ADVENT: PEACE
Amen, amen. So last week we started this whole Advent series preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus together and and and just by asking the simple question, but like all good simple questions profound. Why why did Jesus come why is celebrate Advent at all? Why would Jesus have to come? Why did there needs to be an advent? What is the point and purpose? What is it that we're actually celebrating? And there's there's a traditional order of of of Advent that includes just simple theme. Hope peace joy and love and so using that framework were asking the question. Why did Jesus come last week? We looked at the idea of Hope. Jesus came to give us hope. Not hope of temporary reprieve not hope of making our lives easier and more comfortable but ultimate. Hope Jesus came to 2 to bring about the possibility of redemption and renewal of re-creation that Jesus offers us a hope that one day all of his enemies will be put underneath his feet and the kingdom will come in its fullness and death and sorrow will be no more. Jesus came to give us hope this morning. I want us to think about Jesus coming to give us peace lots of overlap, of course, but let's let's think about this together if you got your Bibles going to start in Luke Chapter 2. Luke Chapter 2 in the middle of The Narrative of the birth of Jesus. We find one of my favorite scenes in this narrative. It's with the shepherd's out in the field starts this way it says in that same region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were filled with great fear. Yeah, no kidding. You're a Shepherd in the middle of a field. It's dark. There's no light pollution right coming from the village of the Town nearby like you're out and it's dark dark. You see the stars. You see the sky, but it's dark and then I don't know where I mean Angels text. They never call ahead. They just show up right and and his angels shows up and it's blinding Brilliance and light and its glory and I know I'm interview you put up your trees and maybe maybe some of you got a cute little angel on the top of your tree and that's what we like to do with angels. We make them cute. We put Wings on them. We think that they're just these warm fuzzy beautiful things. But every time and Angel shows up in the scripture people are flat on their face in fear. And that happens again here this Angel shows up and then and there.
And the angel said to them fear not don't be afraid. I get this alot fear not for behold. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. I've got an announcement that I'm going to give you my love.
I love the incongruity of the sink that the angel This Magnificent Divine powerful being chooses to bring the announcement that he's going to deliver a group of blue collar. Nobody's out in the middle of a field. I love that it goes against all of our expectations. We listen listen to the announcement. He says unto you is Born This Day in the city of David David the king in the city of David a savior. Who is Christ the King the Lord And he says this is how you going to know. He says this will be the sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a Manger. Well, of course, that's where you'd find the Savior born. That's where you'd look for a king write. The beauty of this text is a guy that appears to the most unexpected group of people with his unbelievable message of an unexpected savior born in a manger.
What a Beautiful Beautiful Surprise by the Angels not done hello and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host knocks you on your face and fear what's it like to see the host of heaven singing and crying and proclaiming and listen to what they're saying they're saying glory to God in the highest and on Earth on the Earth
among those with whom he is pleased.
Every time I read that story or think about it, I flash back to that 1980s commercial. I think it was a Wendy's commercial wasn't it with the old lady? And she said remember that. Where's the beef? I'm dating myself a little bit. I don't care. I'm good with it every time.
Where's the piece? I mean just let me think about it culturally. This is the least peaceful time in our culture every year I mean from and it keeps getting longer and faster, but I mean from ready for Thanksgiving the advertisements come the pressure Begins the expectations build you get invited to this party. You got to get this gift for that person got to put up these decorations you got to do this thing. You got to get this done and the pressure in the chaos and in and we're like all this is the happiest time of year. And then we go to Walmart on Black Friday and we get into fistfights over stocks and pillow cases like this. Where is the Peace?
