Advent: Peace for Today
Notes
Transcript
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.
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.
Today is the second Sunday of Advent.
Last week, we lit the candle of Hope, remembering that real hope comes from trust. God kept his promise to send the Messiah 2000 years ago, and because of that, we have the blessed hope of salvation through the blood of Jesus and in the promise that one day Jesus will return to set up his eternal kingdom!
Today, we light the candle of peace.
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.
These words have never rung more true than they do today. In the midst of everything we have encountered and experienced in the last few years many of us have lost our since of peace. We have become filled with doubt and worry.
Covid came, and we worried about getting sick and not being able to recover. Then they came out with the Covid vaccine, and we worried about what THAT would do to us.
Today, it seems that EVERYONE is sick or not feeling well. There always seems to be a reason to be at the doctor’s office. We listen to the news and worry about whether we will be pulled into another world war. We hear about all the shootings going on in schools and public places. We hear about violence taking place in Jefferson City and Columbia. Not faraway places—just down the street! We worry for the safety of our children in school.
Some of you have cows that will calve this winter, and you are worried about the possibility of a harsh winter and its effect on the birth of those calves.
We worry about work. We worry about family. We worry about finances. It seems that, everywhere we turn, there is a reason to worry.
And worry is a dangerous thing, because it can become addictive. Once we start on that path, we can get caught up in the emotional frenzy of worry. Worry brings fear and doubt. Fear and doubt erode our trust in God. Without trust in God, all we have is fear, doubt, and worry, which is the opposite of peace.
Two thousand years ago, the Jews were filled with reasons to fear and doubt. They were under the control of a godless government. They struggled under heavy taxes and unfair laws. The Romans could be cruel if you crossed them in any way. And the Jewish King Herod was no better. He was quick to cater to Rome in order to maintain his own comfort, even at the expense of his own people. So there was no peace politically.
You would think that the Jews found peace spiritually, but you would be wrong. Their own religious leaders were more concerned with rituals, ceremony and debating theology than they were with knowing God and serving him. These leaders used religion to elevate their status while loading their people down with a burden of rules that were impossible to keep.
The Jewish people were made to feel that they had failed God and maybe God had abandoned them. It was a world full of fear and doubt; a world without peace.
And into the midst of this world, God sent his only begotten son, Jesus.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Immanuel means “God with us.”
Do you remember when you were a child, and you got scared? Maybe you were alone in your dark bedroom, afraid of what might be in the closet or under the bed? You called out for help, and your mom or dad came in.
Or maybe it was a stormy night, and the thunder was terrifying? You went running to your parents’ room, and they let you crawl into bed with them. And you felt better, because you weren’t alone anymore.
Or maybe there was a time when you were going through the darkest moment you can imagine, and someone—a friend, a family member, maybe even a complete stranger—showed up and stayed by your side through the ordeal. They didn’t even have to say anything; they were just there, and it was enough.
There is peace in knowing that you aren’t alone.
Jesus lived among us, and he proved he had the power to deliver us from hardship. He healed the sick. He opened blind eyes. He made the lame to walk. He fed thousands from just a little bit of food. He raised the dead. He proved that he had power over the natural world when he calmed the storm. He proved he had power over the supernatural world when he cast out demons. What Jesus did set us free from the dark things of this world. He proved he was worthy of our trust. Through his miracles and teaching, Jesus brought us peace.
Then Jesus gave us the ultimate reason to have peace. Jesus took our place on the cross, paying the price for our sins and granting us direct access to God the Father.
We don’t have to make sacrifices or perform any kind of ritual to make us worthy of God. Because of what Jesus did, we are reunited with God forever.
And as we accept what Jesus did for us on the cross and devote ourselves to following him, we are promised a place with God in heaven forever!
We cannot change what is going on around us. Storms come and go. Problems rise and fall. We will continue to experience happiness and sorrow.
What we can do is choose how we deal with these things. No matter how dark and scary things may seem, I choose to remember that God is with me. He sent his son to live as a man, so he understands what I go through. He let his son die on a cross so that I could have eternal life. He sent his Holy Spirit to live with me now.
He’s not just with me. He’s alive IN me. He brings me peace in the midst of my storm.
I look all around me, and I see reminders of what God has done. I see the Christmas tree, and I am reminded that God created the trees and everything else. I think of how the tree is shaped like an arrow, pointing up to heaven. I see the ornaments, and I am reminded of the beauty Jesus brought into my life. And I am reminded of another tree, on which our Savior was hung, so that I might be set free from sin.
I see the Christmas gifts, and I am reminded of God’s gift to us when his own son came to be born in a manger so that he could shed his blood for me. I see the candles of Advent, and I am reminded to live in Hope and choose to embrace God’s Peace.
This year, more than ever before, we need peace in our lives.
Thank God for sending Jesus to be our Prince of Peace.
No matter what the world throws at us, we can have peace today.
(Sing It Is Well)
