The Prince of Peace
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Intro
Intro
My name is Jamie, I’m the Discipleship Pastor at REVO Church in Winston-Salem
It’s so good to be with you
I used to work here as the Student Pastor, Middle School team leader, maintenance man, and so much more
I have so much love for this place, it’s where I met my wife, got my first ministry job, saw God move in major ways, and really solidified my calling
But before we dive into God’s word let’s pray
Pray
Pray
Churches in the area
Words to be God’s not mine
Christmas Season
Christmas Season
The Christmas season is far and away my favorite season!
I love Christmas, I love decorations, I love the cold
The food is good, giving presents is good, and lets be honest getting presents isn’t bad either!
But more than that, Christmas is the Advent season!
Advent is the time when us as Christians pause what we are doing in anticipation for the Jesus
It is when we stop and look back at the birth of Jesus and the reality that He is God
It is when we stop what we are doing and focus on Jesus — if maybe just for a moment
And in the book of Isaiah we get one of the most important verses when it comes to Jesus’ arrival as Messiah
Isaiah Passage
Isaiah Passage
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.
Isaiah is writing to enslaved Israel telling them that there is a Messiah that is coming
He points out that this Messiah will have all the governments on his shoulder — that He will be in control of all the governments on the earth
Can you imagine how good of news that must have sounded to the Israelite people who are currently in slavery?
The promise of someone who will come and rescue you from your oppressor sounds like a dream!
But that isn’t the only thing that Isaiah says here — he not only tells us about the power of this Messiah, he also tells us what this Messiah will be like
Power doesn’t matter if you don’t have good character to control and lead it
Here is a little tip for you — it’s not the point of the message, but I think someone needs to hear it
“You’ll only go as far as your character can take you”
It doesn’t matter how talented you are, how liked you are, how good at something you are, you’ll only go as far as your character will take you
If you have bad character, you’re not going very far
The names
The names
Well Isaiah gives us a picture of what this Messiah’s character will look like
He said he will be:
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
Isaiah looks at the enslaved people of Israel and said that the Messiah will come and have all power — and he will be a high character
He will be wonderful counselor — he will have plans that are immaculate, impossible for us to understand
He will be the mighty God — quite literally the Messiah will be GOD
He will be the Everlasting Father — he will care for his people like a Father provides for his children
And He will be the Prince of Peace — that He will usher in a time of peace for his people
Now of those four there has always been one that I have struggled with more than the others
I don’t have a problem with Jesus being the Wonderful Counselor — his thoughts are higher than my thoughts, nor mighty God — I believe that Jesus is God, nor do i struggle with Everlasting Father — he cares for his people and tells us this constantly
The one that I have always struggled with is Prince of Peace
I mean when you look at the world it isn’t peaceful — yet we live in a time when Jesus has always came, lived, died, and raised
I mean Russia is still at war with Ukraine, Palastine and Israel are still fighting, the country is divided because of the presidential election.
There is no peace
Yet I think we have missed what it means when Isaiah said he will be the Prince of Peace
What is Peace
What is Peace
See we are reading Isaiah 9:6 from a 21st century perspective
We think that the peace that Isaiah is talking about is the same definition and idea of peace that we have today
However that’s not the case
The word that is translated peace in our English bibles is actually the Hebrew word “Shalom”
The Hebrew word Shalom has the idea of restoration, completion, something being set right
What Isaiah is telling the Israelites, and us, is that the Messiah will be the one that brings things back right
That He will be the one that restores, the one that brings things to ultimate completion
Jesus is the full embodiment of Shalom
With that as our backdrop church I want to look at three ways that Jesus provides us with Peace/Shalom when we come to follow Him
Peace with God
Peace with God
The first way we see Jesus as the Prince of Peace is:
Peace with God
We see Jesus as the Prince of Peace in the way he provides peace with us and God
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Two of the most famous passages — all have sinned, the payment of sin is death
We have all sinned, and death comes for all
Death and separation from God come for all people
There is nothing we can do to stop it
No way we can fix it
6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Isaiah tells us that we are unclean and cannot get to God
Our greatest deeds are dirty rags
Let that sink in for a moment
The best thing you have ever done — a dirty rag to God
The money that you donated to send a kid to camp — a dirty rag to God
The time you gave money to a homeless man — a dirty rag
Sacrificially gave up your time to help clean up camp — a dirty rag
The best things you can do are just dirty rags in the eyes of God
We cannot pay for our sins — we cannot fix our sins
We are destined for destruction
That is where the Prince of Peace steps in
To come and provide us with Shalom — restoration with God
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus tells us that He alone is the way to God
He alone is the way we can experience peace with God
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
While we were still sinners Jesus died for us
While we were far from God (which is all the time)
Jesus died for us as the Prince of Peace
5 He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed. 6 All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on his own path, but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him.
