Hope of the World: Prince of Peace
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The Hope of the World
The Hope of the World
I trust you all had a great thanksgiving, and I hope you had time to pause, reflect and truly thank God for the countless blessings he has given to you and your families.
This time of the year is so often marked by business and the hustle and bussle of the holiday season that it often flies by in a way that the holiday season happens to us rather than it happening for us.
We then set our eyes on Christmas and we get caught up in the hustle and bustel of the Christmas season that before we know it we are looking at new years
Thanksgiving - food prep
Black Friday shopping
Cyber Monday shopping
Christmas decorations
school breaks
traveling
busy busy busy…
One of the great blessings of celebrating the advent season is that it calls us to slow down, and put into focus the coming of Christ.
The Meaning of Advent
The Meaning of Advent
Advent is a season that should orient our lives for the whole year.
The season of advent is the beginning of the church calendar, today is actually the start of the new year.
Advent is a season that has been celebrated by the church for over 1500 years.
Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival”
Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ.
And it
A great verse that captures the heart and spirit of Advent is Psalm 130:5
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
The People of God would sings songs of anticipation, of waiting for their king to come.
Twelve Months of Sundays: Reflections on Bible Readings, Year B The First Sunday of Advent
Cut Christmas out of the Bible, and you lose three chapters (the doctrine of the incarnation hardly hinges on it, as the evidence of Paul makes clear). Try cutting Advent, and you lose half the Old Testament and most of the New
Cut Christmas out of the Bible, and you lose three chapters (the doctrine of the incarnation hardly hinges on it, as the evidence of Paul makes clear). Try cutting Advent, and you lose half the Old Testament and most of the New
Misconceptions:
- it is a four-week season of preparation for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. A good celebration requires proper preparation for us to fully enjoy it.
When you have a wedding celebration it can takes months of preparation
When you have a surprise party for someone, it can likewise take months of preparation.
Advent is the time where we prepare for the celebration of the incarnation.
So when we celebrate advent, as we move closer to Christmas, we join our voices with the saints of old who longed for the coming of God’s Kingdom. They waited for the kingdom to come, we now wait for the kingdom to be GLORIFIED.
I have titled this advent series HOPE OF THE WORLD
The Hope of the World
The Hope of the World
A
And now we likewise wait and hope for Christ’s second coming as he is the only hope for our world.
So over the next four weeks leading up to Christmas we are going to be exploring how Jesus is and has always been the only hope for our world.
HowJesus has come to put back together that which sin has fractured.
SO what is it that we hope for?
So over the four weeks of advent we will look at four ways in which Jesus has come to restore that which is broken.
He is the Prince of Peace
He is the loving King
This morning we will be looking at and focus on the prophecy that the coming Messiah will be the Prince of Peace.
Look with me at
He brings righteousness and justice
6 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.
7 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.
He brings healing and restoration
In verse six we see The coming messiah called the Prince of Peace
English Standard Version Chapter 9
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
6 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.
6 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.
What does it mean that Jesus is prophesied to be the Prince of peace?
English Standard Version Chapter 9
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
To understand this title and the hope that it brings, we must first understand what the bible means by Peace.
And is a great place to start! Here we see what the peace of God is all about as we see God’s Shalom in the Garden.
We understand the darkness when we look around out world. Things are not as they are supposed to be.
can be described in many glorious ways, but one thing we see is true shalom - peace.
We see brokeness, pain, sorrow, horrors, and sadness all stemming from sin.
And the hope of advent is that God would send his light into the sin-darkened world to put back together what sin has destroyed.
Christmas lights are a great example of celebrating the light of Christ coming into the dark world.
You don’t go out to look at Christmas lights during the day, you wait until night time so we you can see the glory of the lights.
The first two chapters of the bible give us a beautiful picture of what the world was like before the darkness of sin engulfed creation.
can be described in many glorious ways, but one thing we see is true shalom - peace.
Shalom in the Garden
Shalom in the Garden
Peace is the translation of the Hebrew word, Shalom.
