Finding Peace in the Struggle
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There is an amazing Christmas tradition in Finland… It has been held almost every year since the 1300’s…
At noon every year on Christmas Eve, the city of Turku declares “Christmas Peace”!
During the ceremony the people gather in the town square and a city official is chosen to read the “Declaration of Christmas Peace.”
The Declaration reads:
Tomorrow, God willing, is the graceful celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour; and thus is declared a peaceful Christmas time to all, by advising devotion and to behave otherwise quietly and peacefully, because he who breaks this peace and violates the peace of Christmas by any illegal or improper behaviour shall under aggravating circumstances be guilty and punished according to what the law and statutes prescribe for each and every offence separately. Finally, a joyous Christmas feast is wished to all inhabitants of the city.
What a great way to bring in Christmas!
What a reminder that Christ’s birth brought Peace into the world!
But… We don’t need Peace only during Christmas, do we?
We aren’t seeking a “false peace”… that only last for a short time… That kind of peace does not sustain us through the difficult times this world brings…
We need the true everlasting Peace that Christmas promises…
We need to rediscover the Peace that Christ brought when He was born into this dark world!
Let me ask you: When you think about Peace… When you think the Christmas story… What characters, or part comes to mind?
The Shepherds, right?!
For me when I think about Peace in the Christmas story, the first thing that comes to mind is the shepherds!
You know the story… They are tending their flocks… minding their own business… when suddenly an angel appears!
And what does he tell them?
— “Do not be afraid. I bring you good tidings of great joy!”
It’s almost like he is telling them “Peace be with you… I have a message of joy!”
The shepherds were the unlikely recipients of God’s message of Peace!
Look at Luke 2:8-20
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Some of us grew up watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and we remember Linus reciting this passage during the Christmas pageant…
Do you remember what he said to Charlie Brown at the end?
“That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
Christmas is all about the birth of a Saviour… and not just any Saviour… the Saviour of ALL creation!
Christmas is about what Jesus came to do, what He did, and what He brought into this world!
This part of the Christmas narrative is awesome!!!!
Think about this passage (this part)… This is God’s “birth announcement” to the world… It’s His “big reveal”… and what a way to do it!!!!
This is the announcement of the birth of the Saviour that Israel had been waiting for… that the whole creation has “groaned” for…
This was the birth of the Messiah… the Christ… the Long Awaited One!
Yet this announcement happened in a really… odd… unexpected… way…
Simple shepherds were in their fields… tending their sheep… going about their daily lives… their routines…
The lights all over town were out… people rested… the sheep were safe… and (I like to think) the shepherds were grabbing a bit of rest themselves, while they could…
Suddenly! An Angel appears… scaring them fully awake! He has an announcement to make… But that’s not all…
Suddenly… the sky is filled with angels!
Praising God… Singing a song… declaring “Glory to God in heaven!”… And What????
“Peace on earth to ALL humanity!”
We like to think of that night as peaceful… quiet… serene… BUT that sounds anything but!!!
It was loud… There was fanfare… There was pomp and circumstance… Celebration!
It was an exciting thing to witness!!!
But the audience… the witnesses… They were so unlikely…
You would think that an announcement of this magnitude would rate a grander audience!
It should have been a group of the most important VIP’s… the rich, famous,… you know, the important people…
The Kings and Queens… the “movers and shakers” of the world… The people who mattered… at least it should have been the religious leaders… right?!?
But No!
This message… this grand announcement… this vision of angels celebrating the work of God!
Was given to simple… lowly… unimportant… dirty old shepherds…
We need to understand this… These were completely ordinary… average-Joe… night shift… animal tenders… They were the most unlikely and unexpected recipients of this message of Peace… Wholeness… and Favor from God.
Let me tell you — It wasn’t the “smartest guys in the room” … who heard the message first… it was simple… shepherds…
Listen — The “message”… the “Good News” of Christmas… the Gospel… was never entrusted to the “smart guys”… or the “rich guys”… it was… and is… entrusted to simple, ordinary people.
It is entrusted to you and I.
This is yet another scene of how God perfectly “flips the script” on what we would expect and plan…
BUT… The question is: “Why Shepherds?”
I mean, “Why choose such a lowly, outcast group?”
Because… Shepherds tie many biblical threads together.
The shepherds remind us of the patriarchs of Isreal… They were shepherds.
They were nomadic people who tended their flocks… they were the “roaming ranchers” of the ancient world.
Look at Abraham, Issac, Jacob… they all lived in tents… they roamed… they traveled… taking their herds with them.
David… Israel’s first and greatest king… before Goliath… before he was King… was an ordinary shepherd!
Shepherds were common men… peasants… They were nothing special.
They had no entitlement… No pride or arrogance… No religious egos…
Who better to introduce God’s Messiah to the world?!?
Think about it… Mary and Joseph — a humble carpenter and a peasant girl — were chosen to be the parents of the Son of God!
Not only that… but the birth took place, not in a hospital surrounded by family, but… in a lowly stable… surrounded by animals and rough and rugged shepherds…
These were the “have-nots”… living on the edge of civilization…
God uses humble hearts… and lowly shepherds to turn the world as we know it on its head!
Look at the story…
Those considered by society to be the “most holy”… the “most perfect”… the “most together and capable” — the “rock star” preachers… the famous writers… the movie stars… the politicians… weren’t given a place in the stable!
They weren’t invited to witness the arrival of the Messiah!
Instead, dirty old “bikers” — those filthy, foul-mouthed, farmers — those shepherds… were!
The shepherds signify Jesus’s future ministry.
Jesus came to be the sacrificial Lamb of God…
Sheep are stupid animals… amen! (anyone who has watched them knows… [sheep video on FaceBook])
BUT… they were very special animals in Jewish culture.
