Advent - Peace
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· 26 viewsJesus came to bring peace to a world that is broken by sin.
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Advent - 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.
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.
Let’s pray
Intro:
Intro:
This week, we continue into our second week of Advent. Advent, which simply means “arrival”, is the season of Christmas where we celebrate the arrival of Jesus into the world. And we celebrate his arrival, because Jesus came as Emmanuel, as God with us… and he came to save us from our sins and and from death…
Last week Dave preached about the hope of Israel that was found in Jesus’ birth… and this week as we continue to celebrate advent, we recall one of the things that Israel hoped for… that is peace…
This is how the prophet Isaiah described the coming of Jesus
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.
Isaiah prophesied about a day, where oppression would end, where the clothes meant for war would no longer have any use but to keep the fire burning… and all of this happen as a result of a child would become a king who would bring about justice and peace....
This king would be known as:
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
What this means, is with the arrival of this child, there would come a rule and reign of one who has wisdom from God, who is the very power of God, who will rule forever as God, and his rule and reign will bring about peace…
This is what Israel hoped the Messiah would bring… so Isaiah expounds on his rule by saying this:
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.
While there is a lot that could be said of these verses, that is not my task for today…
But what I want us to understand today is this: Isaiah’s prophesy was about the advent of Jesus. For when Jesus came to the world, the angels echoed Isaiah as they worshiped God saying
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
But let’s think about what is being declared for just a moment:
Jesus came to bring peace… This is what Isaiah and the angels declared… But have you ever wondered why we don’t see the peace that Isaiah is describing in the world today?
Where the increase of his government of peace is without end?
Both geographically… and in time
Have you ever wondered why the whole world and the rest of creation isn’t ruled by Jesus’ peace from this time forth, and forevermore…
If Jesus’ advent brought peace, then why are there still wars in the world…
And if Jesus brought peace, then why is there still conflict among those in our own nation… and in our own families…
If Jesus brought peace, then why is it that even churches feud, and divide?
And if Jesus brought peace, why are our own hearts so uneasy, so restless and without peace?
Certainly these questions beg to be answered, and I hope by the end of our time you will be able to answer these questions. But to begin to understand more what was meant when the angels announced the good news of peace, we have Jesus’ own words that show us that this peace that Jesus brought, wasn’t necessarily the peace that we and Jesus disciples were expecting. Jesus taught his disciples things like this:
32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Tribulation certainly doesn’t sound like the peace described by Isaiah and the angels, and yet knowing of such tribulation, Jesus say, we are to have peace
Furthermore, Jesus said:
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
So , if Jesus did not come to bring peace to the earth as he said it Matt 10… then why did the the prophets and the angels declare this gospel of peace?
and why are we going to spend a week of advent meditating on how Jesus brought peace on earth?
I will answer these questions, but there is another question that presupposes it. And that question is this: What is peace?
Some of us might assume this is a rather obvious and therefore rather silly question, but it is important that we understand what peace is, and what it isn’t if we are going to make sense with what Jesus taught his disciples.
1. Now, if I were to ask you to answer this question, what is peace, most of us would probably answer this question by saying that peace is the ceasing of war or the absence of conflict… and if that’s how you would answer, you certainly wouldn’t be wrong.
This is what certainly what Isaiah described when he said:
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.
This describes the end of war…
And again again peace to describe the absence of war and conflict in Leviticus. God told Israel that if they kept his commandments, then he promised this:
6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land.
But I want to develop our understanding of peace a bit more, because when we say that peace is the ceasing of war, really what we are doing is describing peace by what it is not… namely war.
But we all know full and well that it is possible for our home to be such a mess that we would feel like home is not peaceful even though there isn’t literally a war going on in our home.
(Even though it might look like a war taken place in the kitchen after we prepared our Thanksgiving meals)
But if all we understand peace to be is the absence of war and conflict, then it will seem as though Jesus failed to bring peace, when in fact Jesus finished all that the Father sent him to do.
The reality is this: peace if far more than the absence of conflict
Peace is the presence of unity
Peace is the presence of unity
2. Peace is the presence of unity, and wholeness and prosperity....
The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom. When shalom is translated into English, there are a variety of other words besides peace that is also used. For example:
The word safe in Josh 10:21 is shalom
21 then all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. Not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel.
this means that the entirety of the people returned to camp in a state of wholeness and prosperity… even though throughout Joshua, the Israelites were fighting against the inhabitants of the promised land.
