Finding Peace At Christmas

Isaiah 26:1 ESV

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.

Isaiah 26:2 ESV

Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.

Isaiah 26:3 ESV

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 26:4 ESV

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Note isaiah’s promise of peace… in isaiah 26.3.... perfect peace....

Have you perfect or imperfect peace?

Shalom= wholeness, completeness, fullness of peace. (Jewish greeting).

Peace with God

Peace with Others

Peace with self

Peace with circumstances.

What really brings peace?

In Isaiah 26.3, the reality is that the word “peace” occurs twice, which means that the writer is saying a double portion of peace.

Because we are going to need it.

Peace doesn’t mean no problems. There will be issues, always. There will be problems, always.

Bad News and Good News is:

Problems do not take sabbatical; Jesus doesn’t either.

Peace

What did the angels say? Look at Luke 2.14

Luke 2:14 ESV

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

And so the shepherds headed out to Bethlehem to see this. Have you ever asked yourself what the trip was like? Have you ever asked yourself what they found?

We don’t know what the journey was like, but it would have been crowded. Census.

What did they find? They found a poor couple with no money in the worst of conditions. But they had the child.

Jesus often said, “Peace Be with you.” Who did he say it to?

When they were afraid?

in John 20.19...

John 20:19 ESV

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

When they were being sent out in John 20.21

John 20:21 ESV

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

When they were hiding from others in John 20.26

John 20:26 ESV

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

Jesus often said, “Go in peace.” Who did he say it to?

Remember the women with the issue of blood for 12 years who reached out and touched Jesus’ hem of his garment? In Mark 5.34

Mark 5:34 ESV

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Remember in Luke when the women, who was a sinner, came with the box of ointment and anointed Jesus’ feet. Here’s the beginning of the story in Luke 7.36-39

Luke 7:36–39 ESV

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”

So, what does Jesus say to her? In Luke 7.50

Luke 7:50 ESV

And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Paul said , “The god of all grace and peace.” in many of his letters.

so, where does peace start? Isaiah says it starts in our minds.

look at Isaiah 26.3

Isaiah 26:3 ESV

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

A Penny for your thoughts.

What Is Your Mind Fixed On?

fixed on Jesus....

What is your mind fixed on? CNN ? Fox? Coronavirus?

The word “fixed” or “stayed” is to lean or completely rest oneself on.

You will find peace when your mind completely focuses on God, leans on god, rests on God’s promises.

Right now,.... what are you thinking of?

Mind drift? Distracted?

FIXED on Jesus means leaning on him, fully resting on Him, giving all of our cares to Him.

Think about Paul’s advice in Philippians 4.8-9

Philippians 4:8–9 ESV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Jesus is all these things… good, true, honorable, etc.,

When you’re in trouble, he’s a compass

When you’re lost, he will find you.

Think on Jesus. Without Jesus, peace won’t come and if you think ikt has, it won’t make sense at all.

God is Good

His Word is Always True.

He never leaves.

He never forsakes.

He finds me when I’m lost.

He guides me when I’m lost.

He comforts me when I’m hurt and heals me when I’m sick.

He will never leave me nor forsake me.

This peace will never make sense to someone without Christ, but will make all the sense in the universe to someone who does have Him.

Remember what Jesus said in John 14.27

John 14:27 ESV

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.

Jesus iddn’t say he’d give us “peace”, he said he’d give us “his” peace.

And His peace is the perfect peace Paul spoke about. So how do we find that?

It is important to understand when Jesus said this. It was the night before he was crucified. And He knew it as it was happening. He knew that tomorrow He would be arrested, put on trial, beaten, scourged, disrobed, and crucified. He knew it all and he didn’t say, “I’m so nervous I have a big test tomorrow.”

He said to his disciples, “My Peace” I leave with you.

how is that found?

Mark 4.35-41 tells the story.

Mark 4:35–41 ESV

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Notice, there are actually 2 storms in this story. The first is the weather. The second is the turmoil in the storm in the disciple’s hearts.

“Don’t you care if we drown?” They had no peace. And they couldn’t give peace to their brothers, because they had none themselves. Jesus did.

That is key. You can’t give what you don’t have.

I’m in the market for a car- the prices right now are out of this world. If you don’t have it, you don’t get it.

Real Estate- prices are up. If you don’t have it, you have to get it.

Peace. If you don’t have it… you can’t give it to someone else.

Jesus has it. He speaks to the storm on the lake and the storm in their hearts, “Peace. Be still.”

Jesus gives them His peace. And He is able to give us our peace as well, because he has it.

Have you ever been in the situation where you can’t do anything about your situation?

We read Philippians 4.8, but it would be important to read what Paul wrote just before that in Philippians 4.6-7

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Peace of God. What did Jesus say? The Peace of God, Not the world’s peace, He would give to us. His peace.

Because peace is not found in the absence of problems; Peace is found in the presence of God.

Peace Is Not Found In The Absence Of Problems; Peace Is Found In The Presence Of Jesus