God Speaks: The Prophecy of Peace

As with the other focuses each Sunday in Advent, peace is an often sought obtainment in this life.

Very few human beings will say they do not desire, to some degree, peace. Many seek solace and peace through religion, or through a life of selfless giving, or through drugs, and many other avenues.

What we will see this morning is that we were created in a state of peace, forfeited that peace, and provided the hope for peace, all according to the glorious plan of redemption.

I. The Presence of Peace- Gen. 1–2

II. The Squander of Peace- Gen. 3:1–7; 4ff.

When Adam chose to disobey the Lord, he rejected the God that, in all of his experiences, was only and always good, for a serpent’s lies.

This choice is called “The Fall,” a descriptive phrase describing the change in nature that Adam, and subsequently all humans by natural birth, have endured, and one of the byproducts, or perhaps the significant result, is loss of a relationship with our Creator.

“Our first parents, by this sin, fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and we in them whereby death came upon all: all becoming dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.” London Baptist Confession, Chapter 6, paragraph 2

“The fall involved more than the loss of humanity’s righteous state. It was the violent disruption of the cosmic order, beginning with Adam and Even’s broken communion with God. The magnitude of the loss is incalculable.” Brian Borgman and Jason Ching, “Chapter 6: Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof”

Gen. 4- Fratricide and Murder, Polygamy

Gen. 5- Death (with one exception)

Gen. 6- Unimaginable wickedness and violence

Gen. 7–9- Flood

Gen. 11- Enslavement, dictatorship

Augustine, a fourth-century pastor, describes well the state in which we find ourselves,

“The thought of you stirs him so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.” Augustine, Confessions I:1.

III. The Prophecy of Peace- Gen. 3:15; Isaiah 9:6–7

Imagine the horror of Adam and Eve after they betrayed the gracious Lord. They lost their intimate relationship with the LORD, and forfeited all peace.

With their knowledge and experiences with God, the unimaginable intimacy they had with God, and the complete absence of sin and death would have been incomprehensible.

In other words, the loss of peace felt by Adam and Eve would never be experienced again.

We, however, although not knowing the sheer joy Adam and Eve experienced, still have lost that peace.

But imagine the joy that Adam and Eve would have experienced at the sound of judgment on the serpent, for in that judgment is the revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The London Confession of Faith summarizes the majority of the Old Testament Scriptures, states,

“This covenant [the covenant of grace] is revealed in the gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the seed of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps, until the full discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament.” Second London Confession of Faith, Chapter 7, paragraph 3

This brings us to Isaiah 9:6–7, which provides some incredible details of this Seed of the woman, the Lord Jesus.

“The emphasis falls not on what the child will do when grown up but on the mere fact of his birth. In his coming all that results from his coming is at once secured.” Alec Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah, 101

There is an immense amount of soul-nourishing truth, however, we will limit our examination of the result of the birth of this Child: The Prince of Peace.

In other words, peace is found in a Person, namely, the Child that is to be given. Although we have the full discovery through the New Testament, those to whom this prophecy was given did not. They only knew there was One coming who would bring, among other things, peace.

IV. The Prophet of Peace-Luke 2:27–32

Simeon was facing death, the end of his journey on earth, and Martin Luther captures well the plight of many human begins looking at this end.

“Take a look at how people usually die: there is no joy in their hearts, but their heart beats and throbs, the body shakes and trembles, the mind goes blank. Death is too powerful. But this man gives praise that he now can die as if there were not death. He calls it a gentle departure. How can I learn to see death as a sweet sleep, when it is usually so terrifying? In this case, the law, sin and Satan were all removed from his heart. Where sin and in evil conscience are, there death is bitter. But if you want death to be a peaceful sleep, you have to have a clear conscience.” Martin Luther, Sermon from February 2, 1526

A. His Birth- Luke 2:1–7

We were told by Zechariah in 1:77 that Jesus would give knowledge of salvation and the means of forgiveness, and in 1:79 that the Prophet would “guide our way into the way of peace,” pictured beautifully by the Psalmist in Psalm 1:1–3.

B. His Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension

Peace from forgiveness of sins

Deliverance from physical ailments

Exorcisms from demonic oppressions

In Isaiah 53:5–6, we see how the sufferings and death of Jesus atone for our sins (cf. 1 John 2:1–2).

C. His Session- Heb. 2:14–18; 4:14–16; 13:20–21

Peace in and through death

Peace through our restored relationship to God

Peace through His infinite care

Peace knowing our High Priest is able to sympathize with our weaknesses

Peace in having confidence to enter the presence of the thrice-holy God

Peace in knowing that all our genuine needs will be meet

D. His Return- Rev. 21–22

At the beginning and ending of Scripture we see two glorious realities. First, a world where sin has been never been, and a world where sin will never again be.

In between these two poles are the wonderful story of the fall and redemption, or, to phrase it in a way that is appropriate for our focus this morning, through the work of the Prophet, we have peace with God.

Do you have peace with God?

If you have been saved by God’s grace, you can enjoy peace, regardless of life’s situations.