Peace

Introduction/Scripture

Matthew 1:16–25 NIV

and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah. This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Pray.

Introductory illustration: Something with kids this week…. Sitting down after they go to sleep but the house is destroyed

Show picture (not an actual picture of my house because I want to stay married)

What is peace?

Biblical Peace:

Shalom in the Hebrew

Eirene in the greek =

absent of conflict

something better in it’s place

Complete or whole

Job: his tents are in a shape of shalom because he counted his animals and they are all there (Job 5:24)

Can refer to well being… David visits the brothers on the battle field…. “how is your shalom?”

Core idea is that life is complex and if things are out of alignment then there is not shalom.

Human relationships: to reconcile and heal a relationship is to make shalom:

Proverbs 16:7 NIV

When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make SHALOM with them.

This state of shalom of making things right were to be what Israel’s kings were to strive for and cultivate but they were unable to. That is why the prophets, look forward to one who would…

Isaiah 9:5–6 NIV

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of SHALOM.

Making right all the things that have gone wrong.

Zechariah from last week: Sings this song once he is given voice back. The conclusion of the song is about the role of John the Baptist and who comes after him….

Luke 1:76–79 NIV

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace (EIRENE).”

Silent Night All is Calm, All is Bright

We really romanticize this manger scene dont we (which after seeing the birth of three children...not much is calm and silent and we were in a hospital with professionals). But we sterilize it dont we. Sweet baby Jesus. 6lb 8 ounce baby Jesus.

Revelation 12 NIV

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

This is the Christmas story. Now apocalyptic language here, it is not as if there is a literal dragon, but imagery for the cosmic reality of what is going on.

The birth of Christ is the dawn of Shalom.

The root of UN-Shalom is sin, brokenness, evil etc.

From war, to marital infedelity.

From systemic corporate brokenness to individual addiction.

Like hope from last week, this peace is not circumstantial. It is not dependent on everything being copacetic, this peace is directly tied to the incarnation and the one who has come to be among us. This peace is the invitation not to escape but to experience the righting of wrongs that we have been held subject to.

if it is addiction that you face, Peace wants to heal your wounded soul

if it is anxiety, peace wants you to find rest

if it is pride that aims to create self-worth, peace wants to call you son and daughter

if it is illness, peace has healing. Healing in this life or the one to come for death has lost its sting

What does peace look like? from the story….

God is our peace

Point 1: The word of the Lord brings peace. 

Joseph planned to quietly end his engagement—until God’s word interrupted his fear. 

The angel spoke directly to Joseph’s internal struggle: “Do not be afraid.” 

True peace is connected to the presence and voice of God, not just to circumstances. 

The presence of chaos does not mean that Peace is absent

Point 2: What appears as a disruption to the plan may actually be God’s further fulfillment of it. 

Joseph’s disrupted plans were part of God’s long-intended story of redemption. 

Joseph’s lineage to David shows he was chosen and included from the beginning.

Peace is anchored not how things look, but in God’s faithful promises

Peace brings obedience

Point 3: Peace rooted in God’s presence and promise fuels obedience.

Joseph’s obedience was not blind; it was fueled by the peace that came from God’s word and presence.

God’s promises (spoken through the angel and fulfilled through Jesus) gave Joseph courage to act faithfully.

When we center ourselves in God’s presence and cling to His promises, we can walk forward in obedience even when we do not have all the answers.

Matthew 5:9 NIV

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Peacemaking is an identity marker. The people of Revelation 12, they are living a realized promise.

Philippians 4:7 NIV

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Peace is a person. Do you know him?

Close with Pat testimony

I met with a church member this week. Terminal Cancer diagnosis. She has lived a successful life, accomplished so much. Beautiful family, marriage for decades. Because of the cancer, circumstances are chaotic. Treatment, trials, routines, physical health. And yet it was one of the most beautiful and peaceful conversations i have ever had.

Peace is not an absence of chaos, it is a symptom of proximity to Christ.