Again, when Jesse sent David to his brothers when they were fighting against the Philistines Jesse said,
18 Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.”
When Jesse says “see that your brothers are well… he is saying “see that your brothers are shalom”
Here, Jesse is wanting David to check in on his brothers to ensure that they not dead. He wants to hear that their bodies are still whole… but certainly they are still at war… so the definition of shalom/peace, is not simply being the absence of war, for if it was, these Scriptures would make no sense.
One more example:
19 The cities of the Negeb are shut up,
with none to open them;
all Judah is taken into exile,
wholly taken into exile.
Now, when the people of God are taken into exile… we know that it was not because war stopped… but here in that last line, it says that they were, wholly/shalom taken into exile.
Hopefully we all see that peace/shalom is far more than the absence of war, but it is the presence of unity.
So when peace is lost, for any reason… be it war, conflict, sickness, or death… the loss of peace/shalom is a reality because what was once whole, has been broken.
And what is it that breaks peace/shalom?
It it is sin.
Sin breaks peace
Sin breaks peace
Again, I’m not just simply sin causes war… I’m talking about how sin breaks unity… sin breaks wellbeing… sin breaks prosperity…
Let’s just take a portion of the decalogue - that is the ten commandments from Exod 20... and we will see how sin breaks peace
Take the commandment: Honor your father and mother
kids, if you fail to honor your parents… will there be peace in your home? Of course not, because the unity God intended to exist in the family breaks when you sin against your parents
You shall not murder
Does murdering produce peace? we all know it doesn’t… if anything, great turmoil and even wars are the result of murder
Let’s consider one more: You shall not commit adultery
We all have seen and understand how the peace/unity which God designed for marriage is broken when a spouse is unfaithful to the covenant of marriage
We could go on, but i think you get the point… Sin breaks peace. But as devastating as this is, there is still some good news.
God, by his grace and mercy made a way for broken peace to be repaired… and there is another Hebrew word for this and I want to teach it to you.
the word is Shelem
If peace/shalom is broken, then shelem must be made…
Notice the similar sound these words have:
shalom
shalem
But we don’t speak Hebrew, rather we speak English, so let me tell you what this means in a language we can all understand
If peace is broken, then restitution must be made.
If peace is broken, then restitution must be made.
Restitution, is the word that is used to describe how broken peace is to be repaired when one has been sinned against.
God gives laws to instruct Israel how they are to make restitution when someone is sinned against, and when shalom/peace is broken… And he does so only one chapter after the ten commandments,
33 “When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.
Shall make restoration - is shelem
again listen to the next example
35 “When one man’s ox butts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. 36 Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.
Here repay ox for ox, is to Shelem ox for ox
Israel had plenty of laws in order to make restitution so that they could live at peace with one another… and we could continue through Exod 22 to see more examples of this
But shelem has other ways to be translated as well
19 There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. They took them all in battle.
Made peace - is to make Shelem…
So let’s review…what we have learned so far:
Peace is the presence of unity, wellbeing, and prosperity
Sin breaks peace
When peace is broken, then restitution must be made.
So now that we have a better understanding of what peace is, let’s return to the question that I opened up with.
If Jesus came to bring peace, then why is there still so much war and conflict?
by understanding what peace is, we can already begin to answer this question:
War simply ceasing, does not bring about peace or unity… war ceasing might look like peace, but fundamentally, it is not peace.
Let me illustrate it this way. You and I can smile at each other and speak cordially with one another, and not even kill one another… but if I gossip about you behind your back, or even have any animosity towards you in my heart, then are we at peace? Of course not, because we are not unified…
So then how did Jesus bring peace to the world?
well first let’s consider what peace Jesus did not bring:
And to do so, let’s consider again Jesus words this time from Luke:
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Hopefully we understand better that the opposite of peace is division…
Here we see that the peace that Jesus came to bring would not necessarily happen in the home and between family, let alone in the political sphere of Israel
And hear him again
32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Again, Jesus describes a scattered tribulation that was to come… this is far from the absence of war and conflict
What we should understand from these Scriptures is this: Jesus did not come to bring peace to the earth in the way his disciples expected him to.
He did not come to bring geo-political peace - meaning, he did not come to overthrow Rome in the NT in the similar way that he overthrew Egypt in Exodus.
So, if Jesus did not come to bring peace in the world in a geopolitical sense, but instead he would bring about division in the home, and even tribulation for his followers, then where did Jesus make peace?
