He Came to Give Us Peace

Peace — Freedom from disturbance, quiet, tranquility; The cessation of war or violence

But there is a better definition of the word in Scripture…something only available to those who have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Scriptural peace — “The tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.”

A young man was eager to grow in His Christian life. He got a piece of paper and made a list of all the things he would do for God. He wrote down the things he would give up, the places he would go to minister and the areas of ministry he would enter. He was excited. He took that list to the church and put it on the altar. He thought he would feel joy, but instead he felt empty. So he went home and started adding to his list. He wrote down more things he would do and wouldn’t do. He took the longer list and put it on the altar, but still he felt nothing. He went to a wise, old pastor, told him the situation and asked for help. The pastor said, “Take a blank sheet of paper. Sign your name at the bottom. Put that on the altar.” The young man did, and then peace came to his heart.

He thought he would feel joy, but instead he felt empty. So he went home and started adding to his list. He wrote down more things he would do and wouldn’t do. He took the longer list and put it on the altar, but still he felt nothing.

He went to a wise, old pastor, told him the situation and asked for help. The pastor said, “Take a blank sheet of paper. Sign your name at the bottom. Put that on the altar.” The young man did, and then peace came to his heart.

The only way to scriptural peace is surrender to Christ. As long as you look for such peace in anything other than Jesus you will never find it.

If you look for it in the things you do, even the things you do for Him you won’t find it. If you look for it in the things you don’t do (morality) you will still never find it. Real peace comes in the surrender of one’s life to Jesus. There is nothing like “real peace.”

Real peace is something deep in the soul. It reaches the very deepest part of who we are. It touches every part of our existence; it is a feeling, something to be understood, grasped and enjoyed.

It is a quiet state of being in which we find contentment based, not upon our circumstances, but upon the assurance we have in the promises of God through Christ Jesus.

Christians have this peace because of the hope we have in Jesus; the expectation of the good things He has done for us as well as those He has promised to do for us.

More specifically, Jesus gives us forgiveness of sins and right relationship with God. He gives us eternal life and a reservation with Him in heaven. And He gives us His presence and strength for the time we live here on earth.

Because of our hope in Jesus we have peace regardless the circumstances we find in our life here on earth.

“Peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble, but is rather the confidence that He is there with you always. Peace is such a precious jewel, that I would give anything for it but truth.” - Matthew Henry

The expectations that we celebrate at Advent are really building blocks of a blessed and happy life. The first block is hope and it in turn gives us peace which manifests joy that leads to love.

We have no peace without the hope which Christ gives us on the Cross and that Cross never has opportunity to happen without His birth.

John 1:14 NASB95

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

God’s peace came to earth in the person of Jesus. The “Word became flesh.” Why would God do it? Why would God leave heaven and come to earth in the person of Jesus?

The Answer — His birth was a product of His grace.

Grace — God’s unmerited favor.

Favor — Will, choice, delight, pleasure, satisfaction

God made a choice to delight in us; to take pleasure in us…not because of anything He found in us. But because He found in His perfect character the capacity to love the unloveable. He found within His perfect character the mercy to love and save us.

Romans 5:8 NASB95

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

His death (the cross) is the greatest demonstration of God’s love for us but it is not the first demonstration of such in the life of Jesus. The first demonstration of God’s love in the life of Jesus happened in the event recorded in our passage today. His birth.

One might even take it a step further…God’s first demonstration of His love toward us happened the moment He chose to save us and stepped out of heaven to do so.

Philippians 2:5–8 NASB95

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:6–8 NASB95

who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus humbled Himself, stepped out of the glory of heaven to be born a man in the Judean town of Bethlehem. We cannot comprehend what He gave up in order to come here.

And He did this before we were born, before we had the chance to do anything to “make Him like us,” before we had the slightest opportunity to do anything which would place Him in our debt. There was no reason for Him to leave heaven save one…His love.

God loves us. He loves us with an infinite capacity…with a complete perfection…and perhaps most bewildering of all…unconditionally.