He took on the cross so that we may have right standing with God
So that we can experience restoration with the Lord
We cannot save ourself — so stop trying
Instead submit to the Prince of Peace who will graciously give it
The money that you donated to send a kid to camp done through the Shalom of the Prince of Peace? — a beautiful thing
The time you gave money to a homeless man done through the Shalom of the Prince of Peace? — a God honoring and celebrated thing
Sacrificially gave up your time to help clean up camp done through the Shalom of the Prince of Peace? — makes Jesus known and celebrated
We experience Jesus as Prince of Peace first and foremost in our peace with God
In the restoration of a sinner coming to God in salvation
Peace with ourselves
Peace with ourselves
The second way we experience Jesus as the Prince of Peace is
Peace with ourselves
We experience peace within ourselves
We can have inner peace
Jesus offers peace with God — he allows us to have have peace with others
And he allows peace with ourselves
Here is what happens at least for me:
I believe in Jesus as savior and am made in right standing with God
I seek to live peaceable with believers
I point non-believers to Jesus
BUT there is still unrest in my heart
I am still haunted by the sin and evil that I have done
I have guilt from all the bad that I have done — all the sin I have committed
I feel broken
I know Jesus saved me, but my soul feels heavy
Listen to what Jesus tells us
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Jesus tells us to come to Him and he will provide rest for our souls!
He will provide peace in our innermost being
He will give us restoration, completion, right standing within our soul
Here is how that happens:
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Jesus casts our sins as far as the east is the west
They are gone!
You can go to the north pole and then you start heading south, but you will never find a west pole — you’ll always travel west
That is what Jesus does to our sin!
He casts it gone forever
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Jesus is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us!
When we mess up he is reminding the Father “I paid for them”
“I died for them”
“I love them and choose them”
We can have peace with ourself and rest for our soul in the Prince of Peace
He forgives our sins and casts them out
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.
Jesus tells us that he is giving us peace — we just have to go to Him!
We just have to run to the Prince of Peace and He will provide us with peace!
Nothing else on this world will give you peace
No amount of drinks, drugs, sex, or any other addiction will give you peace and rest
Nothing outside of Jesus will help you with your soul
Nothing apart from Him will fix the broken part in our life
Church Jesus is offering us peace — peace for our soul!
What things do you need to let go of so that Jesus can give you peace of soul?
What are you tight fisting believing that it’s going to give you peace when you and I both know it’s not solving anything?
What lies from the enemy are you believing today that you need to let go of so that Jesus’ peace can wash over you?
Jesus, the Prince of Peace is offering you rest for our soul — peace that surpasses understanding
Will you let Him?
We experience him as Prince of Peace when we allow him to give peace to our soul
Peace with others
Peace with others
The last way we see Jesus as the Prince of Peace is
Peace with others
We see Jesus as Prince of Peace in that he provides us the ability to have peace with others
With Jesus we are to have peace with others
Once we receive peace with God, and peace within our soul we can then offer and provide peace with others
Listen to what Jesus tells us:
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
A peacemaker is someone who comes in and establishes peace — they don’t try to “keep the peace” they come in and declare “this is what peace is”
A peacemaker is someone who in every situation and circumstance is pointing everyone to Jesus regardless of what that may cost
A peacemaker doesn’t walk on egg shells, they understand that sometimes you have to crack a few eggs to make the cake — or peace in this case
We are called to be peacemakers — why? Because of the peace that Jesus has provided for us
We are called to point others to Jesus in every situation
I mean listen to what we are told:
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
We are to bear each others burdens — to help other experience that Shalom — restoration — that comes from the sacrifice of Jesus
As believers we are to have peace and restoration with one another
To help others carry the things in life that they cannot deal with
To do the same thing that Jesus does for us each time we bend our knee and run to the Father
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Jesus tells us that we are to love our enemies
Because we have experienced the peace that only Jesus the Prince of Peace can provide we then are called to give that same level of peace to others — including our enemies
We are to help them experience Shalom — restoration, completion, setting back right
This should be the number one mark that shows we are Christians
That we show love to our enemies
Thank about Jesus:
When he was on the cross, bleeding and dying, for a crime he didn’t commit, while the Romans were betting on his clothes + when he would die, and the Jews are celebrating his death
What did he do?
Did he curse them?
Strike them down?
Throw up the #1 solute?
No he didn’t.
What did Jesus do?
Luke 23:34a (ESV)
34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Thank about that
We are called to be peacemakers
To show and give the same peace that Jesus gave us
To demonstrate the same peace
So church what does that look like for us today?
What enemies do we need to go and make peace with?
What people have you wronged that you need to extend peace?
We are called to be peacemakers church —
We are called to bear burdens and extend peace to our enemies
Conclusion
Conclusion
Church it’s the Christmas season!
Stockings are hung
Presents have been bought
The anticipation is building!
In this season lets not forget Jesus the Prince of Peace!
The one who brings us peace with God — who brings us in right standing with God
The one who brings us peace with others — both with believers and non-believers
The one who brings us peace with ourself — giving us rest for our soul — the thing we are all searching for
Don’t let Christmas come and go without remembering the Prince of Peace!