Where is the P. I think you could build an easy and strong argument that this time of year where we celebrate the one who is declared as peace on Earth is the least peaceful time. We experience in our culture. But it's not just in our culture and in our day when I think about the story of the birth of Christ in its fullness. I say I myself where's the piece? Where's the beginning of Luke Jesus narrative starts? Well before Mary's cousin Elizabeth married to Zechariah. He's a priest who serves in the temple when it was his turn to serve in the temple. He went into the temple one day and in that Temple an angel shows up and it's Angel says don't be afraid. I got some good news for you. You and your wife Elizabeth. You've been Barren you've never been able to have kids. God has heard you got is going to honor you you're going to have a child that child is going to prepare the way for the Messiah. Not Zechariah Zacharias stunned and Zechariah. Let's not be too quick to judge them cuz I'm not sure any of us would do any better have some trouble believing the angel. I don't know. I don't know me Elizabeth. We've been down this road before. The Angels perturbed the Zechariah doesn't believe him. So Angel says because you haven't believed me. Here's the deal. You don't get to talk until the baby is born. I'm not sure if it was discipline against Zechariah or blessing to Elizabeth. That's Up For Debate textual critics will argue about that forever. But either way he walks out of that Temple and he cannot speak.
And lo and behold his wife becomes pregnant. And she gives birth to John the Baptist prepares the way Elizabeth of Mary right after this happen Mary's chilling. She's getting ready to get married. She's engaged to Joseph. She's planning the wedding. She's laying out the household. She's figuring out this new season in her life and I'll send an angel shows up to her. Hi Mary. Don't freak out.
But you're you get to get pregnant. I know you've not been with a man. I know you're not married yet, but God's chosen you and you're going to deliver the Messiah and
have fun Joseph not particularly ecstatic about this turn of events. I don't know if he's the first person in history that was told it just happened. But he makes plans to quietly Let Her Go an angel have to show up to him. Faith don't be afraid this is not this is okay. This really is God Don't Be Afraid take her as your wife. It's all going to be good.
Starting particularly peaceful ROM in the political oppressor and sorrow ROM says now we need a census cuz we need to know how we can text you guys and get as much out of you as we can. So in order to do that everybody, you got to go back to the town of your people. You got to go back home. So now here is Mary Large with child and now she gets to have the joy and fun of making a long journey. Listen, I've never been pregnant. grateful for that but like I wouldn't want to take a journey 9 months pregnant in a car. I would want to take a journey 9 months pregnant in a plane. I certainly wouldn't want to take a journey 9 months pregnant on the back of a mule or horse or a camel. That's exactly what she had to do. Right Joseph and Mary load up their belongings. They begin to make the long arduous Trek. Bethlehem when I get there, I'm sure because she was 9 months pregnant. They got there later than everybody else. All their relatives houses had filled up. There's no Motel 6 or Holiday Inn down the road. There's no place for them. They don't know where they're going to say. Finally one of the relatives. That's what we've got. This stable over there. Probably doesn't give him some protection and some shelter and the way you can go hang out with the the animals you can have that place there. And of course, that would be the night. She goes into labor. And that is where she would deliver the baby. I say where is the Peace? If that's it goes from bad to worse that that holds sign remember the star that appeared over that place. I think star that guided the Shepherds to where Jesus was. Well that star appears and Magi far in the East recognize it as a sign. From God that something has happened. They study their scriptures. They look at the signs in the heavens and they say the king of the Jews has been born. We need to go see this so they begin a journey. It probably take some clothes to two years to get there. By this time Jesus is a little toddler when they get there because they are political Kings and princes in their own. Right? They go to Harris who is Rome's King of the Jews that conversation did not go so well, I mean imagine it they show up here. It's like welcome. Why have you come from such a great distance? They say we've been studying the side beside the sky and the scriptures and we've determined that the king of the Jews had just been born and that's interesting cuz I'm the king of
Harrods says, okay when you find him, let me know. I'd like to go and say hi to him myself. So they leave they go and find him. They give him Gifts of gold and myrrh and frankincense and I believe that Joseph and Mary had to use those gifts of gold. Myrrh and frankincense to finance their escape to Egypt get away from Harris. Because Herod when the wise men don't come back and tell them where the king of the juice is takes it upon himself to establish genocide. He sends out an order. Let's kill every female baby 2 years and under in the entire area.
