GOOD NEWS: PEACE
Well, we're continuing our Advent series thinking about the good news the gospel. That's really what Advent Christmas is about the the birth of Jesus the announcement that God has come. Not only for his people not only to his people but God is Not only come to be with his people that God has come as one of us. But he entered into our world he entered into our struggle. The Jesus came into a world broken by sin. And that's made all the difference. I want to think about the good news this morning. a piece we've been talking to each week that the good news is political political simply being the exercise or use of power. And that the birth of Jesus is the is the use of power the exercise of Power by God on our behalf.
One of the most beautiful passages in the Hebrew scriptures that prophetically anticipates the coming the birth of Jesus is found in Isaiah. This was written 750 years before the birth of Jesus. Isaiah wrote inspired by the spirit this there shall come forth a shoot. from the stump of Jesse the branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
Interesting. Just just that first verse grabs me. Because in it is a is a sense in the reality of of the Brokenness of sin in this world. Let the God had otamatone chosen Abram Abraham and and his descendants and his descendants and that through them. The world might be reconciled to God and yet what we find in the Hebrew scriptures. Is that every single one of these men and women these descendants of Abraham? It may fail. They need to be rescued. They can't be The Rescuer because they need to be rescued.
It's as good as their intentions were as as amazing as as many of their victories were it's marred over and over again by failure by Rebellion by rejection of God. To the point that God's people are judged. and disciplined by God the tree of Israel has been cut down.
Jerusalem is level its people are in Exile.
And yet here Isaiah says, you know that stump.
That broken burnt charred looks like it's dead stump.
not that now that stump will come. Oh shoot. A branch from its roots and it shall bear fruit. I love the The Beauty and the power of this this verse that says in the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and of Might the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord there's coming a branch. There's coming a shoot. There's coming a route out of that broken and burnt stump got spirit will be upon him. is the life Being a fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what his eyes Fior decide disputes by what his ears hear.
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor the side with equity for the meek of the earth. He shall strike the Earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips.
Far too often were used to reading these passages especially Christmas time and we we we just gloss over and we think about where do you see the political implications of this that one is coming. Who is going to stand in judgment over all one is coming who will not judge by what his eyes or what his ears here, but he will judge threw the spirits of wisdom. The God puts upon Him He will speak and pronounce judgment. He will dispel wickedness.
Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist faithfulness the belt of his loins. And look at listen to this listen to what happens. It says the wolf. dwell with the lamb The leopard shall lie down with the young go the calf and the lion the fattened calf together.
symbolic poetic beautiful imagery natural enemies dinner
I like that last one the calf and the lion. And the fat in cat does not like the lions like that's not worth my time.
when he come Things get turned upside down but in reality they're getting turned back right side up. Send has turned the world upside down but a roots of the tree of Jesse.
when he comes
things begin to change The cow and the bear shall graze their young shall lie down together the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
a nursing child Play Over the Hole of a cobra and win child support his hand on an adder's then. Using that snake imagery. That's not a mistake.
They shall not be 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 in that day the root of Jesse who shall stand as a signal for the peoples of him Sheldon Nations Inquirer and his resting place shall be Glory
Isaiah Predicting the coming of the Messiah the Redeemer the savior. when he come he will bring a piece. He will bring us rest. He will bring a Shalom back to the world order that has been broken. and defile bison
notice the universal scope of it. He will stand as a signal. 1 people
we're all the peoples of the Nations will come to him.
What are things I love about that? I was thinking about that this week is that there is no peace. Unless pieces Universal.
Captivated by that thought this week. There is no peace unless peace is universal. I mean we might have moments of Peace affect. I think that part of our challenge here in our cultural reality today in the west is that weevlos ourself into a false sense of reality we've experienced so much. Peace. In our day-to-day lives that we but we've convinced ourselves that that's the way it really is and y'all that's not the way it is. It's not true here and it's not true across the globe and end the reality is. We might sit in and cuddle and cuddle in our little slice of peace.
but if I brothers and sisters Are hurting somewhere else?
Is that really pee?
What we're so used to thinking of life as individual. Narcissistically thinking that it really is all about us, but aren't you glad that it's not all about us?
