Peace

Peace Begins In God

Luke’s writing is unlike any other.

His detailed accounting of leaders frames the Gospel history into the history of the world.

What it also does is shows the impossibility of humans to garner true and long-lasting peace.

People look to leaders to establish peace.

Together these seven names represent the political, religious, social, and economic setting in which the remainder of the narrative is situated.

And peace isn’t established. In fact, quite the opposite.

Those invested with political and religious responsibilities were marked by cruelty and incompetence on the one hand, and manipulation and self-interest on the other. The temple leadership and pro-Roman Jewish vassal kings colluded with the Romans to maintain a delicate symbiotic relationship of mutual benefit.

People long for peace - but they can’t define what it is they are looking for.

Biblical peace is the wholeness that is made by faith in Jesus.

Advent calls us to embrace the freedom God offers. John called people to repent so they would be prepared for the arrival of the Lord (Luke 3:5–6).

It’s time to accept our personal responsibility in the matter of salvation, redemption, and proclaiming the message. John challenges the religious leaders to ask hard questions of themselves—the same kinds of questions that followers must ask themselves today (Luke 3:7–9).

We must remember that until Jesus returns, we (the church)are our generation’s John the Baptist.

Peace With God is Offered Through Jesus

What message did John share? The message of repentance. Turn from the ways of the flesh and accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus.

Ephesians 2:14–15 HCSB

For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.

The Church is Called to Wage Peace

What does it mean to wage war?

We hear an awful lot about spiritual warfare in the Bible.

People dramatize the topic and it is sometimes laughable to non-Christians. You mean to tell me...

Isaiah 9 shares what it means to wage peace.

There are four things:

1. Bring light to dark places.

Isaiah 9:2 HCSB

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.

The story of Isaiah provides tremendous insight into the importance of the coming of Christ that we see in the Gospels. Isaiah describes God’s people walking around in a deep and thick darkness, only to have a bright light completely illuminate them. This light would come about through the birth of a child—

Initially, many scholars thought this text referred to King Hezekiah, but after his moral failure as king, they realized they were wrong.

2. An inner conviction of God’s sovereignty.

Isaiah 9:3 HCSB

You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before You as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.

You in verse three is pointed at God. God is the one who enlarged the nation of Israel, the one who oversaw the harvest and the one who was provided military victory of the Israelites. That’s what spoils are.

So we wage peace by proclaiming our confidence in God’s sovereignty.

When we have peace with God, giving God glory for all He’s done is not a burden.

But some people don’t have this peace. they battle every day with a question of power and who’s in control.

3. We take God’s position on helping the marginalized and oppressed.

Isaiah 9:4 HCSB

For You have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as You did on the day of Midian.

Again, this is God’s work - He’s the You. This is why we must recognize that peace with God is made possible by God and through God in the gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus. God made freedom possible for the Israelites and Isaiah uses this passage as a reminder to the Israelites - to say: Hey you didn’t do this, God did. You dug the hole.

Are you taking God’s position on helping the marginalized and oppressed?

Isaiah 9:5 HCSB

For the trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire.

4. We actively await the Second Advent.

Isaiah 9:6 and 7 point to the first advent - the birth of Jesus. We look two directions - back to the birth and forward to the second coming.

Luke 2:14 HCSB

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

This was the message from the angels on the first Christmas.

People He favors - this means that His favor rests on those who accept the gift of salvation by Jesus.

This Jesus who suffered so much in His earthly life is the one whom God approved to bring peace.

Do you know God's call on your life to be a peacemaker?