Peace

I want to begin with this very simple truth. At first glance, you might even think that it is an oversimplified statement or a statement lacking substance. However, there is much more to it than meets the eye. Hear this: Christmas is a message of peace. What does that mean you may ask? Well, lucky for you I have a whole sermon planned to answer that question. I would argue that when most people hear the word peace as related to Christmas they think of peacefulness or the desire of peace among people or sometimes even the peace you imagine with a snowy background and a serene stillness. On a human level, there is that sense of peace in the Christmas season. However, Christmas is much more than simply a season of human peace. I want us to hear from Luke 2 and we will read verses 8-14 but will focus more specifically on verse 14. We will also have a few other verses we will point to as we take this journey of Christmas peace.

Read the Luke Passage

I don’t know about you but I enjoy reading about history. War history has always intrigued me because of the complicated nature of war. Often we speak about previous wars in very simplistic ways, almost like a fact sheet: The war began on this day, for this reason, these were the good guys, those were the bad guys and the war ended on such and such day. However, a good history book will bring about the nuances and gray areas when it comes to war, which is helpful to get a better understanding of certain conflicts. War is messy. War takes a great toll on nations who are at war. Our nation has been touched by war numerous times throughout history. As I read historical books I am in awe of men and women who have fought bravely but I am often overwhelmed by the horrifying realities of war and the carnage that goes with it. War is an appropriate image for the reality that the human heart is at war with God.

Humans are warring against a good and perfect God. Now, this needs some clarification. In many wars, there are clear sides, often with equal strength and capabilities, striving against one another. Many wars have been fought over land disputes, each side fighting over ownership of a piece of land. The war that we are at with God is not like this. There are not two equal sides. This is more of a rebellion, an attempted coup, trying to displace God as King. To even call it a battle is not accurate because God has shown patience. Yes, there has been some judgment but the reality is that humanity has not seen the awful display of God’s wrath, which will be the final blow. The fact that God has not yet deployed his judgment is simply an astonishing act of Mercy. Humanity has not shown gratitude for this mercy but continual hatred, striving against the rightful place of God on the throne. God has every right to crush the rebellion in an iron-fisted way but he hasn’t. Instead, God has done something else: He has paved the way for peace.

Often when there is a peace treaty or cease-fire, there are political or pragmatic reasons to do so. Perhaps there is no clear path of victory or each side experiences some sort of outward pressure that makes it logical to pursue peace. Yet, the peace that God is going to offer is not because He experienced some sort of external pressure or because the war cannot be won. The offer of peace is solely an act of His grace. God in His sovereignty has offered a way for there to be peace between God and humanity and it first appeared in the most unlikely way. A baby in a manger, but no ordinary baby.

For this offer of peace to be valid, God himself stepped into humanity. This is the glory of the Christmas season, that the God of the universe has become Immanuel God with us. Why did he do this? Why not simply say, “Ok, there is peace”? Remember when I said that this is no ordinary war but more like an insurrection, a rebellion? With this being the case, there needed to be punishment for the rebels. To simply forget all the war crimes of the rebels, us, would be a disgrace on the holiness and justice of God. While we think such forgiveness would be love, it would mar the perfect and holy nature of God himself. The peace mission of this baby would not end up being a very peaceful mission, would it? I want us to hear several passages of Scripture:

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:8-11)

19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

You know, it’s interesting when a child is born. For us, this is very relevant in our family because of the birth of little Daniel this past year. When he was born, we look at him and were amazed at the miracle of God in our baby. In Daniel exists so many possibilities. What will he look like? Will he be like his 4 big brothers? Will he be totally different? Will his ears be as big as his father’s when he is older? Poor Guy! What type of job will have? Will he have a big family? When you see this little baby a whole world of possibilities has opened up. Think about all the great people in the past that we remember and study in our history books: they all started as cute little babies. When Abraham Lincoln was born no one had any clue that he would be one of the most important figures in American history. When Billy Graham was born, his parents probably did not know at that moment that he would be the most important evangelist in modern history. That’s the beauty and mystery in life: there is value and potential in every single person. With Jesus, things were a bit different. Jesus was born to particular parents, at a particular time for a particular purpose: He would be the Messiah, the one who would come and die for our sins. In that manger, was a little child that was born to die no ordinary death, but to die on the cross for my sins, your sins and the sins of all humanity. What did his death do for us? The death of Jesus has brought the potential of peace between God and man. Did you hear the verses? Christ died for us so that we could be reconciled to God. Reconciled is a word that refers to the restoring of peace between parties. Colossians says something very similar, peace between God and man came through the blood of the Cross of Jesus Christ. You see, it was on the cross that Jesus bore the weight of our sin and took our punishment and place that we deserved as the rebels against a holy God. God’s Holy Justice was satisfied on the cross. The war could be over because of the work that Jesus had accomplished on the cross. This had been prophesied from the very early pages of Scripture, Jesus being the seed of the woman prophesied in Genesis 3. This was also made clear by his name Jesus. Remember what the Gospel of Matthew tells us?

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

The message of Christmas and Easter are so inextricably tied to one another that to remove one would remove the meaning of the other. Without Easter Jesus was a humble baby born to humble parents in a humble time. Without Christmas, Easter is simply a sad story of a miscarriage of justice when a man died on a cross for crimes he didn’t commit. Yet, taken together, it is the message of God stepping into humanity to provide a way of peace and salvation for all of humanity.

How is it that we received this peace? You see, this is an important question because although peace is available some people continue in their sin and rebellion and reject the offer of peace. Romans 5:1 is helpful for us to understand how to secure this peace:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

We receive this peace through faith. That word justified means to be made right with God, the relationship is restored. Who or what is the object of our Faith? Jesus Christ:

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:9-10

When we put our faith in Christ and Christ alone as our savior, then we can be right with God. Now in the context of this imagery of war or rebellion, to have faith in Christ means to recognize Him as Lord and that his rightful place is on the throne of the universe and the throne of our hearts. From an earthly perspective, if you have a rebel who says to the king, “Yes, you are the rightful king,” but still keeps fighting and working against the king, what would we say about that man? His words are empty. He is a liar and he hasn’t turned from his rebellious ways. The biblical word that we utilize to represent turning is repent; we turn from being enemies to be his children. We lay down our weapons and accept him as Lord. This is how we secure peace with God. It’s not due to our own cleverness, or our own merits, it’s only by the Grace of God. If God did not make a way for there to be peace between God and man, we would be eternally lost without hope. When we trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ and turn to Him as our Lord, we will have peace with God.

Therefore, Christmas is a message of peace. So how does the proclamation of peace go forth? Through You and I, who are now the ones who declare this message to a lost world. Acts 10:36 says:

As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all). Acts 10:36

There is another word that is used for us: Ambassadors. We are Christ’s ambassadors declaring peace to rebels far and away.

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Therefore, we declare Peace on earth to those who are far away from God. Often times we focus on earthly peace and we do strive to be people of peace. However, we first need peace in our hearts before God, before we can ever exemplify peace with others. This Christmas, how can you be an ambassador of peace to a lost and dying world? What are some tangible what that you and I can share the Gospel of Jesus Christ this season? Is there someone on your heart? Pray that the Lord would show you how show peace this Christmas.

Perhaps you hear this message and you realize that you are still a rebel against God in your heart. If you are real honest with yourself, you recognize that you have not laid down your weapons and you still at odds with God. Sure, may you are not a “bad” person, but one does not need to be “bad” by the world’s standards to be separated from God. All people, and I mean all people, are separated from God and are enemies. Each and every person needs to experience peace with God. Will you believe today?