Where's the piece? How do you fit that into your manger scene?
Where's the piece? I look at the story. I hear what the angels are saying. They're saying peace is on the earth and I have to ask myself. What do you mean? Where is the piece that leads me to another question. Just where is the piece but what is
What is p and you look it up Google it? Get your dictionary out. It's going to tell you the absence of conflict a state of well-being harmonious warm fuzzies. All sorts of ideas. What is key? So I think about my life when I think about peace in my life, I think of moments of peace. Like that's all I can think of. fleeting moments of peace When you're when you're young mother a young father and you got that baby and they can't do anything but eat sleep and poop, right? That's all they do and you're doing everything you can to get them down for that nap. And when you finally get them down and they stay asleep in your heart that moment of peace. But you know what's coming doesn't last long. What will when I when I look back at my life like okay, where have I accounted piece? What's it look like what ties all those events together the thing that stands out in my mind.
The thing that all those moments share is actually that they're just temporary. Just a moment. There's circumstantial.
We might be tempted to read the Angels pronouncement Peace On Earth as circumstantial. I think it's trying to say something much more substantial. This is the kind of peace that is not determined by circumstance. This is the kind of peace that determines circumstance. When the Angels say peace on Earth they are talking about a kind of peace that everyone of us long for but we have yet to encounter or experience.
Peace has come to the Earth is an ultimate piece. The ultimate tease must involve the destruction and removal of evil. Dan talked in the call to worship. There is a piece that comes in the midst of the storm. That's the only kind of Peace I've ever known but the Peace of Advent the Peace of Jesus is not the peace in the midst of the storm. It's the piece that calms the storm.
And that's the piece that I want. That's the piece that you want. That's the piece that we need isn't it a piece that last a piece that cannot be broken by a change of circumstance by an accident or by intentionally evil a piece. That is true. And abiding. That is the peace. Jesus came to bring a sword to have that kind of Peace. It requires the destruction and removal of evil. In order to bring and beef pizza crust. Jesus had to take evil head on.
What what comes evil? So as a culture, we're not very good at dealing with evil at all. We don't like it that some of you right now or do I just came to church to hear a nice? Happy message about the birth of baby Jesus. Why can't you just do that and talk about the animals and make it cute.
I understand. I'm from this culture II that's a cultural impulse that we all share. We just want the warm fuzzies. We wanted to be easy. We wanted to be pretty we wanted to be sanitized. We don't like to face or deal with the reality of evil. NT Wright in his book evil and the justice of God in examining our culture. He says when it comes to evil our culture does three things. He says first we ignore evil until it hits Us in the face. Second we're surprised when it does and 3rd, we react and immature and dangerous ways as a result. I think that's worth thinking about he says first we ignore evil when it doesn't hit us in the face. We live in one of the only times and only places in all of history where we can deceive and delude ourselves for significant amounts of time that evil isn't real.
We live in such a culture of abundance such a culture of prosperity. We have so much of our basic needs provided to a point that they're almost assume. That we we created a culture that allows us to think. That the way we've structured ourselves will eliminate evil. It is the great myth of progress that has infiltrated the Western cultural worldview for the last three hundred years. We're going to get better through education. and legislation
we're eradicating evil because we finally found a capitalistic democracy that is not avoid all the terrible evils of Socialism or dictators are desperate so we figured it out. We've become so successful that he doesn't have its place anymore. And we actually believe it. We actually believe that if we just educate better. And passed better laws and legislate better that somehow we have and or we will very soon eliminate evil through legislation and education.
And we do this. In the midst of a century that has seen more evil violent Bloodshed genocide and War than almost all the other Generations come by.
I think about that. We live in this country which we put our blinders for sale.
Same time. There's literally genocide taking place all the time.
