Arrival - Peace

Arrival

Shalom!

We find this greeting often in the Old Testament…very much a Hebrew…Jewish…Israelite greeting. Even today it is a common greeting between Jewish people.

Why? Why not just Hi?

Shalom is…peace be with you. And actually it is more than that…because the root of the word for peace is completeness, wholeness or even perfection.

So when you greet someone with Shalom, you’re greeting them in the context that you wish them wholeness and well being…that sets the tone for the whole converstion or relationship doesn’t it. And when you say Shalom as you would say goodbye…you’re wishing them well being and wholeness and completeness as they go…which again…sets the tone for the whole relationship with that person whether they be a stranger or friend.

This idea of peace is huge…bigger than we usually think about.

Peace

It is the call of God from Genesis 3 all the way through the end of the book of Revelation. Peace…peace be with us.

There’s a movie that has become a near classic at Christmas time …the movie Elf.

Buddy the elf…It’s actually a hilarious movie.

Buddy is, for all intensive purposes…an elf from the north pole who comes into the real world by a series of events…I won’t ruin it if you haven’t seen it…but he moves from the near perfect place of joy and peace…to New York City...

And he finds…and continues to find through the whole movie…this extreme contrast. He was in a world where things were great. But now he’s in a world where people are angry and yell and are selfish and .... sometimes don’t do anything to try and fix it. And that’s troubling to him.

Peace is lacking in this world away from the North Pole.

I think we all have points in life where, when we truly look at the world, the people around us…we see there is a lack of peace. There’s something wrong…it feels wrong.

We kind of have an idea of what perfection is…and then we look at situations around us…and we realize there is definitely a need for peace.

Peace between people…peace between people and God.

Week 2: Peace

Main idea: Some 2000 years ago, we find that the arrival of Jesus brought with it the promise of peace to those experiencing that historical account…to those in the first century AD. And that was great news to them. And its the same for us today. In Christ, we can experience a peace so profound, that it transcends our human understanding.

Prayer: “Lord God, there is so much chaos and confusion in this world. Help us to experience the divine peace only available in and through Jesus. Help us to lay down our burdens and problems at HIS feet this holiday season.”

Scripture: Isaiah 11:6-9, Philippians 4:6-7

Introduction

Today we continue our annual journey back to Bethlehem. We’re traveling through the advent season…focusing on Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.

Last week we looked into that prophetic hope the Messiah brought…and what that might have looked like through the eyes of the Israelites and the specific writing of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. As we continue today, we’ll be turning to Isaiah, and of course other passages, once again to consider the prophetic promise of peace.

It’s Christmas time....and at this time we often remember this passage: and I’m just going to read this to you…you’ll all be familiar...

Luke 2:10–14 (CSB)

...the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:

Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!

I know it seems like an improbable promise, as we live in a world immersed in war and division…

If you just spend a few minutes on the news or on social media…you can find this division…hatred.

But it’s from this place of improbability that we turn our eyes to Christ and we remember the words of the Apostle Paul to the Phillipians;

Philippians 4:6–7 CSB

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

If you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, discouraged, fearful, or frustrated this holiday season, then I want you to know you’re in the right place today. It’s only through Christ that we can find the peace we so desperately long for… And the good news is, we don’t have to wait another thousand years to experience it; the peace of God is available to us because Jesus has arrived…the Angels and heavenly hosts made a truth statement…Peace has come to earth! The baby is born!

And so we naturally ask....why ? why born…why the need for peace...

C.S. Lewis wrote a book years ago called the great divorce. The book was written in response to a long poem titled the Marriage of Heaven and Hell…where both the good and bad, the holy and evil…are both needed for a good life…both sides of the same coin.

CS Lewis wrote…NO…they are not…evil should not be here…there is no peace when evil is present.

He wrote this during the first and second world war…somewhat with that as the backdrop.

He wrote that there is something better where evil is not around…where it isn’t a thing at all. Where there is eternal peace between everything in all of creation.

Isaiah reminds us of this type of world…with eternal peace. I think…I think this is also looking back at Gen 1-2. I know…you’re saying, “Ed, you always say that.” Yes. Very true. That’s our reference point.

Main Teaching

We’re going to read something from Isaiah that gives us a picture of perfect peace…what was intended before evil.

I’ve told this story before but it is worth telling again. The year was 1914, during WW1 and something incredible happened in different places on the Western Front.

British and German troops were opposing each other…with about 100 feet of land between them called No Man’s Land. A trench on the eastern side and one on the western.

There are many different accounts but the gist is this. Some British soldiers began to hear the Germans singing Christmas hymns…in German.

And then according to one soldiers diary, a German soldier invited the other side out…You no shoot…we no shoot.

For awhile both sides would sing parts of hymns…and then one by one…some began to get out of the trenches and meet in the middle of no-man’s land.

One British soldier wrote this after meeting and shaking the hands of the enemy, “Here they were—the actual, practical soldiers of the German army. There was not an atom of hate on either side.”

They went on to play games, sing songs, exchange gifts....and also to help each other collect and bury the dead. This event is called the Christmas Truce.

Now let’s read this passage that seems so improbable…much like that story out of war.

Isaiah 11:6-9 is a beautiful picture of the type of peace and harmony that will come with the reign of the Messiah…in His Kingdom.

…I also think it looks back at what was…or even could have been without the entrance of evil in our world through sin.

