He is the Prince of Peace Text: Isaiah 9:6 Series: Who is Jesus? [#4] Pastor Lyle L. Wahl

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He is the Prince of Peace Text: Isaiah 9:6 Series: Who is Jesus? [#4] Pastor Lyle L. Wahl Introduction If you could have anything you want, what would it be? That s a deep question.

1 He is the Prince of Peace Text: Isaiah 9:6 Series: Who is Jesus? [#4] Pastor Lyle L. Wahl Introduction If you could have anything you want, what would it be? That s a deep question. It receives both serious and light-hearted responses. It is even used on questionnaires for admission to some schools and for employment screening. If you were to do your own survey I am sure you would receive a wide range of answers. One answer you would be certain to get is peace. World peace, peace in the Middle East, peace in families, in the workplace, community, church and personal, inner peace. There seems to be so little peace in the world. This is not new. The words of the Christmas carol I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day were written by the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. His son had gone off to fight in the U.S. Civil War. On Christmas Eve he received word that his son had been seriously wounded. He expressed his anguish in this song. Verse 3, 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, good will to men. 1 This morning we are going to think together about peace as we come to the fourth, and last description of Jesus in Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6. He is the Prince of Peace. There is much confusion about true, real peace. Today we will continue to sweep away some of the confusion around Christmas and Christ and sweep in some clarity. Peace the real thing. Let s get started with a full measure of reality. I realize some people, at least at times, prefer to avoid reality. A character in a novel tells us, When you compare the sorrows of real life to the pleasures of the imaginary one, you will never want to live again, only to dream forever. 2

2 When it comes to peace, escaping into imagination, fantasy or dreams doesn t help in the end. We need the real thing. We begin with surveying the range of meanings. I keep a dictionary on hand for several reasons. One is because the use or meaning of words keeps changing. One dictionary gives two basic meanings for peace: freedom from noise or anxiety (that certainly is up to date!); and freedom from or the ending of war. 3 These are the most common meanings for peace today. From here we need to zero in on the Biblical meaning. The Hebrew word for peace in Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6, occurs over 250 times in the Old Testament. It is shalom. This word comes from the ideas of completion, fulfillment, wholeness and unity. In the Old Testament it had the ideas of peace and safety for a nation that is not threatened, not at war. The idea of being whole, in both a literal and figurative sense. It was used to refer to whole or uncut stones which were to be used for building an altar. 4 Then it has the idea of being fulfilled or complete, as in Genesis chapter 15 verse 16 which states that the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. A frequent use is of a sense of wellbeing, of being in harmony. That sense of well being was the basis for the word becoming a greeting, equal to Hello and Goodbye that is still used today. So the overall sense is that of being complete, whole, in harmony, being fulfilled, being as one ought to be, being as God created us to be, as He desires us to be. It applies to every area of life: Spiritually, to your relationship with God. Personally, with ourselves. Relationally, with others and situations. And, yes, physically being as we ought to be. This is the real thing. It is what we want. 2

3 Peace for us from Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Jesus Christ is the Prince of this real, true peace for us. Isaiah wrote, His name will be called Prince of Peace. He is the Prince of completeness, wholeness, being in harmony, being as you ought to be, of experiencing fulfillment. When we hear the title Prince we think of royalty. While it was used for royalty in the Old Testament, it was used much more broadly. It was used to refer to the leader of a group, a nation, a province, a military force, of one who is in control, who provides direction, has authority. Jesus Christ is the ruler over, possesses and dispenses the real thing, true peace. The four descriptions of the Messiah, of Jesus, go together. He is the Wonderful Counselor, whose wisdom we need and can have. He is the Mighty God who is the creator, sustainer and judge of all who has the power to keep and protect. He is the Everlasting Father as He cares and provides. And, He is the Prince of Peace. He is the God of peace. Gideon built an altar to God and named it The LORD is Peace. 5 God is peace. And so God tells us in Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11, I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare [plans for shalom, there s the word peace] and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope (NASB). And so also, the New Testament instructs us that God is the God of peace. 6 He both is peace and the giver of peace. Of course, then, that leads to the question of how can we receive, live in, and enjoy this real peace. We start with the reality that Jesus Christ has established peace with God for us. Because we are sinners by nature and action, we are separated from God. That includes being separated from His perfect peace. It is a condition which we cannot change. But God can, and does. We see the basis for it in Isaiah chapter 53, which is a prophecy about Jesus. He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well being [our shalom, our peace, 3