Think about it World War was the tagline for World War. I war end all wars Let me know from your history classes the war to end all wars. It was so bad. It was so bloody. It was so globalrph to this is so bad. It will never happen again.
In the words of that great prophet. Dr. Phil. How's that working out for us? This this this obsessive belief. That we have and or will eradicate evil through our legislation and our education is something that we hold on to blindly not because of the evidence but in spite of the evidence, I would make an argument you have to be willfully ignorant to actually believe that and yet that is what our culture believes Hook Line & Sinker. So because we ignore it second we're surprised by evil when it does slap Us in the face. Where did this come from? How can that be? We like to fool ourselves with the world is basically, all right. People are generally good. Evil is random and it's and it's being minimized and I mean it is 2019 after all.
Live in the Charlotte or surprised when evil shows up Chaka pump almost like we feel entitled to a life without evil.
When that happens, we react an immature and dangerous way. We seen that over the last couple of decades, haven't we? We went for a long time not talking about evil. Till 9:11. 911 brought evil right to our Shores 911 put it right in our faces and people like how can this happen?
We thought we were done with it. And then what happens Lotte? Well, we're the good guys and the bad guys. So we got to destroy the axis of Evil.
And here's what I've learned from this whole experience. Is that you can no more eradicate evil through education or legislation, then you can through high-powered explosives.
You can't teach it away. You can't legally sit away and you can't blow it away. The problem of evil is bigger. broader oversimplified Compartmentalize compartmentalize way that we tend to look at it.
We see wee wee 10 has a culture to react in one of two ways. The sound like I'll read from that and see right here this weekend project evil out onto others generating a culture of blame. It's always everyone else's fault. It's society's fault. It's the government's fault and I am an innocent victim blaming the status of a victim has become the new Multicultural sport. As people Scramble for the moral High Ground in which they emerged as pure and clear and everyone else is to blame. It's 1 road. We can take the other one. He says alternatively we can project evil unto ourselves and imagine we are to blame for it all.
Evil is something that we are not as a culture good at dealing with. But thank God he is.
Kia and it's not the way that we would hope or wish it to be another is when we think about evil. What do we want what we want an explanation from God. Don't don't you don't you ask the why question? Why me? Why not me? Why now? Why not then what's going on? How can you be good and loving God and allow all this bad stuff that happened. We we want God to show up and answer the question of evil. And if you're like me and that I got some bad news Advent does not give us an explanation of evil. It doesn't in fact, I don't think there's a single explanation for evil in the entirety of the scripture. God does not answer that question, but the scriptures and Advent do give us something else. They don't give us an explanation of evil but they do tell us what God has is and will do about evil. And isn't that what we really need an explanation of evil would really do nothing else other than to describe it for us. Give us an explanation for evil he gives us a solution for evil. That is a better answer. Jesus was not unfamiliar with this. I mean the question of evil was just as relevant and powerful and profound a question in his day as it is in our people were asking the same question. I love it looks 13. Jesus gets asked this question. There was some present at that very time who told him about the galileans whose blood pilot had mingled with their sacrifices. He came into the temple. Mixie killed some people mix their blood and it was all that was like breaking news in their day. It was offencive. It was harsh. It was evil. And the people were trying to understand one. How could God let this happen into why those people And they did what most people have done and what most of us often do we assume? Well, it must have happened to them because they were really evil. That's the way we kind of thinking it good things to happen to good people and bad things should happen to bad people. And so if something bad happens to it's because you were Beth this is what all jokes friends told him when he was in the midst of it. That's just the way it works good things happen to good people bad things happen to bad people so they come to Jesus and they said we were there and it was terrible. I may I ask the question why them we know that they asked a question not cuz it says it in the text but because the next verse says and he answered them. You answered. And he said answer the question with a question. He says do you think that these galileans were worse than hers than all the other galileans because they suffered in this way. I want to wrestle with evil. We're trying to find these categories. We're trying to find something to give us our standing so we can control it and understand it and he says that's why that bad thing happened to them. Jesus's response is profound. He says no, not at all. I tell you though. Unless you repent. You will likewise perish. Another was Jesus doesn't give them an explanation, but it gives them A Way Forward. He doesn't answer the question of evil. But he gives them the solution for it. It's not what they were hoping. Jesus would give them but it's what they needed. Jesus to give them. Okay, they die not because they were evil because they were human and a oh, yeah, by the way, you're human and you're human you're human and you don't like to think about it and you don't want to think about it. You do everything you can to hide yourself in shelter yourself from it, but you're going to die.