Shalom has a far richer meaning than our modern definition of peace,
Shalom is far richer than our modern definition of peace,
When we think of peace we think of situations without conflict or chaos. Which is good, but that only one part of what the bible means when it talks about peace.
in the scriptures Shalom means, togetherness or wholeness
In the garden, everything was marked with God’s peace, all creation was whole, every experience was right, for God dwelled with man and man with God.
Every emotion, every taste, every word and action, every thought, every aspect of life was as it should be.
Shalom is God webbing together mankind and all creation in perfect harmony,
it is universal flourishing, wholeness and delight
Shalom means the universal flourishing, wholeness and delight -
Shalom, in other words, is the way the things ought to be.
Shalom is the way things ought to be
Shalom is the way things ought to be
Shalom, in other words, is the way the things ought to be.
Every motivation and behavior in this world was aimed at the building up and flourishing of God’s creation.
It is holistic well-bing
If you think about all creation as a Puzzle and your individual life is a piece of that puzzle
when we lack peace, if feels like nothing in life is as it should be. The puzzle does not fit.
Our physical bodies, our emotional well-being, our mental and spiritual lives feel beat up trying to jam the our lives into the wrong place in the puzzle.
Shalom is when our life fits perfectly into the right place in the puzzle
It is when we are centered in all aspects of life - physical, spiritually, emotionally, relationally and socially.
Shalom is the best possible relationships between individuals
It is interpersonal well being
Shalom is the best possible relationships between individuals
In the Garden, before the fall, Every motivation and behavior in this world was aimed at the building up and flourishing of God’s creation.
Man and women were in perfect harmony with one another and in perfect harmony with God, and in perfect harmony with creation.
To experience the true peace, the true shalom of God, is to experience life where every impulse, feeling, relationship, job, hobby, or activity dances together in perfect harmony like the notes from a symphony.
And there is not a single hint of dissonance.
Shalom, again, is the way things ought to be.
This harmony of peace was experienced in the Garden of Eden. Everything was as it ought to have been. all was harmony, all was right.
Until, Adam and Eve disobeyed and ate from the tree God told them not to eat from.
At that moment everything changed.
Light was turned to darkness
harmony turned to dissonance
Joy turned to sorrow
Love gave way to hate
Relationships were fractured
God was distant
And Peace turned to horror
Shalom was gone, for sins corruption affected everything. No longer was there peace and harmony as was experienced in the garden, for the horror of sin, the darkness of evil devastated everything.
All of God’s creation moved from the Shalom of the garden out into what we will call, “The Devastation”
The Devastation
The Devastation
The devastation is life outside the shalom of God.
After the fall, every note of creation took upon itself the horrific dissonance of sin.
Every puzzle piece of life was thrown into disorder, unable to find its rightful place
Sin vandalized the Shalom of the garden
Sin has cast humanity into a hostile world, where men and women would become horror makers, interested in their own survival over the well-being and wholeness of others.
In the Devastation, every thought of man was evil constantly
hatred and bitterness toward one another is common place
And corruption spreads like a wildfire
The darkness of the devastation is marked by death and pain and suffering.
In the world outside the garden, outside the Shalom of God, everything left to itself tends toward destruction.
Emotionally we fight anxiety, depression, sadness, manipulation and ignorance just to be at a place where we feel stable
Physically our bodies suffer the affects of sin from the moment we are conceived
Spiritually, well, the bible says we are constantly at war. Spiritual warfare is an every moment occurrence, whether we realize it or not.
Relationally we feel the devastation of sin in every single relationship. Gossip destroys, manipulation runs unchecked, bitterness and anger toward those who have offended us is a constant battle
Taxation so high the bible calls it oppressive
Corruption, abuse of power, legalizing abortion and same sex marriages,
systems that oppress the poor and honor those who are unworthy of honor.
There are governments that will kill followers of Jesus, burn churches, split up families, and more.
The world of sin is truly one of devastation, darkness, gloom and evil.
