4 Shalom, The Peace Jesus Brings

We long for the day when there will be no more war. when people will stop killing each other. When drug overdoses and suicide are gone. When husbands and wives get along and stay together. When the nagging desires of sin are gone forever.

We hope for the day when there are no more orphans, no more homeless, no more jails, no more hunger, no more crisis pregnancies or abortion.

Big Idea:

We long for peace. settled minds that don’t worry. Settled hearts that are free of the sorrows of life. Bodies that don’t ache. Good memories and good dreams.

Ancient Israel also longed for that day. The word they used was shalom.

What About You?

Shalom – completeness, soundness, welfare, health, prosperity, peace

God’s shalom meant more than just an end to war. Shalom meant inner peace, spiritual peace, wholeness, completeness throughout all of creation. The end of injustice in the world. Brokenness healed and made whole.

The prophet Micah served around the same time period as Isaiah, roughly 700 years before Jesus. Northern Kingdom fell during this time. Southern Kingdom Judah fell a little over 100 years later.

Isaiah’s prophecies seem directed to the kings, Micah’s more to the people themselves.

Micah observed the violence and injustice going on. God gave Micah prophecies delivered as three sermons he preached to the people. Judgment, Deliverer, Trust the Lord today

First few chapters talk about the coming judgment. Micah begins by warning against the injustices that are taking place.

Wealthy taking advantage of the poor. Idol worship and all the horror that accompanied it. People planning evil, robbing others.

Interesting play on the names of the cities and the judgments against them.

God’s warnings of judgment for sins – idolatry, desire for more,

Chapter 4 talks about the great day when there is peace on earth, armies are dismissed, weapons destroyed. True peace.

Chapter 5 talks about the reason for that peace, the better days ahead, the coming of the promised Deliverer.

The rest of the book gives warning to Judah and ends with a promise of forgiveness and restoration.

The hope of Israel and Judah was the promise of the coming Messiah who would bring shalom.

Read

Micah 5:1–5 NIV

1 Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod. 2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. 5 And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders,

The Messiah Comes Quietly

Micah 5:1

Micah 5:1 NIV

1 Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod.

Begins with the warning of Israel’s coming defeat.

City of troops – gather your troops to the city that has a long history of war. Speaking first to Jerusalem. Well known, strongly fortified, used to war and siege.

Micah 5:2

Micah 5:2 NIV

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

But you, Bethlehem – contrast. The smallest of villages at that time. A small and quiet, out of the way place

Actually, though, Birthplace of David.

Promise in Isaiah 11:1-2 From the stump – cut off but new growth.

Reference Matthew 2:6

Ruler over Israel

Origin from antiquity – from ancient times.

John 1:1 NIV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Before Abraham was, I Am.

Micah 5:3 NIV

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.

Micah 5:3 when she who is in labor gives birth.

when she who is in labor gives birth.

Reference

We know from the New Testament that the Messiah came as a baby to a normal young lady who loved God, and a normal working carpenter step-father.

John 1:1 NIV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

We know from the New Testament that the Messiah came as a baby to a normal young lady who loved God, and a normal working carpenter step-father.

The only fanfare we know of was when angels announced to shepherds in their fields that the Messiah was born.

And magi from the east came to visit Jesus and honored Him as a king. Matthew 2

The rest of the world, including Israel, seems to be ignorant of their promised Messiah’s birth.

The messiah comes quietly.

Jesus Is the Peace Giver

Micah 5:4 NIV

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

Micah 5:4 NIV

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

Micah 5:4

Micah 5:3–4 NIV

Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

Shepherd them, greatness extends to ends of earth

As David – the shepherd king

Live securely because he will rule the whole earth

Micah 5:5a NIV

5 And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders,

Micah 5:5a

(Just 5:5a - remove rest)

He will be our peace!

Referring back to Micah 4

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

6 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 Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 Prince of Peace

Prince of Peace

Isaiah 11:6–8 NIV

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

beyond our key verse - lion w/ lamb, etc.

lion w/ lamb, etc.

Shalom – the peace we long for can only come through one Person. One holy man sent by God the Father. The promised Messiah. Jesus.

Much of the world celebrates this week. The promised Prince of Peace who brings peace has come.

Romans 5:1 Jesus brings us peace with God

Ephesians 2:11-18 Christ brings peace, unites Jews and Gentiles into one people.

Colossians 1:19-20 reconcile by making peace through His blood.

(consider adding or removing this section on Jesus and paradox of peace vs division)

The irony though, is that the One who brings peace is surrounded by anything but peace. Jesus is like the eye of the storm. This center of peace is surrounded by swirling chaos.

Paradox the Prince of Peace comes to bring shalom to all of creation, yet

Jesus himself says he came to bring division.

(I believe Jesus refers to his current time on earth, and also to the division caused by some following him and others warring against that)

You Are A Carrier of Shalom

To share peace, you have to already possess Peace.

We are born into the chaos. We can step from the chaos and into Peace, from darkness into Light.

Following Jesus in not simply a matter of enjoying peace in my heart or in relationship with God. Messiah calls us to join his revolutionary movement of bringing shalom to a broken world.

We become peacemakers – announcing the Good News of reconciliation with God through Jesus.

Not the absence of conflict, but the intentional effort to work through conflict to bring peace into our relationships.

Bringing peace as we stand against issues of injustice in our community.

Being people of peace in our neighborhood, at work, at school.

The great thing is that God isn’t calling great people to be peacemakers.

Micah 4:6-7 talks of God calling back the lame and the outcast. Those who are the least.

He calls broken people, like you and me.

What does peacemaking look like?

Matthew 5:9 NIV

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

Matthew 25:34-40 Sheep & Goats = hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, prison.

Sheep & Goats = hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, prison.

Receiving and filling up with the Prince of Peace and then serving others out of the overflow.

Prayer for peace. Serving those who are hurting, oppressed, meeting practical needs.

Look for needs and go there. Ask God to burden our heart with something that burdens His.

Conclusion

Go tell it on the mountain… and at work and at school and in your neighborhood and at the grocery store.

Conclusion

You are the one who can make a difference in someone else by bringing peace. by bringing the Prince of Peace.

Big Idea:

Big Idea: Jesus brings forever peace and invites us to join Him.

Jesus brings forever peace and invites us to join Him.

What About You?

Do you have peace with God? Have you turned from your own way, given up the idols in your life, and given Him control?

Do you know in your heart that you are right with God through Jesus Christ?

Are you following God’s call on your life to be a peacemaker?

What burden is God giving you for someone in need?

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