Stop playing the games and asking the wrong questions about what did they die? Cuz they were more evil or because they were better. They were saved or this and that and come to the Stark reality that death comes for us all.
So rather than asking the why question you better start asking the what can I do question? You going to die Jesus says so here's my advice repent. while you still can before it's too late.
Then he says I'm just gives another example it says what about the 18 on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them. Do you think that they were worst offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem, we goes from like personal. active evil in Pilot to random natural evil at our Fest Powerful earthquake maybe with shoddy workmanship. I don't like our felt this is what I know it fell and it killed 18 people. Jesus said do you think that Tower waited until the worst 18 people? We're right underneath it. Is that how you think? This world works and sets with an exact same things as no I tell you but unless you repent you all likewise with her. I'm not going to give you an answer for why bad things happen, but I am going to give you an answer of what you can do. In the face of the reality that this world is broken and death is coming for us all. You need to repent and turn to me. Need to repent and turn to him the Advent tells us what God has is and we'll do about evil. This is what Jesus came to do. He came to defeat and eliminate and eradicate evil at its source.
Don't take my word for it. You can take Jesus's John chapter 12. Chambers 27 is this a staggering sentence. Jesus says now is my soul trouble. And what shall I say father save me from this hour. But for this purpose I have come to this hour Jesus is he's going to the Cross. He's on his way to Jerusalem. He's prepared to know that all the powers of evil are coming for him. He's been doing his ministry from town to town Village to Village announcing the good news of the Kingdom inviting people to repent and confronting the power of evil read the gospels. That's what he does. He confront spiritual evil. He can. He confronts religious evil. He confronts natural evil. He confronts all of it and he demonstrates his power over it all. demonstrates his power over death
and now it's all coming to a point. All the powers of evil are gathering their might to strike down Jesus.
I love it. I love the raw brutal honesty of the word made flesh fully God and fully human knows what it's like to feel that gut-wrenching fear. He knows that kind of anxiety that makes your hands slick and Moises. He knows what it's like to just be so consumed with the what ifs and how about a known?
was tempted in every way but was without sin.
She's feeling that fear that anxiety that burden he says should I pray God save me from this? No, but this is the reason I came. He says father glorify your name. I choose you over the fear. Then a voice came from the heavens. I have glorified it and I will glorify it again and the crowd that stood there they heard it. They said that it had thundered but other said no an angel spoke to him and Jesus said that boys came for your sake not mine. And then listen to what Jesus said he said now is the Judgment of this world. Now will the ruler of this world be cast out? Why did Jesus come what did Jesus come to do? Jesus came to judge and cast down evil.
That's what it came to do. He said it you said this is how it's going to go down. He says when I am lifted up from the Earth. I will draw All Peoples to myself. In case you don't understand what he say John tells us he said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. Jesus is going to the cross and there on the cross as he is lifted up all the power of evil and death will be poured out upon him. There's the political evil of a Roman Governor that Senses Into. There's the religious Eatonville of the people of Israel that choose Barabbas over him. There is nothing personal evils of of Judas who betrayed him and Peter who denied him there's a physical evil of torture and pain the crucifixion on a cross and then there is the ultimate Evil Broly Bounce by the Lord of death where Jesus is put to death when Jesus is lifted up on the cross all of evil does it worse on him?
auntie.