At the heart of God is for everyone everywhere. And he doesn't want to just give peace to one person. He doesn't want to just give peace to one place. He doesn't want to just give peace to one people. But when the peace of God comes it will be peace for everyone everywhere.
When that happens, I love this last race his resting place. Will be glorious. resting place interesting word. I spend some time looking at that word in the Hebrew and other places that it was used in it if popped up in a surprising place for me a very well-known. verse Psalm 23 so many of us know this so well starts out this way the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want he makes me lie down in Green Pastures. He leads me beside still water. That that last race Still Waters. It's the same word as resting place has the resting place of waters at imagery of that is so profoundly beautiful.
The bat is what the coming of Jesus is designed to accomplish.
We got to grab ahold of this concept because for far too long we've been told and we've been taught that the coming of Jesus was so that he could die on the cross and rise again so that we can pray a prayer and when we pray the prayer we get saved and when we die, we get out of here and go to some place called heaven.
And Wallah courses elements of Truth in that narrative. It's a it's a false narrative in the sense that it's not the whole story. Jesus did not come. So that he could get us out of here. Dot-com so we can pray a prayer and when we die, we could go somewhere that is peaceful. Jesus came to bring peace here. He comes to bring Heaven and Earth together.
Jesus came to do he is coming to bring a universal resting place. Delete Us. Beside Still Waters. What a beautiful picture. I mean that's that's the story right?
Luke Chapter 2 in the same region there were shepherds out in the field keeping walk over their flocks By Night an angel of the Lord appeared to them the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were filled with
They were changing their drawers. The angel said to them fear not behold. I bring you good news. I bring you good news of great joy, that will be for all the people. Run to you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior. He is. Christ the King
The lure And this will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger and suddenly there was this with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest on Earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. What the Angels declare? Glory to God in the highest and on the earth. Peace.
I go. Where's the piece and story? Where is the piece where's the piece? young teenage girl Put Angel appears to and says oh, yeah, by the way, you've never been with a man, but you're pregnant. Where's the piece of the man who's engaged to a girl who is all of sudden pregnant? Where's the piece of a 9-month pregnant woman mounted up on a donkey taking a trip? Where's the piece of not finding a place to stay? Where's the piece of childbirth?
childbirth
in a Manger
Why is it that every story about the birth of Jesus starts with the words fear not?
Where's the piece of the wise men showing up a couple of years later, by the way?
Inherited enacting genocide on all the two year old boys and under in the entire region. Where's the piece of a family fleeing to Egypt as refugees to save their lives?
What's up with the angels? Are they getting wrong?
If Jesus came and brought peace.
Where's Arby's? Where's the piece and Colvin?
Where's the piece in an election year?
Why is there still so much hatred? beard discrimination and inequity whatwears
I don't think
we give that question enough credit. I think many in our culture. Have heard the Declaration of Jesus was born peace on Earth. They look around to go. Where's the peace we have clearly? It didn't happen.
Where's the piece on a story?
That's bad. Jesus makes it worse. You ready?
Jesus gather with his disciple
Give them some marching orders some reality defining expectations. This is what I'm calling you to do. This is why I'm asking you to be this is what it's going to be like. Behold, I'm sending you out as sheep. in the midst of wolves
So be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. You wear men, they will deliver you over to courts. They will beat you in their synagogues. You'll be dragged before Governors and Kings for my sake to Bear witness before them and the Gentiles.
Imagine the disciple spaces. Jesus comes along. He's like, hey, come on, I'll teach you to be Fishers of Men. They leave their fishing boat just comes along he calls and you don't any of your tax collector anymore. Come on. Let's just called them. They give up everything. They're following there with him. He's doing Miracles. He's teaching there thinking this is awesome. And then Jesus goes. All right guys here is going to be like
I'm going to send you out and it's going to get ugly ugly.
This is what it's going to be. Like he says that when they deliver you over it, don't be anxious about how you speak. What you going to say for what you're just say will be given to you in that hour is not you who speak the Father the spirit of your father speaking through you the brother will deliver brother over to death. The father has child children will rise against parents and have them put to death you will be hated by all for my namesake.
