FINDING TRUE PEACE
The Christmas season is supposed to
bring joy to our hearts, but for many people, it can be a gloomy and dark time
filled with loneliness, depression, and heartache. This Christmas season is tough
for a lot of people around the world. Think about the thousands of families
that have lost their loved ones in the war-torn Middle East and Europe. Or
people living in famine-stricken countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya,
where millions face hunger.
There is so much pain in our world.
That is because we live in a broken world that needs fixing. But who can heal
our wounded hearts, restore broken lives, and bring true Shalom? In the past
three Sundays of Advent, as we lit the candles, we relived the ancient
prophecies and their fulfillment. On this 4th Sunday, as we light
the (Angel’s) or Peace candle, we will listen to the message proclaimed by
angels over two thousand years ago and how that impacts our lives.
I.
God’s Promise of Peace (Luke 2:8-14)
Luke gives the fullest account of
Christ’s birth, connecting the ancient promises. Let’s pay attention to specific
details as we unfold one of God’s promises of peace. It has been over 400 years
since the last prophecy by Malachi 4:5-6: “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah
before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and
the hearts of children to their fathers.”
Traditionally, these 400 years were called the “Silent Years,” between
the Old Testament and New Testament, during which, so far as we know, God did
not speak, and no Scripture was written. You can only imagine how God’s people
lived without any revelation from God.
But all that silence was coming to an end. Suddenly, the
angels in heaven became very busy and started revisiting the earth with
messages from God to specific individuals. An angel visited Zechariah and
announced the birth of John the Baptist, who fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy and
said that God would send Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord
arrived.
The angel Gabriel visited a virgin Mary in a village in
Nazareth and told her that she would give birth to a baby and name him Jesus.
An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, assured him of God’s plan for Mary, and
encouraged him to take her as his wife.
In the same region of Nazareth, a group of shepherds had
the visitation of a host of angels. The brilliance of these angelic hosts might
have brightened up the skyline of the hills of Palestine and the surrounding
regions. Fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy, “People who walk in darkness will see a
great light.” (Isaiah 9:2). The angel assured the frightened shepherds,
saying, Lk
2:10-12, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be
for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby
wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Thus fulfilling the
prophecies of Isaiah 9:6-7 and Micah 5:2
You might be wondering what happened to God’s promised peace.
Here it comes! After delivering this joy-filled news, this angel was suddenly
joined by a host of other angels. They all began praising God, saying, “Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.
In some manuscripts, it is said, “peace, goodwill among men.”
Is this promised Peace of God for all people or those he
is pleased with? It is not a random promise for everyone but to everyone who
finds favor with God. In other words, not everyone will experience this Peace
of God, but those who diligently seek Him will receive it.
The world needs peace,
and the people need peace more than anything these days of restlessness and
trouble. The question we must ask is, where can we find True Peace? I
deliberately used True Peace because the world offers only external
and temporary peace. God offers True Peace that is both external and internal,
and permanent. No matter what happens, God’s Peace cannot be taken away from
us. Therefore, we must seek True Peace.
II.
Finding True Peace.
There are three parts to the angel’s
chorus. First, “Glory to God in the highest.” This indicates that
God is the one who brings True Peace, and He should only get all the glory—secondly,
peace on earth refers to universal peace. During this Christmas
season, the whole world is looking for peace, especially the Israelis,
Palestinians, and the hostages in Gaza.
When we look at the heart-wrenching
images of the suffering of the wounded civilians (children, men, and women) and
over 20,000 people killed in this war so far, let’s not harden our hearts. Let’s
pray to God to end this war quickly and establish peace in the Middle East.
Thirdly, “Peace among those
with whom he is pleased, (peace, goodwill among men).” This refers to
those with whom God is pleased. Who are these favored ones, you may wonder?
This could be anyone God draws to himself as the Holy Spirit convicts them of
their sin.
When I first came under the
conviction of the Holy Spirit, I repented my sins by asking Jesus’ forgiveness.
Immediately, I noticed my heart was filled with Joy and Peace. Some of you
today might be wondering, I need that Peace that God offers, the True Peace. If
you have never experienced this overwhelming peace, this is how and where to
Find True Peace today.
A.
You can find True Peace in God.
One of the names of God is Jehovah
Shalom, which means the Lord Is Peace. God brings True Peace by defeating both
our physical and spiritual enemies. God granted Peace during King Solomon’s
reign, I Kings 4:24, “For he had dominion over all the region west of the
Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And
he had peace on all sides around him.” I am sure every country in this world
would want such territorial peace. How about spiritual peace? God can bring
that internal peace by defeating Satan, the arch-enemy of every human soul.
Defeating Satan is not an afterthought for God but was in the planning all
along.
B.
You can find True Peace through Christ
When God pronounced curses on Adam
and Eve for their sin of disobedience, he began with the serpent that deceived
Eve in the first place. Genesis 3:15, “I will put enmity between you and the
woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and
you shall bruise his heel.” The war with Satan began in the Garden of Eden.
Who was the seed of the woman in
this verse? That was what Isaiah prophesied: Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is
born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and
his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.” Jesus, the Prince of Peace, will ultimately completely defeat
our arch-enemy Satan and establish His Kingdom on earth, where there will be
never-ending peace.
Many things could rob us of our
peace of mind and heart. The baby born in Bethlehem grew up to be a man, and
this was how he tackled situations and circumstances that were frightening and
dangerous. Once, the disciples were caught in a great windstorm. The wind and
the ways threatened to drown them. Jesus woke up from his sleep and “rebuked
the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there
was a great calm.” Mark 4:39
Jesus displayed his inner peace
despite knowing He would be crucified. Jesus comforted his disheartened
disciples by saying, “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.” John 14:27 What storms of life threaten to sink the ship of
your life? Cry out like the disciples did. Jesus
will rebuke those storms and say, Peace! Be still! Those who are anxious hear
these words, “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.” Phil 4:6-7 Amen!
