"Peace" 12-24-23

Overview

The Peace the Angels Proclaimed

Peace is one of the most beautiful words in our vocabulary—the hush after a newborn finally sleeps, the calm after anxiety lifts, the stillness when weapons are laid down. Scripture is saturated with it. Isaiah names the coming child "Prince of Peace" Isaiah 9:6. Jesus blesses the peacemakers Matthew 5:9. Paul lists peace among the fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23 and promises that the peace of God, surpassing all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus Philippians 4:7.

Yet on the night Christ was born, into a world the Romans called peaceful only because they had bludgeoned it into submission, the angels announced something different to shepherds on the lowest rung of society: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors" Luke 2:14. The sign was a child wrapped in bands of cloth, lying in a manger—the Messiah long promised through Micah Micah 5:2. But this raises a hard question, because Jesus himself later asks, "Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division" Luke 12:51. Since Eden, sin has fractured our peace with God and with one another Genesis 3. Historians count some 15,000 wars since just before Christ's birth; we know in our homes and hearts that perfect peace will not be ours this side of heaven.

The angels were not mistaken—they were proclaiming a deeper peace than politics or circumstance can deliver. Notice how Scripture binds Bethlehem to Jerusalem. At his birth, the heavenly host sings "peace on earth." Thirty-three years later, as Jesus rides toward the cross, the crowds cry, "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!" Luke 19:38. The infant wrapped in cloths and laid in a manger is the same Lord whose body was wrapped in linen and laid in a tomb Luke 23:53. At Bethlehem, the Prince of Peace came to earth; at Calvary, he secured peace in heaven—"making peace through the blood of his cross" Colossians 1:19-20. Those once far off have been brought near by his blood, "for he is our peace" Ephesians 2:13-14.

This is the peace that holds when nothing else does. It is not the temporary quiet of resolved conflict but reconciliation between God and humankind, sealed by the cross and confirmed by the empty tomb. Baptized child of God, washed in those promises, the Father's favor rests on you. The debt you could never pay has been paid; the sacrifice has been accepted; heaven has kissed earth. And God says over you: peace.

Transcript

Would you open your Bible's Fleeze with me to the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke? 3s

If you're using a Pue edition of Holy Scripture, you'll find that in the New Testament 9s

page 50 for our study this afternoon, the second chapter of the Gospel of St. 13s

Luke. 20s

Pies. 24s

Pies. 27s

That is such a beautiful, beautiful word, isn't it? 29s

Sometimes it's that word that is applied when a newborn stops crying. 35s

And parents can take a deep breath and wonder, just how long the peace will last. 41s

But they know at that moment at least then, at least then, there's peace. 49s

Pies can be that word that can be applied when something that is causing you inner turmoil 61s

is resolved. 67s

Something that is causing you an anxiousness becomes resolved. 69s

And there's an inner calm peace. 74s

Pies is when the conflict ceases and the arms are finally put down. 84s

Pies. 94s

That word piece, it just leaves off the pages of Scripture. 97s

Doesn't it? 102s

In Isaiah the ninth chapter for a child has been born for us, a son given to us, authority 103s

rests upon his shoulders and he's named wonderful counselor, mighty God everlasting father, 111s

Prince of Pies. 119s

Pies. 124s

In Matthew the fifth chapter, Jesus said, blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be 124s

called children of God. 133s

The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians the fifth chapter, the fruit of the Spirit is love, 136s

joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 142s

He writes in the fourth chapter of the letter to the Philippians and the peace of God, which surpasses 150s

all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, peace, glorious, glorious 157s

peace. 171s

Peace. 175s

Look at verse 8, please, of our text. 176s

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields keeping watch over their flock 180s

by night. 184s

Isn't it glorious? 185s

Isn't it anthillic glorious that the shepherds were the one that received the message 187s

of the birth first? 191s

The shepherds were on the lowest wrong of the social status of the day. 193s

They were almost regarded as non-herzens and the shepherds are the ones that get 199s

the message. 206s

Verse 9, that an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone 207s

around them they were terrified. 212s

Have you noticed in Scripture when the glory of the Lord is manifest? 214s

Quite often the response is sheer terror. 218s

We go on. 223s

Verse 10, but the angels said to them, do not be afraid for see I'm bringing you good news 224s

of great joy for all the people. 230s

To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who's the Messiah, the Lord. 233s

This was the fulfillment of the prophet Micah's words when he wrote, but you, O Bethlehem 240s

of Ephraim, who are one of the little plans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me 246s

one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old from ancient days. 253s