Sign me up.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town flee to the next for truly I say to you you will not have gone through all the Times of Israel before the son of man by Disciple is not above his teacher nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher in the servant like his master if they have called The Master of the House be available. How much more will they malign those of his house? So have no fear of them. For nothing is covered that will not be revealed or hidden. That will not be known what I tell you in the dark say in the light. What you hear was for proclaim on the house-tops. Do not fear Those Who Kill the body?
Cuz I a kind of fear Those Who Kill the body? The Jesus don't don't fear those who can only kill the body but can't kill the soul rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and Body in hell? Are not Two Sparrows sold for a penny and I one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father. But even the hairs of your head are all number. If you're not.
Cuz you're much more value than many sparrows.
So everyone acknowledges me before man? I also acknowledge before my father who is in the heavens, but whoever denies me before men, I will also the night before my father who is in the heavens.
This is where Jesus makes it. Where do not think. That I have come to bring peace to the Earth. I didn't say that. Jesus.
I mean just as straight out as you can go. So what do we got? We got Angels announcing glory to God in the highest peace on Earth and then we got Jesus going don't think that I came to bring peace to the Earth.
Not come to bring peace but a sword.
Come to set a man against his father a daughter against her mother daughter in law against your mother-in-law.
persons enemies will be those of his own household.
Revolver loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take his cross and follow me. Is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever loses his life. for my sake
what do we do with this where we do with this declaration?
Glory to God in the highest. Peace on Earth
This declaration. I didn't come to bring peace, but actually a sore. That my coming.
Going to change things.
But in many ways it's going to get worse before it gets better.
Forgive me if this is just semantics. But this is the way I resolved that in my head. Jesus didn't come. to bring peace came to BP's.
If you didn't come to bring peace he came to make.
the process for that there's a world of difference.
between a peacekeeper The Peacemaker
some of you that's your role in your family, right? You've been the in the Peacekeeper and you're you're getting your gearing up for that this week.
There's a couple of times a year or it becomes really right like and every family's got it. Like we're all a truly functional family in here. We all got our dysfunctions. We've all got our struggles. We've all got our relational challenges and the way that most of us is like somebody in the family decides to be that the Peacekeeper. They just they take it upon themselves. They they they they they smooth things out. They try to avoid the conflict like they try to
Sometimes that's really helpful. for the short-term But it doesn't change anything.
You might keep peace for the moment, but you haven't made. Peace. Jesus did not come as a peacekeeper. Somebody say amen. He did not come as a peacekeeper. He came as a piece maker. In order to make peace, you've got to face the conflict in order to make peace. You got to call out the Injustice in order to make peace. You got to defeat those who stand opposed to peace.
And so Isaiah is right. His resting place will be glorious. The Angels were right God is glorified because peace has come to the Earth and Jesus was right. He didn't come to bring. Peace. He came to pick a fight. With all the things that stand the post piece. and to take away their power
Jesus came to make peace. the B Peace he shows peace is possible. In a world that is hostile to God until one another. He shows us what it looks like and it doesn't look like being a doormat.
It doesn't look like sticking your head in the sand and pretending everything is okay. It doesn't look like running away and hiding and building a little piece bubble and letting the rest of the world suffer.
Shows us what the kingdom of God looks like in the midst of Kingdoms that have rejected God.
And he makes peace. Everywhere he goes.
Paul Spent a lot of time thinking about this and many of those letters but especially struck by a fusions chapter 2. Chris is 11 to 22.
In this part of the letter he's talking about.
at that time and in that culture the fundamental challenge they had Was a religious and ethnic challenge. The distinction was between Jew and Gentile. And that distinction was seen. ethnically it and it was seen religiously. Did you could tell who was who? Not just by what they look like, but by how they live. The Gentiles worshiped the god they worshipped the Stars. They worshipped the planet. The Jews worship the creator of those thing.
And those differences were played out everyday on multiple level.
when Jesus came he didn't just come for the descendants of Abraham. He came first to them. What he came for all? And the gospel was for the Jew first and also for the Gentile and anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be safe. This is what's happening and and Paul spends the bulk of his ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles doing everything he can to tear down those barriers that that hostility that hatred that has grown for generations for centuries between Jew and Gentile.
