5) Concluding Thoughts and Communion

Transcription

1 December 15, 2013 Jesus the Prince of Peace: John a Page 1 Main thesis: The only way to have lasting peace is to receive it from Christ. 1) Intro: Video, Christmas Truce of 1914, Silent Night 2) Nelson Mandela and the Continuation of Fleeting Peace 3) Jesus Peace 4) How are we to be Peace- transmitters? 5) Concluding Thoughts and Communion

2 December 15, 2013 Jesus the Prince of Peace: John a Page 2 1) Intro a) Video: Christmas Truce of 1914 i) JOHN 14.27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ii) Hard to separate legend from reality, but it's well documented that this truce happened up and down the entire western front of WWI, on Christmas Eve, during the first winter of the war. iii) By many accounts, the carol that brought the two sides together was Silent Night b) Silent Night i) Rewind 96 years before the Christmas Truce (may have heard this story via John Denver in the Muppets Christmas ) ii) A carol whose lyrics were originally written in German (Stille Nacht) by an Austrian Catholic priest by the name of Joseph Mohr. iii) As legend goes, it was Christmas Eve, and Fr. Mohr's church's organ was broken, and he needed a carol for the Christmas Eve midnight mass. So he walked 2 frigid miles to the home of his church organist and friend, Franz Gruber, and asked him to write music to a poem he had written a couple of years prior. Franz composed the melody within a couple hours, and it was performed that night with a guitar and choir. Christmas Eve, iv) It was that song that brought peace to soldiers 96 years later, at the end of 1914 Silent Night lyrics (original lyrics in German): Silent night, Holy night All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin, mother and child Holy infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, Holy night Shepherds quake, at the sight Glories streams from heaven above Heavenly hosts sings Hallelujah. Christ the savior is born, Christ the savior is born. Silent night, Holy night Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at thy birth, Jesus, Lord at thy birth. c) But the peace was short lived. i) 1915 was a long year of war, which included the use of mustard gas and other tactics that made it easy to view the enemy as less than human. (1) Nevertheless, as Christmas of 1915 came about, the following year, some troops set out to repeat the experience of the previous Christmas. (2) They stood up with their arms outstretched to cross over to enemy lines and exchange gifts. (3) Unfortunately, more often than not, they were shot and killed by enemy fire. ii) The fragile peace established after this "War to End All Wars" in 1918, eventually led to the deadliest military conflict the world has ever seen, less than a quarter- century later, where 60 million people, or 2.5% of the world's population, was killed. iii) By the time World War 2 was ending in mid- 1945, segregationist, paternalistic policies were gaining traction in South Africa, and 3 years after the end of the war, the Dutch- controlled government made the oppressive Apartheid regime the law of the land in the nation of South Africa.

3 December 15, 2013 Jesus the Prince of Peace: John a Page 3 2) Nelson Mandela and the Continuation of Fleeting Peace a) Synopsis: i) Enter Nelson Mandela he passed away 10 days ago, on Dec. 5 at the ripe age of 95 ii) Revered South African anti- Apartheid icon iii) A complex man with many moral shortcomings, which he himself acknowledged iv) Fought the Apartheid regime politically and also militarily in the early days of the policy, the 1950s, by establishing an armed wing of the most prominent Black African political party in South Africa (1) Sabotaged government buildings at night to minimize casualties v) For those crimes, he was imprisoned for 27 yrs in the prime of his life, and became a legend in his own time vi) After he was freed in 1990, he used his legendary status to call on his people to stop escalating violence and retributive justice, and instead promote peace vii) After becoming president in the Spring of 1994, he established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a grand, visionary commission to forgive those who confessed crimes committed during Apartheid, instead of prosecuting them, in order to facilitate the healing process for the nation and as a way to implement restorative justice by bringing human rights abuses to light. (1) He called on his friend, Desmond Tutu, to chair this Commission. viii) Mandela fulfilled his own promise of a mixed- race government, and stepped out of power after 1 term, as he promised. ix) God used him as an instrument of peace in South Africa x) You may have heard that nearly 100 heads- of- state attended his memorial service earlier this week and the atmosphere was one of great celebration b) But through one man, only so much peace can be achieved in this world i) You may have also heard that despite being billed beforehand as a sure standing- room only crowd in a 95,000 capacity stadium in Johannesburg, thousands of seats were actually left empty ii) You may have heard that there was very little participation from South Africans of European descent. iii) You may have heard that the Interpreter at the memorial, the person standing just feet away from heads of state who spoke, including our own, was a fake, and according to complaints filed by deaf watchers of the memorial around the world, he was motioning "gibberish" for hours, marginalizing the deaf community and acting contrary to everything Mandela worked so hard for. iv) You may have heard that the current South African president Jacob Zuma was booed at the memorial because of government corruption; he refused to call a holiday so that people could be excused from work to attend the event. v) You may have heard that Desmond Tutu, the man who Mandela called upon to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, had his home was burglarized as he attended the memorial event. vi) You may know that long after Mandela left the Presidency in 1999, Johannesburg was still known as the murder capital of the world. vii) You may know that by some accounts, a quarter of men in South Africa admit to having raped a woman in their lifetime. viii) Despite all the work that Mandela did to reconcile a nation, there is still lingering anger, hatred of one people group toward another, and a significant number of despicable acts of violence.