As history progresses from fall in the garden we see the people of God longing, waiting, hoping for a peace that will still the chaos, they wait for a new garden where God will put everything back together as it ought to be.
And this is what advent represents, a longing for the coming king who would put this broken world back into order.
Advent is a Longing for Peace
Advent is a Longing for Peace
Though the darkness of sin horrific, God did not leave his creation without hope. With God there is always hope.
We see God’s faithfulness toward his people throughout the scriptures, he promises that he would send one who will destroy the power of darkness and bring about a kingdom of Peace.
We see in that God would send one who would crush the serpents head.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
He chooses a man named Abraham and makes a covenant with him and gives humanity hope by telling him that through his seed there will come redemption for all the nations who are enslaved to the darkness of the devastation.
He called Moses to lead his people out of slavery, and through the Mosaic covenant gave his people hope for the coming Messiah
He then called David to be king of Israel, and through the Davidic covenant gave his people hope for a future king who’s kingdom would overcome the horrors of sin and establish the eternal Shalom of God.
As we move through biblical history we come to the prophets. we see these men longing and waiting for the coming king, the one who would be a light in the darkness and bring shalom back to God’s creation.
Isaiah is one of these prophets, who often speaks of the future hope of God’s Peace on earth.
Isaiah is speaking to Israel, warning them of the coming invasion of Assyria. For Israel has broken covenant with God, they have despised his grace, and begin worshipping other gods.
Israel forsook the light that was given them, and plunged themselves into the darkness of the nations.
So Isaiah is warning them of the judgement that will come,
but then turns a corner in chapter 9 where he tells them that their is hope for those who will wait on God, for those who set their hope in God.
The hope is that the promised king would come. The king who would sit on the throne of David, the king who would rule into eternity.
Isaiah often speaks about how the devastation, the world outside of the garden, would be transformed into a cosmic garden.
And this future transformation would come through the promised messiah. The one promised to crush the head of the serpent.
And we see Isaiah speak of this promised Messiah in
Look with me again at
1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
6 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.
7 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.
3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
Isa 92
4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 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.
7 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.
Isa
The context is the fall of the northern kingdom, and the hope for both a future restoration and the overthrow of the enemies of God’s people
This is one of the most glorious Messianic prophecies in all of scripture.
This prophecy shows us what Advent is all about,
It is about the waiting and longing for the Messianic King to take his eternal throne and rule his kingdom for all eternity.
For this king will rule with justice and righteousness.
And Isaiah says, “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.”
The increase of shalom will have no end with the coming of Christ.
When Jesus comes he comes as the prince of peace He enters into The Devastation in order to bring about the shalom of God.
He enters into a world of chaos and devastation in order to bring about the shalom of God.
The birth of Jesus is like a pinprick of peace into the horrors of this world.
But what starts as a pinprick will increase into all eternity until the whole world is transformed and overcome by the peace of God.
This highlights a very important aspect of Advent that is often neglected or misunderstood.
Advent is Eschatological in nature, in that it calls God’s people to hope for and long for the glorious future he has promised.
Advent is not only about Christmas, but it is about the eternal hope of the world being realized in Christ.
The season of Advent is a longing not only for the first advent, the birth of Christ, but also the second advent, the second coming of Christ.
This pinprick of Shalom came with the birth of Christ, but is not ever increasing until one day the whole Devastation will be transformed into the shalom of the garden.
Its like the leaven in the loaf or the mustard seed, The kingdom of God, the Shalom of God, starts small but increases over time.
So we now wait and long for the second advent, when the seed is fully grown and Jesus comes again
So we see that Isaiah offering hope to a world that is engulfed in chaos, and is darkened by sin. And that hope is clearly proclaimed in verse 6
So we see that Isaiah offering hope to a world that is engulfed in chaos, and is darkened by sin. And that hope is clearly proclaimed in verse 6
6 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.
6 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.