At your dirtiest, filthiest, most vile moment God loved and loves you just the same as at your cleanest most perfect one. There is nothing in you which warrants or demands God’s attention much less His love! You cannot be good enough in order to earn or warrant it. God has simply chosen to extend it.

At your dirtiest, filthiest, most vile moment God loves you just the same as at He does in your cleanest most perfect one. He does not like what you are doing and who you are but He loves you! There is nothing in you which warrants or demands God’s attention much less His love! You cannot be good enough in order to earn it nor can you be bad enough to lose it. God has simply chosen, in spite of us, to extend it.

In this wonderful, incomprehensible love God has chosen mercy by extended His favor; saving us from our hopelessness, our sin, our destiny in hell apart from Him. The evidence of this choice is the manger.

This great demonstration of love and grace gives us hope and peace...“The tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.”

We are assured that we are saved from sin, hell and separation from God. And we can be assured of His continued presence with us here in our time on earth as well.

Matthew 28:20 ESV

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The presence of Jesus in the manger assures us of His presence. He was present in the manger and He is present with us right now today. Jesus has come, is with us now and will one day come again. Our hope and our peace are found in Him.

A television interviewer was walking streets of Tokyo at Christmas time. Much as in America, Christmas shopping is a big commercial success in Japan. The interviewer stopped one young woman on the sidewalk, and asked, "What is the meaning of Christmas?" Laughing, she responded, "I don't know. Is that the day that Jesus died?" There was some truth in her answer.

Laughing, she responded, "I don't know. Is that the day that Jesus died?"

The Santa Claus story begins around 200 CE, with a sailing ship caught in the grip a terrible storm outside the Turkish port of Myra. As cargo was being thrown overboard by a crew desperate to stop their ship being overwhelmed by the storm, someone remembered a man of God was on board. Perhaps he could help. “Nicholas, Nicholas” went the cry. And from his cabin emerged a man with a white beard, Nicholas. Holding the rail he prayed for God’s mercy. His prayer was apparently answered, for the storm died down and the ship limped into the port city of Myra.

Laughing, she responded, "I don't know. Is that the day that Jesus died?"

A little boy and girl were singing their favorite Christmas carol in church the Sunday before Christmas. The boy concluded "Silent Night" with the words, "Sleep in heavenly beans." "No," his sister corrected, "not beans, peas."

Upon reaching dry land Nicholas made his way to the nearest church, intent on giving thanks to God for the safe passage of the ship and her crew. Unbeknown to him a group of elders were gathered in the church, seeking God’s will as to whom should be appointed bishop of their city. The white bearded Nicholas was the answer to their prayers. As bishop he wore a long red robe and became known as the “Bishop of Miracles”, for there were many reports of amazing answers to his prayers. During his bishopry Nicholas was disturbed to discover many young girls were sold into prostitution if their parents were too poor to afford a marriage dowry. As he was from a wealthy family Nicholas struck upon a plan of action. He launched it one December 6th. Under the cover of darkness he secretly moved around the town, dropping small bags of gold coins through the window of homes where there was a little girl but a family too poor to afford a dowry. From that time on Nicholas would follow the same practice every December 6th. Families were elated to save their daughters from slave prostitution. It is said that one year when Nicholas reached through a window, the bag of coins fell into a stocking hanging by the fire to dry – the source of our Christmas stocking tradition.

There was some truth in her answer.

There are so many misunderstandings about Christmas. For so many it is about gifts, food, candy canes and Christmas trees. All of these are fun parts of the season.

Upon reaching dry land Nicholas made his way to the nearest church, intent on giving thanks to God for the safe passage of the ship and her crew. Unbeknown to him a group of elders were gathered in the church, seeking God’s will as to whom should be appointed bishop of their city. The white bearded Nicholas was the answer to their prayers. As bishop he wore a long red robe and became known as the “Bishop of Miracles”, for there were many reports of amazing answers to his prayers.

But Christmas is about so much more than any of these. It is about the Christ being born in a manger; bringing with Him hope, peace, joy and love.