There are four spheres of peace that Jesus created that I want us to consider for the remainder of our time this morning:
I’m going to give you the first three now, and then I’ll share the last one when we get to it:
The first three areas of peace that Jesus brought in his advent are as follows:
Jesus made peace between man and God
Jesus made peace in the church
Jesus made peace in our hearts
1. Jesus made peace between man and God
1. Jesus made peace between man and God
Just as we said earlier, sin breaks peace,
But sin does not just break peace between one another, but sin also breaks peace between man and God
This is seen throughout the Old Testament
when Adam and Eve sinned against God in the garden, the great divide between man and God was made, as they were sent into exile from Eden
And when Israel sinned against God again after he graciously dwelt in their midst in the Temple, Israel too was sent into exile
This was the lack of peace, and unity that man has always had with God since sin entered into the world
And even though God drew near to his people though the tabernacle and the temple, these means did not come close to the unity and peace that God was going to make with his people
when Jesus came to the earth, John tells us this:
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This time God would dwell not in the tabernacle, but in flesh among sinners…
You see, Jesus came to make restitution to restore man and God to peace once again after all the years of separation of God!
For God gave Israel training wheels to teach them how it was that he would bring peace to the earth…
For just as when we sin against a brother and restitution must be made in order for peace to be restored… so too must restitution be made between man and God
But how is it that a man could ever make restitution with God?
Could we ever make enough sacrifices in order to have peace with God?
Of course not
For every animal that was ever offered to God, was first God’s before it was ever man’s to offer…
And even if they were ours first, the world and all the treasures in it would never be enough in order for us to be reconciled to God…
And so, the infinite God stepped into time and space so that through him, we could have peace!
And he did so by paying the infinite price of restitution that we could never afford by dying in our place.
Jesus made restitution/shelem, so that we could have peace/shalom, with God through his work on the cross
Listen to how Paul described the peace that Jesus made through his death on the cross:
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
Jesus’s blood shed on the cross brought about peace and ended that hostility between God and man! With this in mind let us return to the language of Isaiah 9:
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.
Consider this: Are there any geographic boundaries that the work of Jesus cannot cross? Absolutely not! For through the work of the cross both Jews, and gentiles would be reconciled to God! And the gospel of peace would be proclaimed in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth
And consider, again, are there any time limits by which his reign of peace is limited by? No! Consider how today, 2,000 years later are recipients of Jesus’ gospel of peace! And the peace we have with God is one that will never end.
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because Jesus has paid the price on the cross, we have peace with God… For Jesus has paid our restitution/shalem, so that we might have shalom/peace with God.
But that’s not the only area where Jesus brought peace.
2. Jesus made peace in the church
2. Jesus made peace in the church
When I say that there is peace in the church, I mean to say that we have peace with one another.
Because while there is a vertical restoration of peace between man and God because of the work of Jesus, there is also a horizontal realm of peace that created in the church.
Let’s return again to the same passage in Eph 2 to see it there, but this time I want you all to listen for all the “us” language that Paul uses....
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
Notice the change that takes place between v 13 and v14
v 13 “YOU who were once far off:
meaning the Ephesians, but Paul is not including himself in this group… But then his language shifts in v 14. Paul says that:
“he himself is OUR peace who has made US both ONE and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility”
What Paul is referring to is the divide that existed between Jews and Gentiles
there are no longer Jews and Gentiles now: for Paul says:
“[Jesus created] in himself one new man in the place of the two, so making peace”
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, reconciles us to one another!
And while yes we have a personal relationship with Jesus, this relationship with Jesus does not exist apart from having unity and peace with one another.
And this unity in Christ that we all share isn’t something that we create… it’s something Jesus has created through the cross…
Or to say it the way Dave would say it if he were preaching… peace in the church is not an imperative of the gospel, rather peace in the church is an indicative of the gospel. If you don’t understand that language, all it means is that unity and peace in the church is a result of the work that Jesus has done on the cross…
This is why Paul goes on to say:
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
We aren’t creating unity of the Spirit in the bond peace… rather we told to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace that Christ has created in the Church.
Because in Christ:
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
This is why Jesus is able to call both Jews and Gentiles into his church… because Jesus has made peace where there was once division
This is why Christ Jesus is able to call both tax collectors and zealots to follow him as his disciples, for Christ has brought us peace
This is why the Gospel is able to unify both republicans and democrats or both mask wearers and mask haters… Because Jesus has brought us peace…
And to divide that which Christ has unified, because we would prefer that we all wore masks… or because we would prefer that none of us wore masks… is to tear apart the peace that Christ has made.