4 December 15, 2013 Jesus the Prince of Peace: John a Page 4 3) Jesus Peace a) And we become cynical of peace. It s easy for us to be critical when we hear that word. Often, we jump to thinking of our current context in the opposite way how much conflict there is in our own lives and in the world, and not how much peace is being brought to it through the people of the world. i) Just yesterday we felt the weight of the 1 st anniversary of the Newtown Shooting. ii) The day before that we mourned another massacre in our own backyard, this time at the school of one of our youth here at Hope iii) It s been less than a year and a half since the Aurora Theater Shooting iv) And coming this spring we have the 15 th anniversary of Columbine v) There seems to be a tyranny of violence in the world we live in. Is this just a bitter irony? vi) It s no wonder we hear lyrics like the one sung by U2 s Bono, that express the frustration of continuing conflict and angst in the world: Jesus, can you take the time to throw a drowning man a line? Peace on earth. b) But Jesus says, in John 16.33: In me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world. c) What kind of peace did Jesus come to bring, if this is the reality we live in? We heard in John that it s one that s not like peace the world gives. And it s an overcoming peace. d) As I think back to Mandela s memorial one political leader said in a similar situation, addressing a crowd of allies who used to be enemies, "You're an inheritor of a just and hard- earned peace." i) But earned peace is fleeting. ii) The only peace that s eternal is peace that s given. iii) These earthly examples of peace (Xmas Truce, 1914; South Africa, 80 yrs later) still fall short of our longing e) When the disciples heard Jesus use the word peace (Hb. shalom), it had a much richer connotation than the English word does since it conveyed not merely the absence of conflict and turmoil but also the notion of positive blessing, especially in terms of a right relationship with God (e.g., Num. 6:24 26; cf. Ps. 29:11; Hag. 2:9, and also, as a result, the idea that all is well in one s life). This may be manifested most clearly amid persecution and tribulation; see also John 15:18 19; 16:33. f) In Matt. 5.9, Jesus says, Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called Sons of God. i) But a better translation of that Greek word peacemaker describes receiving & making it s a 2- way street ii) A better word might be peace- transmitter or peace- promoter

