Advent: Peace

Advent remebers the past, and how thing were when Christ came to earth, and awaits his second coming.

Hope Peace Love and Joy

Hope - prophecies fulfilled

Peace - awaiting the coming peace of that comes with Christ's reign as the prince of peace

English Standard Version Chapter 2

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 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!”

"Peace on Earth"

Shalom

Peace of God, completeness etc Used as the most common greeting in Israel Peace on earth would mean God's kingdom on Earth

Pax Romana

Peace of Rome Maintained by the sword Soldiers throughout the land - military rule They would announce "Pax" - peace as the roman soldiers maintained essentially martial law. Rome would quickly and efficiently snuff out any rebellion Peace on Earth was peace for the elite, and the subjugation of everyone else.

Imagine you are one of the shepherds

I'll paint the scene:

You live around bethlehem only a few miles from the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem, where all the important things happen

This area is run specifically by the roman military, Herod, who calls himself a king, is really more of a military general, given rule over the jews despite not being Jewish. He built fortresses all around the land, including one not far from your pastures.

All around the roman soliders travel, watching over the land and preparing to squash any rebellion. As they travel they proclaim peace on Earth Yet the world seems far from peaceful, even you lowly shepherds can see that.

You raise sheep to be sacrificed in the temple on feast days such as Passover.

One year you and your fellow shepherds provided a quarter million lambs for the passover sacrifice, all spotless, an healthy as required by the temple. Despite the importance of this role, you are an outcast among society, if they didn’t need the sheep for sacrifices the city people wouldn't deal with you at all.

You once asked one of the priests in Jerusalem why so many lambs were needed to slaughtered each year for passover, he simply replied "to make peace with God"

You live with the sheep, and lots of them. They know your voice as you guide them from pasture to pasture

Because of the dry landscape, pasture land is hard to find, especially for the sizable flocks that you and your fellow shepherds keep Your life is a constant cycle of moving with the seasons

during the summer when it is hot and dry you make you take your flocks to the harvested fields, where the local farmers allow your sheep to feed from time to time During the rainy winter season you move your flocks to the desert, where the light weekly rains provide just enough water for sparse vegetation. You are constantly moving up and down the steep and rugged hills around Bethlehem.

There comes a time every year where you must stay outside with your flocks even during the night.

The Ewes are giving birth to new lambs, most of which will be sacrificed at the next Passover, and they need to be perfect: flawlees, a lamb that hurts itself cannot be sacrificed at passover.

You might be caring for one of these newborn lambs when suddenly Angels appear in the skies above you and began declaring the birth of a savior, "unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, Christ the Lord, Glory to God in the Highest, Peace of Earth goodwill to men.

Peace on Earth,

That’s what the romans promised, but their peace is one of subjugation and enslavement. But now God is declaring peace, true peace, perfect peace, peace that comes with the birth of a child, a savior, a messiah.

A prince of Peace, a passover lamb. You remember hearing the rabbis talking in Jerusalem about a coming messiah, a prince of Peace, a new king. As you stand there trying to make sense of what just happened the angels have already disappeared, you see your neighbor running over to you

Did you see that! What could it mean? Bethlehem is just over the hill lets go see what the Angels were talking about!

English Standard Version Chapter 2

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Jesus was born during the Pax Romana - the roman peace, a time where Rome maintained peace through violence and subjugation, it was not really peaceful.

Jesus promised to bring REAL peace, to bring shalom.

Jesus was born during the riegn of herod, a false king who won the throne by military might and political guile,

Jesus was the true heir to the throne of Israel.

Jesus was born during a time when the rich and powerful were educated, and the poor and uneducated were treated as little more than slaves.

The birth of Jesus was first told to the shepherds, the lowest rung of society.

Jesus was born around the same time of year as the passover lambs, who would be sacrificed to bring peace with God.

The lambs were sacrificed every year, Jesus's sacrifice would only be needed once. And he brought peace with God.

So now church, we await his return.

We live in a time of death and destruction.

In the past couple years weve seen plauges and fear, and war.

We need Christ to return and bring Peace, to Bring Shalom, perfection.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

4 It shall come to pass in the latter days

that the mountain of the house of the LORD

shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

and it shall be lifted up above the hills;

and peoples shall flow to it,

2  and many nations shall come, and say:

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the house of the God of Jacob,

that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths.”

For out of Zion shall go forth the law,

and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

3  He shall judge between many peoples,

and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away;

and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war anymore;

4  but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree,

and no one shall make them afraid,

for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.

5  For all the peoples walk

each in the name of its god,

but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God

forever and ever.

Church Let us learn his ways, and let us walk in his paths so that we can be ready for when he returns to embrace that peace which he will bring when he comes back again.

How do we follow his ways?

Look into scripture

It tells you the history and heart of God

Lets take an example from today, we learned that God announced the birth of his son not to kings and rulers, but to the shepherds, to the outcasts of society.

Maybe we can reach out the the outcasts of Society, the ones who work hard, and go unthanked for their work and do some good for them this christmas season.