Prince of Peace - Part 2
Notes
Transcript
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
“Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”
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Let me repeat...
“Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”
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This was the question posed by Charlie Brown in the Christmas classic,...
A Charlie Brown Christmas.
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Linus takes the stage and boldly explains what Christmas is really all about;...
Jesus!
Linus says,
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"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
And they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them,
'Fear not:
For behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.'
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men…
That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”
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A beautiful response to a significant question (including Linus’ moving act of dropping his security blanket the moment he quotes the angels saying “Fear not”).
Here, Linus is quoting Luke 2:8-14 of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.
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From this passage, verse 14 has become a very popular adage,...
“Peace on earth and good will toward all men.”
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However, did Jesus really bring peace on earth?
In the same Gospel of Luke, Jesus says in the 51st verse of chapter 12,
“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.”
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So why the apparent contradiction?
And what is Jesus talking about when he invokes “peace?”
Is there a deeper meaning?
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For the answer to that we have to study our passage for this Christmas Day.
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So, please turn your Bibles to The Gospel of Luke.
We will be conducting our study in Chapter 2 and focusing on verses 13 and 14.
Our message this morning is called, “Prince of Peace - Part 2”
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As you are finding your place in God’s Word, I want to point out that this is our second of two messages on the Prince of Peace.
If you missed the first message, which was delivered yesterday at our Christmas Eve service...
Or if you just want to listen to it again...
We will, Lord willing, have it online on our YouTube channel this week along with this message.
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Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
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Let’s turn to our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
So, let’s look at our first point...
1) The Bad News
1) The Bad News
Before we can dig into our passage...
We need to understand the background...
We need to know why not just one angel but a multitude appeared to shepherds to praise God over the birth of this Child.
What is so significant of the birth of Jesus Christ?
What is it about Jesus and Christmas and the Good News that is so vital for people to understand?
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Well...
We need to start at the beginning...
And mean the the beginning before God created anything.
Look with me, Church at what it says in Ephesians 1:4-5:
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
So, before God created anything...
He choose us...
He choose those who would follow Him.
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But that is not all...
He choose us with the intention that we would me molded into the image of His Son.
He intends us to be holy and blameless in His sight.
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Out of love...
He made us for the purpose to be adopted by Him through the work of Jesus Christ.
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And all of this was done for the purpose of His perfect will.
So, He made us to glorify Him.
He made us to worship Him.
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I know this truth is a shocking truth but Scripture says it...
Before He created us...
He knew us and loved us and created to glorify Him.
That is why 1 Corinthians 10:31 says:
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
The chief end of man...
Is to glorify God.
No other endeavor is greater.
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However, there is a problem...
A really big problem...
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This is where the bad news comes in...
Romans 3:23 says that:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Beloved, how many people fall short of the glory of God?
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How many?
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Exactly...
All...
Fall...
Short.
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So, “all” here means “all.”
Adam and Eve fall short...
Enoch falls short...
Noah falls short...
Abraham, Jacob, and Issac fall short...
King David, Ruth, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, fall short...
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But that is not all...
John the Baptist, Mary the mother of Jesus, Peter, John the Beloved, Paul, Timothy, Titus all fall short...
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But that is not all...
Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, Tertullian, Augustine, Jon Huss, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Bunyan, Johnathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon,....
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J.I. Packer, John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, John Piper....
And you...
And me...
We all fall short of the glory of God!
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And this is why we have a big problem that has to be addressed.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 says some pretty strong words for those that sin and fall short of the glory of God.
9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
Romans 6:23 puts it this way:
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
23 For the wages of sin is death,
That is a very depressing reality.
If the story stopped there then there would be no hope...
There would not be a reason for living...
Fear and anxiety would cripple us...
But that is not the whole story...
And Romans 6:23 has a second half of the verse that points to hope.
The full verse says:
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So, although God made everything perfect...
And gave humanity everything they needed...