The Messiah, the Christ, the designation, Lord, the divine title. 261s

Look at verse 12, this will be a sign for you. 270s

You'll find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. 273s

It's what they would do in ancient day. 279s

They would take the bands of cloth and they would wrap the child in them. 282s

Those bands of cloth would keep that child warm, would give it a sense of security, would 287s

keep its limbs straight. 294s

We go on into verse 13 and suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of heavenly 298s

host praising God. 303s

Scripture tells us there's a host of angels. 305s

As one author puts it, when Jesus was born, the angels were in full uniform, reflecting 309s

the glory of God and what was it that they were proclaiming? 317s

Verse 14, glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, 323s

peace among those whom He favors and on earth, peace, peace. 334s

From 36 years before the birth of our Lord, until today, 356s

historians tell us that there have been 15,000 wars. 365s

From World War II until today, historians tell us that the percentage of the wars are in 375s

creasing when you compare it historically from that period of time and you compare it to the 387s

rest of history. 393s

The timing of when the wars start are not decreasing, they're increasing. 396s

When Jesus was born, the historians tell us it was the time of the Pox Romana. 405s

That's a Latin phrase for the peace of Rome and they maintain that it was a time of relative peace 410s

during the Pox Romana. 417s

But it's a little bit of a misnomer because you have to put an asterisk next to that. 420s

Because whatever relative peace was at that time, it was born out of bloodshed. 426s

With the Roman emperors, we're putting down their rivals and snuffing out any result revolts. 434s

In fact, one leader of the day said, the Romans create desolation and they call it peace. 442s

In homes, in relationships, in communities, 457s

neighborhoods, peace on earth. 472s

Well, let's complicate this even more because in the 12th chapter of Luke, in the 12th chapter of 477s

Luke, Jesus asks a question and he says, do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? 485s

Well, certainly with the backdrop of Luke the second chapter, 495s

by the initial response would be, well, of course you've come to bring peace. 499s

But when Jesus asks the question, do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? 504s

He answers it by saying, no! No! 508s

The angels proclaimed on that first Christmas peace on earth. 517s

The Prince of Peace, the one that was born in Bethlehem. 523s

The very one who said, blessed are the peacemakers. 529s

Also says, that he didn't come to bring peace to the earth. 534s

So how do we understand this? How are we to square it up? 544s

How are we to understand where the angels are proclaiming peace on earth? 550s

And Jesus says, I didn't come to bring peace to the earth. 557s

I came to bring division. 563s

How do you square it up? 568s

Carlisle, Marne, was asked a question one day. 574s

The question was, where was the original garden of eat? 580s

And Marne's response was, 585s

2015 Elm Street Knoxville, Tennessee. 588s

Well, the person that asked the question, they didn't like that answer at all. 593s

They were expecting someplace in Asia. That's the typical response. 596s

And so the person asked the question again, said, no, no seriously. 601s

Where was the garden of eaten? Where was that? And Marne responded to 15 Elm Street Knoxville, Tennessee. 606s

He said, when I was a boy, when I was a boy, I stole my mother's purse. 619s

And I went into her purse and I took out money. 627s

And Marne said, then I went to the candy store. 631s

And I bought a whole host of candy and I brought it home. 634s

And I went into the closet and I hid from my mother as I ate the candy. 638s

He said, my mother came calling me and said, where are you? 647s

Where are you hiding? 653s

What have you done? 655s

When our first parents Adam and Eve sunk their teeth into the forbidden fruit, 660s

God had told them, you could eat of any tree of the garden, save one, the tree of knowledge of 665s

good and evil. God said, the day you eat of that, the day you sink your teeth into that, 670s

the day that you determined for yourself would his right and wrong, God said, you die. 675s

But our first parents, they sank their teeth right into that fruit and they swallowed it. 681s

