Today we have arrived at the fourth and final Sunday of Advent. This means the coming of Messiah is near! The fourth candle of the advent wreath which we light today, is the candle of peace. This seems totally appropriate when we remember the prophet Isaiah’s words when he said that the future messiah would be called the “Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) And then after the angel had announced to the shepherds that Messiah had been born, a heavenly host praised God and proclaimed “peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” (Luke 2:14) But a closer examination of Messiah’s own words might initially cause some confusion. Matthew records the “Prince of Peace” saying, “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34 and see Luke 12:51) Did Isaiah and the angels get it wrong? We know that can’t be the answer. Another of Jesus’ sayings begins to shed some light. He said, “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.” (John 14:27)
So once again we are forced to carefully define our focus word for the week. Peace is often understood as the absence of conflict. But even a cursory look at the last two thousand years of history would prove that Jesus’ coming did not end conflict. In fact, since His birth, He has been the central focus of much conflict. Millions have died because of their faith in Christ in wars small and large. Sadly, even this very day men, women, and children will be killed in our world solely because they are Christ followers. This is what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 10 and Luke 12. (see above)
So how does Christ fulfill his title of Prince of Peace? And what is this gift of peace that He gives that the world cannot give? First, we need to understand that we begin life as enemies of God. (Colossians 1:21) Born into sin, we have no standing with God, no way to make ourselves righteous or holy which is what God requires. As a result, without a remedy, we are doomed to spend eternity separated from God in hell. This is the conflict which Jesus came to resolve. His gift of peace that the world cannot give is not absence of physical (or emotional) conflict, but rather spiritual peace between us and God through faith in Him. Paul said it this way in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Hallelujah! As much as we long for peace – in our life circumstances, in our families, in the world – it is peace with God that we most desperately need; and that is exactly what Christ came to offer us on that first Christmas day.
This Christmas, I pray that you and your family will take some time to praise God for the peace that Jesus brought to us. And, don’t forget to share this gift with those who yet remain hopelessly in conflict with God so they too can learn to celebrate what Christmas is all about – the advent of Messiah, the Prince of Peace.
GBU – 2 Thessalonians 3:16
