therefore Christ, after His resurrection, came to His disciples with the greeting, “Peace be unto you!” It was not an empty greeting. No; it brought to their souls the whole blessing of His finished work of redemp- tion. The peace which Christ brings includes the forgiveness of sin, deliverance from death and the devil, and the soul’s eternal salvation. Christ still comes to us with His “Peace be unto you!” as surely as He came to His disciples on the day of His resurrection. THe comes to us in the Gospel, for in the Gospel He preaches peace to sinners. Christ “preached peace to you that were afar off, and to them that were nigh,” says the apostle. The peace which the risen Savior brought to His disciples from the cross and the tomb was secured for all sinners and is to be brought to all. Therefore he instituted the Gospel ministry. “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you,” He said to His disciples. ‘They were to be His mes- sengers with the blessed message of peace to a god- less, restless world. The Gospel is still brought to poor restless sin- ners by Christ’s servants as a message of peace. Wherever God’s Word and sacraments are, there the risen Savior comes to sinners with His “Peace be unto you!” offering unto them through His servants all the blessings of His redeeming work. Those who by faith accept the Gospel have the peace which it brings. They are “justified from all things,” and “being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” says the apostle. And having peace with God, they need not fear. In all their troubles and heartaches they are comforted by the words of their risen Savior who continually says to them in the Gospel, “Peace be unto you!”