During his bishopry Nicholas was disturbed to discover many young girls were sold into prostitution if their parents were too poor to afford a marriage dowry. As he was from a wealthy family Nicholas struck upon a plan of action. He launched it one December 6th. Under the cover of darkness he secretly moved around the town, dropping small bags of gold coins through the window of homes where there was a little girl but a family too poor to afford a dowry. From that time on Nicholas would follow the same practice every December 6th. Families were elated to save their daughters from slave prostitution. It is said that one year when Nicholas reached through a window, the bag of coins fell into a stocking hanging by the fire to dry – the source of our Christmas stocking tradition.

This morning we celebrate the peace we have in Christ…Do you have peace in Jesus?

It was not until the year of his death that people discovered who the mystery benefactor was. Five hundred years later Nicholas was made a saint by the Catholic church – thus our talk of “Saint Nicholas”. As his story spread so did attempts to imitate his kindness. In the twelfth century French nuns began imitating him by taking bags of fruit and nuts to poor families every December 5 – what became known as “St Nicholas’ Eve”. In Russia St Nicholas became a patron saint and was celebrated every Christmas. In England he was given the name “Father Christmas”, in France “Papa Noel”

Steps to Peace in Jesus:

Receive Jesus as your Savior

In Holland St Nicholas was known as “Sinter Klass”, “Sinter” meaning “Saint” and “Klass” for “Nicholas.” Elsewhere those with broken English heard the story of Saint Nicholas dropping coins through windows onto the hearth and developed the into the idea of the gift-giver coming down the chimney, landing in the cinders of the fire below. So for some he became “Cinder Klaussen”.

Live a life of faith in God

Surrender your life (take up your cross) daily to Him

In Holland St Nicholas was known as “Sinter Klass”, “Sinter” meaning “Saint” and “Klass” for “Nicholas.” Elsewhere those with broken English heard the story of Saint Nicholas dropping coins through windows onto the hearth and developed the into the idea of the gift-giver coming down the chimney, landing in the cinders of the fire below. So for some he became “Cinder Klaussen”.

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Then in 1822 Clement Moore wrote his famous poem, “The Night Before Christmas”, in which the Dutch Sinter Klass became Santa Claus. He probably drew (whether directly or indirectly ) from the poet Washington Irvin who had published a book about a Dutch colonist’s dream in which St. Nick came riding over the tops of trees in a wagon in which he brings yearly presents to the children. Thomas Nash was a cartoonist for Harpers Weekly. He began drawing pictures of the figure described in Clement Moore’s poem. He gave Santa Claus the red robes and white beard of the original St Nicholas, and decided to make his Santa plump and jolly. The final stage in Santa’s evolution came when Coca-Cola had what is now the definitive Santa image drawn up for an advertising campaign. So is Santa real? Yes he is…or was. And every Christmas we do well to hear his story and imitate his acts of generosity.

Then in 1822 Clement Moore wrote his famous poem, “The Night Before Christmas”, in which the Dutch Sinter Klass became Santa Claus. He probably drew (whether directly or indirectly ) from the poet Washington Irvin who had published a book about a Dutch colonist’s dream in which St. Nick came riding over the tops of trees in a wagon in which he brings yearly presents to the children.

God provides and He uses His people to do so. Nicholas was one such person, who, in a particular time and place was the hands and feet of Christ for some poor little girls destined for the horrors of a life of poverty and prostitution.

Thomas Nash was a cartoonist for Harpers Weekly. He began drawing pictures of the figure described in Clement Moore’s poem. He gave Santa Claus the red robes and white beard of the original St Nicholas, and decided to make his Santa plump and jolly. The final stage in Santa’s evolution came when Coca-Cola had what is now the definitive Santa image drawn up for an advertising campaign.

So is Santa real? Yes he is…or was. And every Christmas we do well to hear his story and imitate his acts of generosity.

He Came to Give Us Peace

Introduction

Peace

Conclusion

A television interviewer was walking streets of Tokyo at Christmas time. Much as in America, Christmas shopping is a big commercial success in Japan. The interviewer stopped one young woman on the sidewalk, and asked, "What is the meaning of Christmas?"