Jesus, Prince of Peace
And His Name Will be Called • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction:
Introduction:
We’ve been looking at 1 verse that lists just four names for Jesus (turn to Isa. 9:6)
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
In those names, we’ve discovered…
•As our Wonderful Counselor, He is an amazing/awesome/astonishing Advisor/Advocate.
•As our Mighty God, our salvation, strength, and security depend on Him.
•As our Everlasting Father, He has a permanent and paternal relationship with us.
Today, we wrap up our short study by looking at one last Name, our Prince of Peace.
•In the last two years, it seems like “peace” is about the last thing on our minds.
•Which is why we need to talk about it.
The first thing we discover in our name today is …
I. HE IS OUR PRINCE.
I. HE IS OUR PRINCE.
The context of Isa. 9:6 revolves around the idea that Messiah will be a Prince.
This whole passage conveys the fact that this Messiah would be a victorious ruler.
There are two things about a prince I want to highlight today.
A. A prince commands respect.
A prince was someone who was highly respected and revered/held in high esteem.He was considered royalty.
We have trouble respecting authority in America.That’s one of the shortfalls of being a democracy.Our young people are being taught to challenge and even resist authority. When the British meet royalty, they bow/pay respect as a sign of submission/humility. In Biblical times, a prince commanded the same respect.
Jesus, our Prince commands the greatest respect.
He is to be held in the highest esteem.That means we submit to His authority whether we want to or not.It means we honor Him and revere Him above all else, all the time.It means we bow before Him in humility and treat Him like royalty.
Not only is He a Prince, but there’s coming a day when He will return as King of kings and Lord of lords.
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The second characteristic of a prince actually sets him apart from the king.
B. A prince concerns himself with the people.
Princes were usually more involved in the affairs of the country than the king.
The king sat on his throne signing orders, while the princes were out in the trenches, governing the people.
In 2 Sam. 15, David’s son, Absalom, was able to overtake the throne because he sat at the gate with the people and turned their hearts toward him.The people could better relate to a prince than they could to a king.
Jesus, as our Prince, is also concerned with the affairs of His people. He left His throne in heaven to humble Himself and come down to the likes of us.
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
The difference between Jesus our Prince and any other earthly prince/ruler is:
•An earthly prince thrives on the respect he receives. Jesus renounced His respect.
•An earthly prince seeks power/prestige. Jesus gave His up by being born in a barn.
•An earthly prince gets involved in affairs for his own benefit. Jesus got involved for our benefit.
Jesus, as our Prince, not only commands our greatest respect, He also deserves our highest praise because He is personally concerned with the affairs of His people.
31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Jesus Christ is our Prince, our Ruler, our Final Authority.
II. HE BRINGS US PEACE.
II. HE BRINGS US PEACE.
Shalom – also translated “safety, prosperity, success, wellbeing”.
•Mentioned 236x in Scripture, 24x in Isa..
11 The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.
12 “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
But what exactly is “peace”? First of all, let me tell you what it’s not.
A. Real Peace is not…
1. The absence of conflict.
Often we try to avoid conflict so we can “keep the peace”.
Just because there’s no external conflict doesn’t mean there’s internal contentment.
Many countries feel that they’re at peace if they’re not at war. It doesn’t work that way.
14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace.
2. Humanly possible.
The peace that Isaiah prophesied about, the peace that the Messiah offers is not humanly possible.
(Clark Tanner, SC.com) Mankind has never known peace. Our municipalities have laws against disturbing the peace. No peace treaty that man has ever devised has been kept. In man there is no peace; and here is why. It’s because man has never been at peace with God, and if there is not peace with God, then there can be no peace in the soul.
We are a fallen people. We are sinful and wicked.
22 “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”
(Stephen Todd, SC.com) Paul Harvey told the story of a father whose son had gone off to fight for the union army during the American civil war. After months of camp fever, his son finally saw battle and was seriously wounded. News of his son’s wound came to the father on Christmas Eve, and being a poet he sat down and expressed his anguish in a song. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote these words as he contemplated that bleak Christmas morning:
And in despair I bowed my head "There is no peace on earth I said,
For hate is strong and mocks the song Of Peace on earth goodwill to men."
We can stop all the wars and avoid all conflict, we can retreat and pretend that all is well. But if we don’t know Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we will never know real peace.
B. Real Peace is…
Real peace gives the idea of being fully alive, fully content. Specifically, it means…
1. Security
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Peace isn’t the absence of conflict. It’s total assurance/security in the midst of conflict.
It’s knowing that no matter what happens, God is still in control!
2. Rest
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Illus. When you were a kid, did you have trouble sleeping worrying about the bills or your job or health or having enough food? No, because your parents took care of that.
Real peace means trusting Jesus to take care of the details of life.
3. Reconciliation
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Perfect peace can only be found when we are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. There is no more hostility between us, no sin blocking our relationship with Him. Peace with God is possible only because Jesus paid the price for our sins through His death on the cross.
4. A Gift
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 heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
You will never find real peace/security/rest/reconciliation apart from the Prince of Peace.He gives us peace because He is the Prince and Author of Peace.
C. What kind of peace does He bring?
1. He brings perpetual peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
When our Prince of Peace returns as our King of kings, there will be no end to peace!
As our Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace, He brings us everlasting peace!
2. He brings perfect peace.
3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
We can’t even comprehend perfect peace – no anxiety, no fear, no doubt, no stress.Just pure, unadulterated, perfect peace.
3. He brings peace that passes understanding.
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
This Baby, Whose birthday we just celebrated, is THE source of perpetual, perfect peace, a peace that we will never fully comprehend this side of Heaven, a peace that we cannot understand apart from the Prince of Peace!
Jesus came to earth to be our Prince, our Ruler, our King.Not by force, but by peace; His perpetual, perfect peace that passes understanding.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow didn’t end his song in despair. When he heard the bells on Christmas day, he looked beyond the conflict and stress of the moment and realized that real peace was possible but only in the Prince of Peace. His 4th verse goes like this:
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep; "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, Of peace on earth, good-will men
Conclusion:Do you know that kind of peace? Do you know the Prince of Peace? Do you know real contentment, security, rest in spite of the trials of life? Can you truly say, “It is well with my soul”? Too many people are running around saying, “I don’t have time for that/for Jesus”. Too many people will never experience His peace because they will never accept the Perfect Gift that the Prince of Peace offers. You can only find perfect peace by giving your life to the Prince of Peace.
There are many wonderful names for Jesus in Scripture.
This Christmas season, we have looked at 4. And we’ve discovered again that Jesus Christ is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father.
Jesus Christ is our Prince of Peace.
As our Wonderful Counselor, we can seek Him.
As our Mighty God, we can rest in Him.
As our Everlasting Father, we can run to Him.
As our Prince of Peace, we can find real peace in Him.
Are you seeking Him, finding rest in Him?
Have you run to Him? Have you found real peace in Him?