It’s a description of the future, yes, but also a picture of how the peace of God can be present in our life here and now as well. Let’s jump in together.

Read Isaiah 11:6-8

Isaiah 11:6–8 CSB

The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf will be together, and a child will lead them. The cow and the bear will graze, their young ones will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like cattle. An infant will play beside the cobra’s pit, and a toddler will put his hand into a snake’s den.

Promise of a Peaceful Kingdom

This passage gives us a detailed description of natural enemies living in harmony with one another. We understand these images, and the improbable nature of a wolf dwelling in peace with a lamb, a leopard laying down with a calf, or a child putting their hand into a snake's den…

How could that ever happen? What kind of alternate universe could this be? It’s the place where Christ is King and the whole world recognized Him as such…no sin…no evil.

Let’s bring this into the human world....

Are there people in your life who you can’t even imagine eating a meal with or spending an evening next to? Is there a specific relative coming over this holiday season that you just know is going to cause trouble for everyone else? What are you going to do?

Cousin Eddie from Christmas vacation…the freeloader that you can’t wait till they drift off to their next location....

Let’s reverse this picture...

One picture that comes to mind is the moment when Jesus is hanging up on the cross, and He looks out over all the people. The Jews were there, alongside the Romans… and everyone was looking up at Him as His crucifixion unfolded. "Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they're doing…” Luke 23:34.

What’s the key to peace? To our peace…to the world’s peace…to our Peace with God.

Forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the doorway through which peace enters the spaces in our lives. Isaiah 11:6-8 gives us an amazing picture of enemies dwelling together in harmony… This reality isn’t just a defining feature of Christ’s everlasting kingdom… It can be a reality that we experience here and now, with one another.

Forgiveness is a gift offered to all of us through Christ. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:17… And forgiveness is one of the most powerful gifts we can extend to others. In many instances where we have enemies or division with others, there needs to be a process of forgiveness.

Think back for a moment to those relatives coming over that you’re not too excited about… Is there something there that needs to be dealt with? Is there some past event, frustration, or friction that you need to address? If there is, then I trust that Christ can grant you the strength and courage to step into the process with the ultimate goal of finding peace…

One huge part of Christ’s ultimate plan and purpose is to restore creation to a place of peace.

Restoration of Peace

Read Isaiah 11:9

Isaiah 11:9 CSB

They will not harm or destroy each other on my entire holy mountain, for the land will be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the sea is filled with water.

“They”... The natural predators will neither harm nor destroy on the “holy mountain of God.” And this holy mountain ​​”does not refer to Jerusalem or Sinai, but to the entire earth.[1]” We all look forward to the day when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God and the world will be at peace because of Christ, the Messiah. This reality is reflected again in the book of Colossians when Paul writes these words;

Colossians 1:19–20 CSB

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

There’s that word again, peace. Christ made peace through His blood, shed on the cross and it’s through Christ that we can experience redemption, restoration, forgiveness, and peace.

That’s good news worth sharing with others… Even if that person is your weird Cousin Eddie … Christ died for them too.

Remember Jesus This Holiday Season

The holidays can be a difficult time…

I remember Micah and I taking that pre-Christmas trip to New York City…and I remember standing in the middle of Time’s Square…and thinking…wow…this is nuts.

There was a true sense of everything coming in on me…the lights…the people…crowds…towering buildings....it was chilly…there were homeless, people begging…people cranky…police everywhere keeping track of panhandlers…it was just a very …not peaceful time for me.

And I don’t think we need to be in the middle of times square during the holidays to get that type of feeling.

But who brings peace? There’s a reality in our world of anti-peace…but is there also a reality to the Prince of Peace?

He was born…as a baby…the angels celebrated His arrival with the shepherds.

He’s here…and he’s conquered the power that steals our peace. And one day will restore everything to that picture in Isaiah of the lion and the lamp. That will be reality.

As we think this Advent season about the arrival of Jesus, we are reminded that part of the Messianic hope and promise was a world restored in peace. I think we can all agree that the world needs peace now, just as much as it did in the time of Isaiah, and just as much as it’s going to every day until Christ returns. Forgiveness is a powerful path to peace, but so are things like empathy and understanding. Maybe there are people around you that just need someone to listen to them? Maybe they just need someone to say, “I can imagine how you feel, and I’m sorry.”

I know it’s a busy time of year, but what would it look like to share some time and space with others this holiday season? As we remember Christ, let’s also remember that we live in a world weary of sin and destruction. It’s a world longing for peace, and we know where eternal peace can be found.

Conclusion

The arrival of Christ two-thousand years ago changed everything… On the one hand, His arrival brought anything but peace to many of the people in and around Jerusalem… In fact, king Herod had all the first born boys murdered just to try and stop the specific messianic prophecy from coming true… But on the other hand, Jesus did live and accomplish His purpose here on earth.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

If you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, discouraged, fearful, or frustrated this holiday season, then I want you to know you’re in the right place today. It’s only through Christ that we can find the peace we so desperately long for… And the good news is, we don’t have to wait another thousand years to experience it; the peace of God is available to us because Jesus has arrived.

Let go of your anxiety and fear… Pick up the gift of Christ.

And share Him with others - share the good news of great joy, which we’ll be talking more about next week.

Let’s pray together.

[1] Accessed here: http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/old_testament_studies/VOL11AOT/VOL11AOT_11.html