Now I am not saying that we make peace where Christ has not made peace… I am not at all saying that we begin calling evil good and good evil… in the name of unity or peace. More could be said about this, but I’m not going to go into that here and now, simply because by and large, this is not the issue that threatens LWC
What does threaten LWC is that we would divide what Christ has died to unify. And Satan would love nothing more than to see Christ’s bride who has been redeemed by his blood, mutilated over masks.
Listen to the words of our Savior:
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Sons of God make peace...
Jesus also taught us that we will know those who are in the faith by their fruit…
And so if we do not make peace with one another, but instead divide the church over the color of the carpet, or the style of music, then what does that say about our status as children of God?
And furthermore, peace does not exist in the church alone by the people of God alone…
Friends, hear what pleases the Lord:
7 When a man’s ways please the Lord,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Oooff… these are hard words.
But if you don’t like them here, then hear this same principle from Paul:
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
But how is this possible? How do we live peaceably with all, even our enemies who persecute us? Or even that person in the church who annoys us…
3. Jesus made peace in our hearts
3. Jesus made peace in our hearts
Friends, making peace is not something you do in your own might… rather, we make peace with all… even our enemies… through the strength that the Lord supplies.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
All these fruit are accompanied by those who have recieved the Spirit of God. But let’s not get sidetracked by all the rest of them, rather let’s just focus on peace for today…
Every Christian has the Spirit of God, which means every Christian will be marked by peace. This is why sons of God are peacemakers… it is because God’s children are given the Spirit that produces peace in them!
But it’s not just Paul who taught this. Listen to the way Jesus says it:
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Peace is given to us by Jesus…
And this peace is one that cannot be recieved through any worldly means:
a better job, might give us a type of peace, but it will not give us the peace from God
Nor will a clean house
or your preferred president in office
and neither does clear report from the doctor doesn’t give such peace
For such peace comes from Jesus and not from the world
But chances, most of us wrestle with this one. And it is shown not just in our anxiousness, but also in our struggle to make peace with one another. So then how do we get such peace?
Well as we have noted, it comes from the Spirit… So then let us ask God for his Spirit with boldness, for God is a good Father who knows how to give his children good gifts…
But there are other means of grace that the Lord has given us so that his peace would rule in our hearts.
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Notice how Paul commands the church here to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts”. This is similar to the way we are told to have “have shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. And this is not just an abstract reality… rather I want us to note the means of grace that are described produces such peace in our hearts:
Be thankful! - are you thankful this morning?
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
Peace rules in our hearts when we are taught and admonished through sermons and songs!
And then he says it again… we are to have thankfulness in our hearts to God!
So peace reigns in our hearts, when thankfulness fills our hearts! And such thankfulness exists when we practice these means of grace: singing songs, hearing sermons, and meditating on the scripture so that the word of Christ would be planted deep in our hearts.
This is why Paul, even while he was in prison was able to write these word:
as I read Phil:4 note all the extreme words Paul will use like
always… and everyone, and anything, everything, and all…
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Peace that surpasses all understanding
so when Paul is in prison… he could have peace that other prisoners did not have
When Christian receive the diagnosis terminal cancer, they too can have such peace that the world cannot have
and when we lose loved ones, though we still mourn, we do not mourn as the world does, for our God of peace dwells in our hearts. And we know that because of him, death does not have the final word
Oh church, let us be people who rejoice and pray with thankfulness for that which God has done in the gospel… For such thankfulness is the means by wich we can have peace that surpasses all understanding.
And in our greatest trials, may we too sing words like these:
When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul
May we sing these words and rejoice in it, because Jesus Christ has made peace between man and God, he has made peace in the church, and he has made peace in our hearts…
But what of the final sphere of peace… where does it exist.
The last area of peace is peace in the world…
But this sphere of peace does did not come with Jesus’ first advent… rather:
4. Jesus will fill the world with his peace when he returns in his second advent.
4. Jesus will fill the world with his peace when he returns in his second advent.
In Jesus’ second advent, the rest of Isa 9 will be realized:
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.
In Jesus second advent he will…
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.
in Jesus second advent, Jesus will
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
That day of peace is described by Isaiah further
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
And we know this day will come for Jesus said:
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
But until that day comes, let the the peace of God rule in our hearts… let us be known as peacemakers when we gather and when we scatter, and may we rejoice with thanksgiving in knowing that because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross, we now have peace with God.