And what did they do? But after eating of the fruit of the forbidden tree, 689s

they hid. 697s

And a scripture tells us that God came walking through the garden and calling out to them, saying, 699s

where are you? What have you done? 706s

Why are you hiding? 711s

Marnie said, the garden is eaten. 715s

Is 215, Elm Street, Knoxville, Tennessee. 721s

We can all give our own addresses, can't wait. 732s

Because we live out the condition of sin that we are in. We live it out. 736s

And we reenact by what it is we think, can we do by what we leave undone, we reenact the garden 744s

in our own lives. 753s

sin. 757s

sin. 760s

That's the issue and that's the problem. 763s

sin gives rise to a lack of peace between us and God and between human beings. 769s

sin is that which separates us from God and from one another. 777s

sin is what Jesus was referring to. 786s

When he said, I didn't come to bring peace. I came to cause division because Jesus knew 790s

for well. That because of sin, because of sin, there would be disagreement among people, a division 797s

among people with regard to the identity of who Jesus is, he knew for well. 805s

That because of sin, there would be those that would not be leave in him as Messiah and Lord. 812s

sin is the reason why we are under the condemnation of God, left to ourselves. sin. 820s

sin is why there will never be this side of heaven, peace. 833s

In all of its perfection, it won't occur will it and we know it. 841s

We can idealize it in our minds, but we know this side of heaven because of sin. 851s

There will never be this peace. 861s

This perfect peace between countries, this perfect peace in homes and neighborhoods, communities. 866s

It's not that the heavenly messengers were wrong, what they proclaimed, that first Christmas. 880s

It wasn't that they were wrong because they were proclaiming a peace. 888s

That is not obtained politically. They were proclaiming a peace that is 897s

not the perpetual absence of difficulties. They were proclaiming a different, a different 905s

peace. Look again, please, verse 14 of chapter 2, glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, 916s

peace among those whom He favors. 33 years after this, 930s

33 years after this, Jesus rode into Jerusalem to go to the cross. 942s

And there the scripture says that the multitudes proclaim. 949s

It wasn't the multitude of the angels that proclaim, but it was the multitude of the people that were 955s

witnessing His entrance into Jerusalem. And the Bible tells us that the people proclaimed 961s

Jesus, blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Now they had a different concept 968s

of how the Messiah should be. They were envisioning a political conquering Messiah who would 978s

snuff out and put down the Romans. They had the wrong concept of Messiah, but in another themselves, 985s

the words were correct. And then catch this. The Bible tells us to very next thing that they 992s

proclaimed as Jesus is coming into Jerusalem to go to the cross. The very next thing they proclaimed is 1000s

peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven. Peace in heaven, they proclaim. 1009s

When Jesus was born, the Prince of Peace came to the earth. 1026s

And when Jesus went to the cross in Jerusalem, he went to the cross to effect the peace in heaven. 1035s

When he was born, they were apt him in claws and the scriptures tell us in the 23rd 1052s

chapter of Luke that when they took Jesus's body down from the cross, they wrapped it in a linen 1058s

cloth and laid it in a rock-hune tomb where no one had ever been laid. You see what the scriptures are 1065s

doing here. You see what God is doing, holding together the birth and the death and the resurrection 1074s

of Christ holding it together. Here the similarity of what the angels saying on that first 1086s

Christmas morning and compare it to what the multitudes were proclaiming. Peace on earth. 1098s

And then 33 years later, the multitudes is going to the cross, proclaim peace in heaven. 1108s

You understand here what God is doing, right? You understand what His revealing in His 1115s

inheritance and infallible word. You understand why He gave Luke these words to record 1120s

because He's holding together Bethlehem and Jerusalem. He's holding them together. 1128s

Peace. Peace. 1146s

You possible, right? In Ephesians the second chapter, He says, 1154s

but now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, 1161s

for He is our heasts. 1171s

All rights in Colossians the first chapter, for in Him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell 1178s

and through Him, God was pleased to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven 1188s

by making peace through the blood of His cross. 1199s

When Jesus Christ went to the cross, He bore all of our sin, your sin and my sin. He bore the 1208s

sin of every human being that ever was is or will be, He bore it on the cross. He paid the debt 1218s

we could never ever pay. He won for us forgiveness. When Jesus was raised out of the tomb, 1226s

it was God's declaration that the sacrifice for sin had been accepted and God said, 1235s

peace, peace, peace. Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace, among those 1251s

whom He favors. And baptized child of God washed in the promises and victory of the cross 1271s

and the empty tomb, baptized child of God, His favor rests on you. 1280s

The angels, you see, the angels proclaimed a deeper peace than when a newborn finally falls asleep. 1292s

The angels proclaimed a deeper peace, then that which is troubling you is finally resolved and you 1306s

have an inner calm. The angels were proclaiming a deeper peace, a deeper peace, then even when 1316s

the conflict ceases and the arms are laid down. For this peace persists through all circumstances, 1328s

this peace is peace between God and humankind. This peace is that reconciliation of that relationship, 1342s

this peace extends for all of eternity. For heaven has kissed earth and God has said, 1353s

peace, peace, peace, peace. 1379s