5 December 15, 2013 Jesus the Prince of Peace: John a Page 5 4) How are we to be peace- transmitters? a) We are to imitate Jesus and his character as the Prince of Peace. i) But we're not just called to ape him. We are not just to observe how he does things, and then copy it. ii) We are given more than his Biblical example, we are given Him! That is the beauty of the Christmas story. iii) Given Him, first through the breakthrough of Prince of Peace himself, into the world He created, lying in a manger 2000 years ago; then through His ultimate restorative work of peace between man and God on the cross 33 years later; and then through His pouring out of the Holy Spirit on anyone who calls on His name. iv) Proven by the context of the John text: (1) Verse before it, v26: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you (2) Verse after it, v28: I am going away, and I will come to you. v) So peace is a gift, given to us by Jesus, the Prince of Peace. b) Since peace is a gift, and he gives it to us through His Spirit, it follows that peace is a fruit of His Spirit i) This is clearly written by Paul in Galatians 5.22 ii) When we put our trust in Christ and receive him, we also RECEIVE his peace. (1) We receive peace in a general sense because of the assurance of salvation and of our place in the Kingdom of Heaven as one of the adopted princes and princesses of God the Father, and we also have peace in any specific circumstance when we ask for it to be bestowed on us through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. c) We are busy this season. Receiving his peace is the step of faith. Resting requires faith, because it means you're not getting something else done. i) So when you're feeling stressed about all the anticipations and busyness of the season: decorations that need putting up, and all the gifts that need to be bought and wrapped, and all the food that needs to be cooked to perfection, and all the travel that needs to be planned and packed for, and all the people you need to be around, and all the Christmas cards that need to be sent out, and everything else that needs to get done this season, when you feel more like Martha than Mary (Luke ) ii) And when unexpected delays happen, like when you're stuck in a snow drift on the side of a wintry road, or have just had your 6th flight in a row canceled at the Dallas- Fort Worth airport in the middle of an ice storm, or you're waiting for your Medicaid denial so you can elect subsidized health insurance through the Connect For Health Colorado health insurance marketplace for your family of 4, including 2 small children who are usually sick this time of year, so you don't have a lapse in insurance coverage come January 1, iii) And when you're feeling anxious about coming family conflict, and when that conflict does come through Aunt Vicki confronting you about how you're not raising your kids right, or worse, telling your kids how you're not raising them right, or when your mom says something totally out of line at the dinner table, or when Uncle Jack asks you why you're still in that dead- end job iv) or: when you're feeling really lonely and were only wishing you had some kind of family conflict to occupy your thoughts, v) or: when your sister- in- law unexpectedly shares how horrible life has been for her lately and she's asking you for encouragement and wisdom and to mourn with her, d) WE ARE TO BE PEACE TRANSMITTERS, 1ST BY RECEIVING IT FROM IN HIM; THEN TRANSMITTING IT WHEREVER WE ARE.

6 December 15, 2013 Jesus the Prince of Peace: John a Page 6 5) Concluding thoughts and Communion a) Rest in Heavenly Peace i) Nelson Mandela had 27 years of quiet and privacy, and after, was given the opportunity to rally a nation whose work is still incomplete. Though the peace is not complete and never will be this side of Heaven, can anyone deny that he was used as a peace- transmitter? He self- identified as a Christian man, a Methodist. ii) Choose to stop and give Jesus the authority and the space to strengthen you through his Spirit of Peace. In maybe no other season is it as important to carve out time to rest in Him, break open your Bible, sing Silent Night to yourself, or just let him know what your heart is troubled about, or tell him what you re afraid of, and let him GIVE YOU HIS PEACE. Then you will be start to become a peace- transmitter. iii) For unto us (to you, to me) a child is born, and unto us (to you, to me) a Son is given. Ask for the Holy Spirit to bestow peace on you, just like God the Father bestowed the Son unto humanity in a little manger, sleeping in Heavenly Peace. Then we too will be made, as St. Francis prayed, into an instrument of His peace. Then will justice and righteousness flow into ourselves, our friends and families, and our world. iv) We would all do well to recreate that Silent and Holy Night in the depths of our own souls, during times of stress and anxiety. Then we too will be able to rest in Heavenly Peace. b) Communion i) The best way that I could think of to respond together to Jesus invitation to rest in his peace is through communion. Through this visible example of receiving him this morning, together. It s the way Jesus, the Prince of Peace, clearly demonstrated to his followers that we need to receive Him. ii) Description of communion (Matt ) (1) During the dinner with his disciples on the night before his death on a cross, Jesus took the bread at the table. After giving thanks, he broke it and declared that it was his body, broken for the world. (2) After that, Jesus took a cup of wine, and after giving thanks for it, declared that it was his blood for a new covenant, poured out for the forgiveness of sins, which restores humanity to relationship with God the Father. (3) This is a celebration for those of us who have made a commitment to him, to remember him and anticipate him coming again to usher us into a new heaven and a new Earth where there is perfect peace. (4) No pressure to participate for those who haven't responded to Christ's invitation of a new, resurrected life through Him. But if you ve made that commitment to him today, you re more than welcome. (5) For those who are participating, please come up when ready, take a piece of bread, dip it in the cup. (a) Gluten free is available for those who would prefer it.

7 December 15, 2013 Jesus the Prince of Peace: John a Page 7 6) Benediction: Aaron's Blessing: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.