We think we have a problem with racism in the US and we do. But it pales in comparison to this. We're talking a hundred years. They're talking thousands year.
Warfare and bloodshed of violence and Injustice I can't love you. You're not like me. I can't accept you. We're born annamese were born to pose one another. This is how the kingdoms of the world were.
But the gospel. The gospel is the political announcement that God is establishing his kingdom. Through his King Jesus. And it is for everyone everywhere. Listen, listen to remember that one time you Gentiles in the flash the church in Ephesus. It's got Jewish Believers and it's got Gentile Believers. Once I'm your dentist in the flash. You were called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hand.
Remember at one time you were separated from Christ. You are alienated from the Commonwealth of Israel strangers to the covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus now in King Jesus. you who were once far off? I've been brought near by the blood of Christ.
let f x that racial that political hostility and hatred the violence the fear.
pain separation
was wiped out by the blood of King Jesus you are far away. You are outside. Now you're inside. You are the enemy.
For he himself. is our peace He is our peace.
Jesus is our peace. Set the bar way too low. Which of the bar way too low, we think I want peace. We will usually I just want peace for myself. I want peace for me. I want these for my family or my kids to do good on the grants. I want my neighborhood to be good. I want people to drive nicely.
I'd love to go through, you know Starbucks on the person before me paid for my drink like I want that kind of piece. I want it for me. not for me, but
lower the part. That's not how God's looking at it you want he wants he wants. Peace.
for everyone everywhere for the peace that comes from God is it's not rooted in our circumstances. It's rooted in the person and work of Jesus. He is our peace.
How's that work Paul? Thanks for asking. He has made us both one. And it's broken down in his flesh. the dividing wall of hostility
In other words what Jesus accomplished on the cross he takes into himself. all of that hatred all of that fear all of that pain all of that anguish all of the things that separate us from one another. He takes it into himself and it looks like evil win. Because that evil kills him and I thought abstract evil. That's my evil. It's your evil. Are evil our fear or hatred our rejection?
art prize
are bigotry arson is poured out upon him and it kills him. But thanks be to God. His life is stronger than our sin. And the grave could not hold him.
And he rose again and when he did that he's taking it those things that separate us those things that make us fear those things that make us hate those things that make us want to take rather than gift taking it upon himself and he's defeated it.
He is our peace.
You got peace because he's made us one.
At the foot of the cross we all stand equal.
Before the Savior we all stand. not in our hierarchies of life
the skinny don't get places of prominence. The wealthy don't get a and express line to the savior. It's not dictated by color or Creed. It's not even about our acts of righteousness because all of our righteousness is like filthy rags before him.
Before the feet of Jesus doesn't matter if you're democrat or republican male female slave free, Gentile Jew. American Canadian, there's room for everybody.
And we all stand not in our hierarchies of achievement or accomplishments not in the pride of The Flash.
Or the work of our hands we stand before King Jesus. Unified in our absolute Brokenness and are Universal need. bee rescue
so we stand is Brothers. You stand as sisters. We come as enemies we leave as family.
We come broken we leave hole. Why?
Cuz it's something we do know because of what he's done. He is our peace.
So he has already made. Peace.
It's done. It's happened.
cuz our job It's our job to accept.
To receive that piece to extend that P. pieces on her as the Angels declare because Jesus was on Earth and he is our he
the peace that he started then stop when he is send it.
It was spread through his people. User PCS broken down the dividing wall of hostility abolish the law of Commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two so making keys.
I just the implication of this
in this context in this season of Advent thinking about the gospel as good news of a political reality. Is that when we give our allegiance to King Jesus, it trumps every other Allegiance.
It has to come first and that also means that when we find our identity in Jesus when he is our peace when he makes us a new creation that that identity trumps all the other identity. We all have many identity. We're Sons or daughters brother sisters fathers mothers neighbor. We have lots of identity. White Black Ridge Park Republicans. We have all these identity. But when when we come to King Jesus and he is our peace. And he makes us new noticed. It's us is plural of communal. Its relation when he makes us knew that identity trumps all other identity. Summer follower of Jesus. I'm a Son of God. I'm a daughter of gotz before I mean anything else. Gotham first
are the reason
and we don't see peace in the world.