Sin still entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned.
God gave them everything but they wanted to be like God...
They wanted to be a “god” of their own.
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While receiving the punishments from God and realizing how foolish their actions were...
Actions that made all of cursed with sin...
Hope was found in Genesis 3:15 when God said:
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
A Savior was promised...
A Messiah was to come...
And save us from the hopeless state that we found ourselves in.
And with that...
Let’s dive into our text...
And look at our second point...
2) The Hope
2) The Hope
Verse 13: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
Regarding the word “heavenly host,” John MacArthur says:
“[This] term [is] used to describe an army encampment.
Christ also used military imagery to describe the angels in [Matthew’s Gospel account].
[Additionally,] Revelation 5:11 suggests that the number of the angelic host may be too large for the human mind to fathom.
[That verse says:]
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
Note that here the heavenly army brought a message of peace.”
So, thousands upon thousands of angels appear...
An army of angels...
One would think a battle was about to be fought...
But instead...
An army of angels announce that Hope has arrived!
The Prince of Peace is finally here!
As Isaiah 9:6–7 says:
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
This event is so joyous that the whole creation must sing praises to God.
Just look at what it says in Isaiah 49:13:
13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted.
Saints, understand that the angels in heaven...
The messengers of God...
They celebrate with us that Salvation was made possible through Jesus Christ...
It only makes sense...
For even over the salvation of one sinner do the heavens rejoice as it says in Luke 15:10:
10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
And now let’s look at our third and final point.
3) The Good News
3) The Good News
Verse 14: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Unfortunately, the very popular KJV translation of this verse is a misrepresentation of the actual meaning as found in the original Greek manuscripts.
Most modern scholars have come to the conclusion that the translators of the KJV erred in their translation of the text...
This is a reminder that using multiple solid translations of the Bible is helpful when studying Scripture.
So, the more accurate and literal meaning of it reads "on earth peace to men of good will," or as in the ESV translation of Luke 2:14 reads,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
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The fact is that Luke 2:14 is actually referring to God’s peace resting on those who please Him and indicates a clear restriction to a particular group of people,
So this verse is about God’s elect, and not as the KJV presents the verse, making it seem as though Jesus came to bring world peace.
In fact, if this was the actual interpretation of the verse,...
It would indicate that either Jesus failed in bringing world peace...
Or a case for the heretical theology of universalism,...
Which wrongly claims Jesus’ act on the cross brought reconciliation to all mankind as in every single individual...
Meaning all would go to heaven regardless if they put their trust in Jesus which would fly in the face of everything else Scripture says about salvation.
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So, now that we understand the proper translation of this verse...
Let’s look a little deeper at the word “peace.”
Let’s do this by considering the definition of the word “peace” as stated by the ESV Study Bible:
“The expression peace (“shalom” in Hebrew) had a much richer connotation than the English word does since it conveyed not merely the absence of conflict and turmoil but also the notion of positive blessing, especially in terms of a right relationship with God, and also, as a result, the idea that ‘all is well’ in one’s life.
This may be manifested most clearly amid persecution and tribulation.”
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The peace that Jesus brought us has to do with His actions at Calvary...
Galatians 3:13 says:
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—
So, Jesus took on the curse that was meant for His people...
He was punished in our place...
The full wrath of God crushed Him...
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As sinners we are at war with God...
Jesus, our Prince of Peace...
Made peace with us and God the Father...
And that was the message He preached as it says in Ephesians 2:17:
17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.
You see, Beloved...
This is the Good News...
Jesue came to the world to take the place of sinners...
And if one will only repent of their wickedness...
If one would believe the message found in Scripture about our Lord...
That He is God...
That He is Lord...
That He is Savior...
That He died and three days later rose from the dead...
That He ascended and will one day come back...
If one believes this to be factually true...
And if one trusts and surrender to Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior...
Then they will be covered in the blood of Jesus.