The Passover Lamb was the sacrifice for the most important Jewish holiday.
Its blood was the atonement for Sin… It was the cost to be paid to restore a person with God.
Each time it was done… it was a reminder of how God rescued His people from Egypt.
(side note)
Do you know what that means?
— When Jesus called us “sheep”… knowing how silly and stupid they act… He is saying: “You Are Special Too!”
And just like He came into the world to bring salvation and Peace… He comes into our lives…
Jesus came into this world for us!!!
He came as the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God… He paid the price for our Sin… and that price was accepted…
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split
Access to God is no longer denied! (example: the priest entering the Holy of Holies…)
Jesus’s death eliminated the sacrifice… His resurrection made it possible for us to be restored in our relationship with God… His life brought to us the chance to experience shalom — true peace!
Shalom — “the completeness and wholeness of God’s original creation.”
What is God’s creation? US!!!
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
— We were made in God’s image… to be COMPLETE through a relationship with Him.
That’s what Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden.
Jesus brings “Shalom” back into our lives.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
This is what the angels meant when they proclaimed:
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
God’s “shalom” is His Presence… His Provision… His Grace, Mercy, and Love… poured out through a relationship with Him… No matter the circumstances!
God’s favor is not based on human standards.
His favor is on ALL those who humbly acknowledge Him… put their faith in Him… and accept His gifts of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.
Peace is not based on class… or position… or occupation… or circumstances…
Peace is based on God’s purpose and design…
And that is to bring His Message … His Good News and Joy to ALL people!
We can find Peace in the middle of the storms in our life… if we will embrace God’s Peace!
You WILL NOT find true Peace anywhere else.
Have you ever been through a hurricane? How about the “eye”?
The movie “A Perfect Storm” gives us a good example…
The eye of the hurricane is truly a place of stillness… of calm… of peace… It is a pause in the midst of the maelstrom…
But… It’s only temporary… It doesn’t last… The winds start again… the waves once again crash… and the rains come…
That is how “worldly peace” works.
We can make “Declarations of Peace”… We can declare that we are going to “keep the peace” in family gatherings… that we are going to “put a good face on”… But… the storms always come back…
Let me tell you… Jesus shows up when the storms of life threaten our Peace, Hope, and Joy!
We just have to look for Him.
Jesus is there when love seems lost… when the way forward seems completely unclear… when the things of this world threaten to tear us apart with fear!
God is here!
This is where Christ is born… This is where the angels show up!
In the middle of Israel’s dark night… In the middle of the Roman oppression and centuries of suffering and wondering “Where is God?”
God shows up!
Think about Mary and Joseph for a minute…
In a matter of moments, They found themselves at the very center of cosmic events!
Now listen… while at the same time, they were trying to navigate the normal realities of life!
This story finds them paying their dues in this world… traveling ON FOOT across the country to Bethlehem… all so the government could count them…
They had to experience childbirth far from home… without the support of their families, other women, or even midwives… who could have given them comfort…
They were “first-time” parents… not only did they have the joys, wonder, and fear that comes with the responsibility of having their first son… But this was GOD’S SON!!!
Can you imagine?!?!
Talk about stress!!!
We think it’s hard becoming new parents now!
But God showed up for them… bringing them peace and comfort.
And… God continues to show up for us!
In our pain… In our fears… In our grief… In our loss… In our uncertainty…
God shows up!
Look at Daniel in the Lion’s den…
I don’t know what hardships you are facing today… I don’t know what pain is in your heart… But God does!!!
He is there… bringing Peace to calm your heart… If you will accept it!
Let me tell you…
God’s Peace defies our circumstances.
I know… I know… “That’s great for you to say, pastor… It sounds nice… But… You don’t know how much it hurts!”
You’re right! I don’t!
Our struggles and trials… Our pain and fear… are uniquely our own… None of us are experiencing the exact same things!
But let me tell you… God knows! God understands!
There is a peace that is deeper than your circumstances…
And His name is Jesus!!!!
In the face of all you are feeling… and all you have gone through… In the face of your trials… and tribulations…
God’s Peace makes no sense… But it is real!!!!
It is healing… It can guard your heart against the continuing wounds this world inflicts…
23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.
27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
Paul knew suffering…
But… He also KNEW God!
Let me tell you… No matter what you are facing today… The process of finding Peace begins with turning to God…
Bringing Him our hurts… our questions… our doubts… and our needs…
Paul tells us “In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
I don’t pretend to fully understand it… But… There is power in prayer… and transformation comes from gratitude!
There is no power in getting what we want for God… or from convincing Him to “see things our way.”
The Power of Prayer isn’t in manipulating God…
The power of Prayer helps us understand that God is with us… no matter what!
In Prayer, we proclaim “God has got this! He can be trusted! He is enough!”
And in that… We find Peace.
You see… Peace is a person! And that Person is Jesus!
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,
16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
I think sometimes we forget that… We forget what Jesus did for us…
We forget that He set us free! And brought us peace!
That is the reason for this season…
That is why we celebrate…
Peace has a Name… And His Name is Jesus!
We need to rediscover that today… We need to recommit to it…
Jesus… The child that is born… The Son that is given… brings the power and rule of His Peace into our lives… and into this world!
He is the Peace between us and God… the sacrificial Lamb… the giver of life…
He is the embodiment of Shalom…
Jesus is the God who is come to be with us… and He offers us an invitation:
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Isn’t that an offer of peace?
Close your eyes and listen to those words again…
Do you need that peace today?
The winds will blow… The storms will rage… But… we do not have to lose our Peace within them.
(altar call — sing “midnight clear”)
May Jesus be your Peace this week… May He guard your soul with Peace… May He fill your spirit with the wholeness of shalom… May His love… His Peace… rule in your hearts and bring you Hope throughout this season!
Shalom!