I really don't see peace in God's family. Because we're putting other identities first.
I'm a Conservative Christian. I'm a Baptist Christian. I'm a white Christian. I'm a black Christian. I'm at this Christian. I'm at that Christian. We put anything in front of Christian. Ruin the whole thing.
Jesus comes first
It doesn't mean those other identities aren't valuable doesn't mean that they don't have residents and reality. Of course they do.
For that identity in Christ shapes and directs all of them. makes us new
you might reconcile as both the god in one body to the Cross there by killing the hostility became preached peace to you who are far off and he preached peace to those who were near for through him. We both have access in one Spirit to the father.
Did you see the line of argumentation here that we all come to and what are you coming to a Jew or Gentile? No matter where you come from. You come to Jesus with your broken this with your need with your since and he stands with his righteousness his faithfulness his obedience his generous love and doesn't matter where you come from when you come to him. He accepts you adopt you makes you knew Auntie makes you one.
All that stuff begins to be putting its rightful place.
So then you're no longer strangers and Aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the Saints and members of the household of God built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets King. Jesus himself being the Cornerstone in whom the whole structure being joined together grows into a holy Temple in the Lord. Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the spirit.
I don't got time cuz like fully unpack that but like What he saying? Is that what Jesus came to do? Is to make us a family.
What Jesus came to do is tear down the hatred and fear that divides us? By taking it into himself Not By ignoring it. Not by might not by passing it off not by pushing it down the road. He takes it into himself. He faces it he confronted he can front all all the evil of this world. And it kills him.
But he comes back.
this this this is
This is so profound. This is so important.
And so practical for us today for how we celebrate the birth of Jesus. If we celebrate the birth of Jesus. in a way exclusive
in a way that's hierarchical it in a way that marginalizes some by elevating others. If we celebrate the birth of Jesus in in any of those ways don't we negate the actual message of Jesus?
When We Make It All About Us in our little world when we make it about our experience of Peace rather than he is all our peace.
Don't we miss the point?
he he is our peace. Because he is our peace.
Get to live differently.
We get to live differently if he really sets us free.
And we get to live differently.
Doesn't mean easily. Jesus wept it's not going to be easy. I love you. Something's it up. Really? Well John 16:33. I said these things to you that in me you may have peace. and me you have in Jesus you can have peace.
in the world You don't have tribulation. In Jesus you get peace in the world you had trouble. But take heart I have overcome the world.
What we keep looking for. Peace. In a place that Jesus said you're not going to find peace.
And ignoring the true peace that he is for us. In him you will have peace stop trying to find peace in your bank account. Stop trying to find peace in that promotion. In your marriage in your child's performance or behavior. Stop trying to find peace in the world. It is still in its death row.
Stop trying to find peace.
the inauguration of a human
over constitution written by men
Stop trying to find peace. in anything other than Jesus he is our
He is our.
My pray with all my heart that that may be true for you today this week this Advent. And every day that God gives you life and breath. That you will resist the temptation of trying to find peace in anything other than King Jesus.
But whatever you experienced this week. Whatever the dysfunctions of your family whatever beautiful joyful traditions and meals and experiences you have. but at the core
Centra you would celebrate the fact that Jesus has made. Peace.
And don't get me wrong. That's a that's a that's a big deal.
Because when Jesus is your peace.
You will set you free. In order to make peace in the world around you. Notice I didn't say keep pee.
we need to make and that means that we as Jesus said have to take up our cross and follow. It means that we must stand and face. hatred hostility evil in all of its form and like Jesus we must be willing to take it into our self. We must be willing to sacrifice and pay the price that piece might be demonstrating and that means we can and we will suffer. That might even mean we could lose our lives.
That's okay. Cuz it's not the worst thing that can happen to us. because our God has defeated death and our King has come back. And he guarantees that even if and when we die. we will be raised to newness of life because King Jesus is our peace Amen, amen father. We thank you so much for the Butte.