And it looks like from our perspective and from the forces of evil perspective like they won and God lost but that's because the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of anything else. This is always God's plan and what I love about this is that God's plan is mysterious and hidden and scandalous and it was intense. Sometimes I hear people asking and sometimes I've asked myself why couldn't you just be more clear? Why does prophecy in in the world have to be so big? Why couldn't you just give us a detailed spreadsheet that's color coordinated and maybe some GPS coordinates and a nice timeline.
And there's a reason that he doesn't do that. There's a reason the scripture gives it to us all rights in 1st Corinthians 2. He says we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages of our Glory other words God's plan of the Gospel. He didn't come up with it on the spot. This was God's Sovereign wise plan from the beginning but it was Kept Secret and hidden why none of the rulers of this age understood this if they had they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. Do you understand what that saying? God intentionally kept it vague. . Intentionally kept it's not easy and nnn little bit to your little bits there a little bit 6 because if the powers of evil knew what God's plan was, they never would have gone wrong with it. Because they thought they had the upper hand they struck at Jesus with everything they had. And what they had was enough to kill him, but it wasn't enough to keep him in the gray. Why did Jesus come Jesus came to overthrow the powers of Evil? Jesus came to confront evil in the way he confronted evil was by opening himself up for evil to do its worst to Jesus and it did. Wasn't enough.
Jesus overturn the power of death Look at the life of Jesus was stronger than the bonds and chains of death. Evil did its worst to Jesus and he came out of the Grave 3 Days Later better. Why he went unbelievable? Jesus came to eliminate Jesus came to defeat evil and in the defeating of evil. create
I think when the Angels Came and they announced a pieces on the Earth. I don't think they're saying he's bringing peace. Like it's some sort of commodity here have a little piece at a little piece. That's not what they're saying. I think what they're saying. He didn't come to bring Pace these he came to be.
He came to make peace. He came in an order to make peace in order to be peace. You've got to eliminate that which disturbs. Peace. So Jesus came and confronted all the powers of evil. They did their worst and he came out on top. the beauty of Colossians chapter 1 this beautiful poem describing the sufficiency and supremacy of Jesus. Listen to it says he is the image of the invisible God the firstborn of all creation for by him. All things were created in heaven and on Earth visible and invisible invisible whether Thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him, that's the mystery of the manger is mint. That baby that toothless drooling crying, baby. Is the author of creation? Not just the author of creation, but the sustainer does he is before all things and in him all things hold together. He's the head of the body the church. He's the beginning the firstborn from the dead quick question. If there's a firstborn from the dead, what should you be expecting? Some more is the firstborn from the dead that in everything. He might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him to reconcile to himself all things whether on the earth or in the heavens Making Peace by the blood of the cross. The cross is the symbol of death. The blood is the symbol of Life blood Trump's Cross Life Trump's death by the life and the blood of Jesus. He has made peace with the rulers and authorities. He exploited them and he set the prisoners free. Jesus came to make peace by the blood of his cross and for you and I this means everything because it says in you or wants alienated and hostile in mind doing evil Deeds. I felt like Paul followed me around as a child. And I've met most of you and I think it's pretty accurate.
When we were at our worst. Force 22 he has now reconciled in his body of Flesh. by his death in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before.
That's how we make speed. You make space by removing the barrier. Turn down the valve restoring access. He brings peace fight changing us from the inside out so that we won't ruin the peace anymore. Jesus came to make peace. Why did Jesus come? Defeat and destroy the works and powers of evil. So that we might enter in to a piece is not determined by circumstance and that cannot be taken away from us and in his second Advent. When the fullness of the kingdom is revealed in the heavens and the Earth are made new and God dwells in the midst of his people forever and ever we will Noah. Peace. They can never be taken away. Because Jesus came to rescue his people and Men.