Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul in Romans 1:7 gives a welcome to his audience that includes grace and peace. Looking forward to the above verse in chapter 5, we see that grace reigned through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul includes this phrase grace and peace in several of the introductions to his writings. What we see is that grace precedes peace. It would take an act of grace to give us peace. An act of grace to establish peace from God toward man. It would take grace by righteousness which was unto eternal life. Without an act of grace there could be no peace. Peace from God did not exist until that righteousness came that Christ earned. By the grace of God faith is given to us in order that we can have peace with God, Romans 5:1. To see peace before grace is to not understand the transaction that was made at the cross of Christ. We will see that there was a transaction between God the Father and God the Son which purchased peace for us. This peace did not exist until the transaction, the redemption was completed. No blood, no remission as it says in Hebrews 9:22. Since that shed blood had come, there is now peace. Christ brought the message of peace to the disciples in John 20 because in an act of grace He had taken the wrath of God deserved by them and satisfied the holy judgment of God. By that act of grace, He gave them life that He earned and presented them His hands as a proof of the peace that had been made. A peace that came after a work of grace.
John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.