Don't Fast Forward

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (v2).

I have this bad habit of blowing past the beginning of books and movies. I want to get to the good stuff. I flip past the boring stuff like preface and introduction when I open a book. I fast forward a film until the action really starts. Come on, you do it too, don’t you? Well, maybe you’re a better person than me. Guess what happens when I skip ahead. I miss stuff. Important stuff. Key stuff.

It’s the same when I read the Bible. A letter like Philippians is juicy and joyful. But those opening verses seem like the same old boring blah, blah, blah. I need to pump my brakes and realize this isn’t perfunctory fine print. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (v2). Paul’s opening words here are actually the headline (Hmm, I wonder if he considered using a bigger font). Grace. Peace. From our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus. To you. To me. This isn’t just the big idea in his letter. It’s the big idea of the Gospel. Blah, blah, blah? I say, “NO! NO! NO!”

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (v2). Do Paul’s words look familiar? If you’ve read any of the apostle’s other letters, it should. He uses this very same greeting to kick off every one of his letters. He uses the exact same word-for-word blessing seven times (Rom 1:7; 1Cor 1:3; 2Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; 2Th 1:2; Phm 3). And he only changes it up slightly in his other five notes (Col 1:2; 1Th 1:1; 1Tim 1:2; 2Tim 1:2; Titus 1:4). Paul doesn’t repeat line this as some sort of biblical filler. Writing materials are at a premium in the first century. It’s not like you could swing by Walmart or Office Max for more another ream of paper when you got low. You only wrote down what was essential. The apostle put this greeting in every letter because it’s urgent. It’s the heart of God’s Good News through Jesus. Grace. Peace. It doesn’t get more important than that!

Paul writes to his friends back in Philippi as a prisoner in Rome. Not exactly the kind of situation that would inspire many of us to wax eloquently about God’s grace and peace. The dude has been in a series of jails for FOUR YEARS! He’s now in Rome waiting for Caesar to hear his appeal. I don’t know about you, but I’d be cranky on my good days if that were me. But not our man Paul. The former Pharisee has so much to be thankful for. Just a few years back, folks knew him as Saul of Tarsus. One of the best and brightest. An real up-and-comer in Judaism. Saul was so dedicated to his religion that he personally led a black ops team that traveled from city to city killing the followers of Jesus and hauling others off to jail (Acts 8:3; 1Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13; Phil 3:6; 1Tim 1:13). This rascal was so ruthless that he applauded from the coat check table at Stephen’s murder (Acts 7:58; 8:1). 

But a funny thing happened to this cold-blooded killer while he was on his way to take out another pocket of Christ followers in Damascus. The resurrected Jesus blindsides Saul and knocks him off his horse. In one of the most ridiculous turnarounds in history, our Savior transforms this murderer into a missionary (Acts 9:1-19). He takes His number one enemy and makes him His top spokesman. I’m not sure what you’ve left off your resume and hidden in your closet, but it’s nothing compared to Paul. He knows Jesus’ grace personally. He knows His peace firsthand. That’s why he puts at the top of the page in every letter he writes.

The apostle passes along Jesus’ “grace to you” (v2). Grace. There’s not a word that better sums up Jesus’ incredibly Good News to us. This is the Greek word charis, which describes an undeserved and overly generous gift. Paul’s trying to get across God’s overflowing goodness, His lovingkindness, His delight, His kindness, and His generosity. Tullian Tchividjian calls it “God’s descending one-way love.” The man from Tarsus wraps this little letter in an envelope of grace. Before he sends this note to his Philippian friends, he signs off with “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you in spirit” (Phil 4:23). It starts with grace. It ends with grace. Hmm, that kinda sounds like the Gospel in nutshell!

Paul also passes along God’s “peace” (v2). This isn’t just a lack of war or fighting. He’s talking about a state of harmony, safety, security, without fear. It’s the OT idea of shalom. This is the perfect rhythm of life. Everything working and moving together as God originally designed it. Well, at least that’s the way it was until we broke it. This peace also paints the picture of no fear of God’s judgment. Without Jesus, we’re rebels against God’s kingdom. Terrorists. Enemies of God (Rom 5:10; Col 1:21). We deserve His wrath. We deserve His judgment. We serve the all-out assault of His shock and awe. Instead of wiping us off the face of the planet, Jesus overwhelms us with His grace and peace. Just before His own crucifixion, Christ wished God’s peace on His posse (Jn 14:27). 

I’ve learned my lesson. Don’t blow past the beginning. Don’t skip ahead. Don’t hit that fast forward button. This is the good stuff. This is the best stuff. Jesus’ grace. Jesus’  peace. If anything, why don’t you hit rewind and watch it again. And again. And again.