Here we see Isaiah describe the son that is given in four ways:
Wonderful Counselor
Wonderful Counselor
Literally, “a Wonder of a Counselor”
Counselor’s in the bible are your closest friends, they are those who you call upon to speak truth into your life.
They know you, they know what you need, they sit with you, and they give you wisdom, advice, and direction.
When we feel the chaos of sin, the disruption of shalom, when the puzzle pieces of life get thrown into disorder, we need a Counselor - We need someone to show us how to put things back together, how to process, how to feel, how to think, and how to live.
The hope of the world is that we have a wonder of a counselor
Jesus knows the depths of chaos and the darkness of sin. He can navigate us through the most devastating seasons of life.
Hebrews tells us that he is able to fully sympathise with us in every way. He knows the pain of horror and the emptiness of grief.
upon the cross Jesus experienced the depths of darkness, sorrow, despair and grief.
And now he meets us in the darkness of this world in order to bring us into the light of his grace.
He is the wonderful councilor
Isaiah not only calls the coming king a wonder of a councilor, but also calls him mighty God
Mighty God
Mighty God
The title “Mighty God” emphasizes the Son’s deity and strength
The title “Mighty God” emphasizes the Son’s deity and strength
The hope of the world is that the king is able to go to war against the powers of sin and darkness.
For the world to be freed from the horror of sin and given the eternal shalom of God we need one who is able to crush the head of darkness and be victorious over it.
And this is who Jesus is, he is not one who came preaching about peace, love, and hope.
He came as the mighty God who in himself embodied peace, love, and hope.
And in the resurrection we see Jesus, the Mighty God, trampling over the dark powers of sin that vandalized the Shalom of God in the garden
And at the ascension we see Jesus taking his throne, the eternal throne of David, as the mighty God.
The hope of the world is that we have received a wonderful councilor, a mighty God, and also a everlasting father.
Everlasting Father
Everlasting Father
The title “Everlasting Father” emphasizes the eternal nature of the Son who is one with the Father
The title “Everlasting Father” emphasizes the eternal nature of the Son who is one with the Father
Jesus, the King, comes with the nature of God the Father
He has concern for the helpless
He cares for and protects his children
He leads his people as a father leads his children.
He see the devastation sin has brought to his creation, and like a good father leads us into his peace and shalom
This moves us Isaiah’s last description of the coming messiah, Prince of Peace
Prince of Peace
Prince of Peace
The world has been longing for the prince of peace to come.
Since the garden, all creation has experienced the disruptive power of sin.
Things are not as they are supposed to be.
And that is because we are not who we are supposed to be. We have embodied sin, we are men and women who sin. We spread chaos and destruction.
As paul says in , “oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?”
Who will deliver humanity from death?
Who will rescue the nations from darkness?
Who will save creation from the horror of sin?
The only hope for the world is the prince of peace.
The birth of Christ was the birth of peace.
As Paul says in Eph, he is our peace. He is our Shalom
Apart from Christ there will never be peace, for true Shalom, life as it is supposed to be, is found only in Christ.
the disruptive nature of sin upon our lives is brought into submission at the feet of king Jesus, the prince of peace.
Though we live in a time where peace has not yet marked all of creation,
Though we live in a time where pain, suffering, and disruptive horror still occur, we can have hope for the prince of peace has come. And is coming again.
This Advent Season, find hope that Jesus Christ has come, he has come to bring all creation back into the Shalom of God.
He is a mighty God who will deafet the chaos
He is able to calm the storms of our lives with only a
For we are no longer enemies with God, but we have been reconciled by the blood of the cross.
I love what Paul says in
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Church, do not despair when storms of chaos rise. Cling to Jesus who calms the storms with the sound of his voice
and he is a wonder of a councilor who will
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Do not be overcome by the darkness all around us, but cling to Jesus who is the light of the world
Cling to Jesus, for he is our peace, he is our shalom, he is the one who brings eternal peace. He is your hope, he is my hope, he is the hope of the world.
So in this Christmas hope in God, and rest in his peace.
Lets pray.