4 our being as we ought to be] fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed (verse 5, NASB). The healing of sin, for our well being is in Jesus. So later in chapter 57 God promises and calls, Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near (19). When Jesus was born a great throng of angels sang, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 7 The apostle Paul gave a good summary, God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ s blood on the cross (NLT). 8 Through His becoming one of us, His death and resurrection, Jesus is the Prince of Peace for us, He is our peace. Experiencing the real thing, real peace from God comes through Jesus that s the only way. And this way is established, is open to all who will receive it. Specifically, Jesus gives His perfect peace to those who believe and trust in Him. Let s review some basic passages. Jesus said in John chapter 14 verse 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. And in John chapter 16 verse 33, I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (ESV). These verses are clear. But our experience may not be consistent. When young David went up against Goliath he chose five smooth stones to use with his sling. 9 Let me suggest five smooth stones you can use to defeat unrest, confusion and turmoil and experience God s peace. First, ask God for His peace. Psalm 34 tells us to seek peace and pursue it (14). God tells us in James chapter 4 verse 2, You do not have because you do not ask. And Paul directs, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. 10 Question: What rules your heart, your mind? Another Question: What does it take to displace, destroy your peace? It s not always just big things. Sometimes small things can do the job. Almost every day during the Christmas season a few years ago I passed by a big billboard for a shopping mall in Edmonton that proclaimed O Come All Ye Shoppers, a take off on the Christmas hymn O Come All Ye 4

5 Faithful. I found it a bit offensive. But I had to ask myself, Am I going to let that rule my thinking, displace and destroy my peace? Some things we can simply dismiss and move on, while we can respond to others with positive action. But we should never let little or large things that are disturbing or offensive rule our hearts. Instead, ask God for His peace. The second smooth stone: rely on God to actively and continually work in you to make you a peaceful person. Remember the fruit of the Holy Spirit? Paul s list of this multidimensioned fruit of character starts with, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. 11 That is God s commitment to You to keep working to make you more like Jesus, including, peace. You can count on it. But this is not a passive process. That is, God does not automatically work to make us peaceful people without our involvement. He shapes and reshapes us as we ask Him, rely on Him, present ourselves to Him, submit to Him. Recall the opening words of Romans chapter 12, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The transformation takes place as we present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him. Smooth stone #3: recognize you are a whole person body, soul, mind and spirit. We can easily go to extremes here, such as, every problem is a spiritual problem or never thinking about the spiritual aspects, causes of the difficulties and problems we face. Just as the lack of peace can have a spiritual cause, it can also have a psychological or physical cause. Some worry, anxiety, gloominess, has a physical base. The apostle Paul wrote, Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (ESV). 12 A public university counsels wellness in an article where they state Wellness is much more than merely physical health, exercise or nutrition. It is the full integration of states of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The model used by our campus includes social, 5

6 emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual and physical wellness. Each of these seven dimensions act and interact in a way that contributes to our own quality of life. 13 This secular institution recognizes the integration of who we are. We certainly can find their description of spiritual wellness to be incomplete and inadequate when they say it is the ability to establish peace and harmony in our lives. The ability to develop congruency between values and actions and to realize a common purpose that binds creation together contributes to our Spiritual Wellness. But at least they recognize the importance of an integrated reality, including our spiritual nature. 14 The fourth smooth stone is to immerse yourself in the truth of God, in His Word. Psalm 119 verse 65 tells us, Those who love Your Law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble (NASB). That s a wonderful truth, a wonderful promise! There is a direct, cause and effect relationship between you loving God s Word and your peace. Read, think it through. Let it rule. Live it. Proverbs chapter 3 verses 1-2 instruct us, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you (ESV). As 2017 winds down, once again many churches are encouraging their people to read through the Bible in the next year. There are different guides or schedules for doing this. More important than reading through the Bible in a set period of time is to let the Bible work its way through you read it consistently, think through it fully, apply it personally, live it actively, evaluate yourself by it carefully. The fifth and last smooth stone for peace is to live in right relationship with God. Yes, live rightly, righteously. While we can never earn God s favor, He does bless living rightly. The negative side of this is seen in Isaiah s words, It s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore (59:2, NLT). Yes, living rightly is important. Paul draws the contrast in Romans chapter 8 verse 6, letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace (NLT). You cannot expect to have the peace of God if you turn away from, excuse yourself from, take a vacation from the righteousness of God, from living the truth you know. 6