And it is the blood of His cross that makes peace for His followers as Colossians 1:19–20 says:
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
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So, I beg you...
Never forget the cost Jesus paid to make peace for you if you already put your trust in Him.
Isaiah 53:5 says:
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
And if you are still at war with God then it is time surrender...
It is time to trust Him...
It is time to live out Romans 10:9 which says:
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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If you don’t know Him yet then it is time to have your old self die and become a new creation...
It is time to stop living for self and start living for Christ...
As Paul said in Galatians 2:20:
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
For Jesus came to make peace with those who surrender and trust Him...
He never intended to make world peace...
For His truth divides people...
Jesus never hid this fact...
He plainly says in Luke 12:51-53:
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.
53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
So, Jesus brings a peace that is not of this world.
His followers will experience this joy and right standing between them and God.
However, the world will not understand this peace, this joy, this need for reconciliation.
Again, our Lord never hid this from us...
He spoken plainly as in John 14:27 when Hew says:
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
If you put your trust in Him...
You will have a peace that is not affected by the circumstances of this world...
And you will have no reason to fear...
For fear has to do with punishment...
And as Romans 8:1 says:
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
As this message comes to a close, I want to share this:
Two families living side by side in the mountains of Kentucky had been fighting and quarreling for years.
The feud started when Grandfather Smith’s cow jumped over the stone fence of Grandfather Brown and ate his corn.
Brown shot the cow.
Then one of the Smith boys shot one of the Brown boys, in fact, two of them, while the Browns had shot only one of the Smiths.
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Bill, the oldest of the Brown family, decided to even up matters, especially since it was his own father who had been killed.
But Bill was called away to war.
While he was away his mother had a hard time providing for the family.
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One Christmas the head of the Smith family took his wife and children to church.
Usually he stayed outside, but it was so cold he decided to go in and wait.
The sermon was on Christ, the Prince of Peace.
It struck Smith’s heart.
On his way home he passed the home of the Browns and he began to realize what a crime he had committed in killing the breadwinner.
He prayed.
He did more.
He determined secretly to help them.
He hired a small boy to carry a basket of food to the Browns every day.
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When Bill came home, and heard of this kindness, he decided to find out who the generous helper was.
He followed the little boy—to the door of Smith’s house.
He could not believe his eyes.
When Smith answered his knock, he smiled and declared:
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“Shoot me, Bill, if you want to.”
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But Bill said he had come to thank him for taking care of his family while he was gone.
Then Smith explained to Bill how he had come to a change of heart.
He had heard the story of the first Christmas, the story of the Prince of Peace.
It changed him.
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The deeper meaning of Christmas is not that Jesus came to bring universal peace among all sinners in the world.
The deeper meaning is that Jesus came with a mission to serve, to be the innocent lamb of God who would endure the Wrath of God to save His sheep.
His perfect work on the cross will bring peace to those who repent and put their trust in Him.
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You must understand...
A single sin...
No matter how small...
A slip of the tongue...
An impure thought or feeling...
A lack of control...
Even if you only sinned for a second...
It would still result in eternal damnation...
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And not a single soul can claim to be sinless as 1 John 1:10:
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
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Only Jesus live a perfect and sinless life.
So, only His work on the cross could ever be accepted.
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For one is not saved by good works...
But as Ephesians 2:8–9 says:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
I will not sugar coat the reality of following Christ...
It will not be without persecution from the world...
It will not be easy...
But...
For all who believe He sends a Helper...
The Holy Spirit...
And He changes you...
And helps you do what was once impossible.
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And every born again man and woman agree with the words of Paul in Philippians 3:8:
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
I pray that if you know Christ then you will remember what He did for you not just on this day but everyday...
And if you still don’t know Him yet then I hope you cry out to Him to change your heart for to gain Christ is to gain everything.
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To God be all the glory.
Amen.
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Please join us for one more song from the Praise Band.