7 Conclusion Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Our peace is Jesus. It is in Him. As we wrap this up, let me just mention one further step peace to be complete must be a lifestyle, must be a verb in the active mood, must be lived. Families, regions and countries have different Christmas traditions. Perhaps next Christmas we can share some of our family, regional and national traditions. Each year since the 1300s Finland officially reads the Declaration of Christmas Peace just before Christmas. First the hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God is sung, and then the declaration is read: Tomorrow, God willing, is the graceful celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour; and thus is declared a peaceful Christmas time to all, by advising devotion and to behave otherwise quietly and peacefully, because he who breaks this peace and violates the peace of Christmas by any illegal or improper behaviour shall under aggravating circumstances be guilty and punished according to what the law and statutes prescribe for each and every offence separately. Finally, a joyous Christmas feast is wished to all inhabitants of the city. 15 However this declaration is actually taken by people in Finland today, it underscores that Christmas is to be a time of living in peace with others and society as a whole. As Christians, as Christ-followers, we need to make sure that we are at peace with our family, friends, neighbors, with everyone at Christmas, and yes, at all times. We are saved by the Prince of Peace, who gives us His peace and we are called to be peace makers, 16 to live and, as the Apostle Paul instructs us in Romans 12, If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all (verse 18). Question: Are you at peace with others? Can you truly say that you can celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Peace today and tomorrow by being at peace with those in your family, the community and beyond? If not, there is time to be a peacemaker in these last few hours before Christmas. Today we praise and thank God for Jesus, the Prince of Peace. But many have not yet come to Jesus on His terms, have not yet accepted and experienced His perfect peace. 7

8 Hiroo Onoda died in January of 2014 year at the age of 91. He was an Imperial Japanese Army officer who remained at his jungle post in the Philippines for 29 years after World War II ended. Many efforts were made to capture him and to convince him to surrender. Thousands of people were involved in the efforts over the years and hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent. He finally surrendered on March 10, Peace had been declared and was available. But there was no peace for him until he accepted it. 17 Jesus peace has been provided and is available. But it is not, cannot be yours until you come to the place where you recognize that you are a sinner and there is nothing you can do to change your nature or atone for your sin; where you come to Jesus on His terms, Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to, is accepted by God the Father but through Jesus. 18 If you have not accepted God s peace, do that today. Do that now. If you have questions or want to talk, speak with me. If you have family members and friends who have not come to Jesus and received His peace, talk with them about that during this Christmas season. For all of us who know Jesus as our Savior and have peace with God through Him, thank God for the grace of His peace. Then ask yourself, Am I living in His peace? Do you remember the despair in Longfellow s I Heard The Bells Of Christmas Day? If you know the whole carol, you know he worked through that, and ends with Then pealed the bells more loud and deep; God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men! 19 For the times where you are not living in God s peace, ask His forgiveness for neglecting to pursue His peace, for seeking it elsewhere, and also for any neglect or disobedience that steals peace. Commit yourself to follow the principles of the five smooth stones for peace. Determine, as far as it depends on you, to be at peace with God, yourself and everyone this Christmas. 8

9 1 Story of song and verses in article I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by Greg Laurie. < 21 December Accessed 18 December Alexandre Dumas. Translated, Robin Buss. The Count of Monte Cristo. New York: Penguin Books, 1996, 2003 (first published ), page Soanes, Catherine, Jonathan Blaney, and Judith Wood. Oxford Dictionary of Current English. Third ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1993, Print. 4 Deuteronomy 27:5-6 (not preserved in the NIV); Joshua 8:31. 5 Judges 6:24. 6 Romans 15:33; 16:20; 1 Corinthians 14:33; 2 Corinthians 13:4; Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:20. 7 Luke 2:14. 8 Colossians 1: Samuel 17:40, Colossians 3: Galatians 5: Thessalonians 5: Seven Dimensions of Wellness. < n.d. Accessed 18 December Seven Dimensions of Wellness. 15 Turku declares traditional Christmas Peace. < an=2&culture=en-us>. 22 December Accessed 18 December Matthew 5:9. 17 Robert D. McFadden. Hiroo Onoda, Soldier Who Hid in Jungle for Decades, Dies at 91, The New York Times. < 17 January Accessed 18 December John 14:6. 19 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. 9

10 2017, Lyle L. Wahl Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 10

Christmas Love Text: Selected Scriptures Series: Advent 2008, #4 Pastor Lyle L. Wahl January 6, 2008

Christmas Love Text: Selected Scriptures Series: Advent 2008, #4 Pastor Lyle L. Wahl January 6, 2008 Theme: God s Christmas Love Makes An Everlasting Difference. Introduction A well-known theologian and