An invasion of Peace

An Invasion of Peace Series: Away in a Manger #3 Dec. 15, 2019 Rev. L. Kent Blanton Introduction & Thesis • An invasion on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day was a crucial event in the fight to experience peace and put an end to WWII • Similarly, an invasion in a cattle barn on the outskirts of Bethlehem on the first Christmas was a crucial event in God’s plan to restore true peace between humanity and God and between people History of the War • The invasion in the stable was part of a war that can be traced back to the beginning of time • Heavenly peace on earth was broken and devastated in the Garden • Adam and Eve joined ranks with Satan to declare war upon God • The serpent came to steal, kill, and destroy the peace God had designed for Adam and Eve to enjoy with their Creator. • The first couple’s choice to sin launched a war that ended life as originally experienced • Only God could make a way to rescue humanity from its war-torn existence and restore peace through a Savior What is Peace (Shalom)? • The Bible contains some 400 direct references to peace. Most uses of this word can be traced back to the word ​shalom ​ • Shalom means “to be whole” or “complete” • Jews around the world use the term, Shalom, as a greeting. • Shalom means much more than experiencing calmness • It suggests a state of fullness and perfection; overflowing inner and outer joy and peaceful serenity • Shalom literally means: “God’s highest and most complete good be upon you and all associated with you” The Invasion Begins • God’s long-awaited mission to restore shalom between humanity and him was targeted on one holy night in Bethlehem • The birth announcement was blared out in the fields by heavenly warriors to lowly shepherds: In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Saviour was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”  Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “ Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!” Luke 2:8-14 CSB • A saviour was born on that day in the City of David was that something or someone needed saving. We were the ones who needed saving and deliverance because shalom had been lost through sin and Satan’s schemes. The Reason for the Invasion • John writes in clear terms why Jesus came into the world . . . to destroy the works of the devil! You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins, and there is no sin in him.  Everyone who remains in him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen him or known him. Children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works. 1 John 3:5-8 CSB • The works of the devil include: • Addictions that lead to the breakup of families • Hatred that fuels tensions among people of different worldviews • Racism that leads to isolation, mistrust, discrimination, and injustice • Violence that escalates to a range of harm from mass shootings to suicide • Greed that leads to lies that leads to crime and corruption that leads to attempted cover-ups • Abuse that leaves people with external and internal scars • Sickness and disease leading to death that was never part of the original creation of God • Fear, shame and darkness that snuff out any light leading to peace • These works of the devil and many other examples we could cite are why Jesus came from heaven to earth • Jesus was born on purpose for a purpose. The purpose of Christmas was to lead to Easter where the perfect Son of God would finish a holy war on the devil and destroy all of his evil works, works that rob people of peace with one another and with God • Sin is the source of every conflict on earth. Jesus came to deal with sin once and for all and to shine the light on the path to peace • This plan was prophesied by Isaiah the prophet 700 years before the invasion that night in Bethlehem: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. Isa 9:2,6 NIV • The Prince of Peace brings hope to those who have been living in exile from peace, a peace we were created to experience within a right relationship with God and each other How the Prince of Peace Restores Peace • Isaiah 53:5 - But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. Isaiah 53:5 CSB • Jesus restored peace by dying for us 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. Rom 5:1 NLT • The cross is where the shalom lost in the Garden was restored • On the cross, our Savior made a way for peace to be experienced, again, in the most complete and whole sense of the word • The word Saviour is the word ​soter ​in the original language. This word can be translated “deliverer” or “preserver” • Jesus came to deliver people from the works of the devil and preserve the peace of God so that God’s kingdom might be experienced on earth as it is in heaven. The Prince of Peace came to show and walk the path to peace • Just before the birth of Jesus, his uncle, Zechariah, prophesied about how his son, John, would help point people to the path of peace that this coming Prince of Peace would produce. And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.  Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1:76-79 CSB Reasons for Lack of Peace • When we don’t experience peace, it’s often because we have chosen paths that Jesus never intended for us to take . . . • Paths that lead to deeper and deeper debt instead of financial freedom • Paths that lead to reading and posting negative words instead of building others up • Paths that lead to destroying relationships instead of strengthening them • Paths that lead to secrecy instead of transparency • Paths that lead to shading the truth instead of telling the whole truth • Paths that lead to taking and hoarding instead of giving and sharing • Paths that lead to rejecting God’s will instead of embracing it • If you’re not experiencing peace in your life, it may be related to the path you’re on today. • Sometimes we find ourselves on dark paths due to our own deliberate and rebellious choices • At other times, the treacherous paths are ones we never intended take, but almost imperceptibly, we allowed ourselves to drift onto them by not intentionally choosing God’s paths • Either way, any path that is not God’s path contains only illusions of peace. In the end, these paths lead only to death Jesus Restored Peace (Shalom) to Us • God’s path of peace leads from the manger to the cross • Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life in order to fire the final shot that would destroy all the works of the devil as He became the perfect and sinless sacrifice • The Apostle Paul describes how Jesus’ death restored peace for us with God: But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Eph 2:13-14, 17 NLT • What Jesus did on the cross was to fulfill the purpose of why He was born in the first place, to restore shalom and make a path to peace for us to walk down as we follow Him Peace with Others • Matt 5:9 CSB - Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. • Jesus had in mind people who actively pursue right and restored relationships with others • Peacemaking goes way beyond just calling a truce in the middle of a fight • Peacemaking pursues the help of God in seeing something that has gone wrong, healed and made right. This is the concept of wholeness we talked about in the word shalom • Calling a truce is a step in the right direction. But ceasefires don’t solve wars. If the real issues aren’t addressed, ceasefires just lead to cold wars that drive issues underground • Finding lasting peace demands dealing with issues openly and honestly. This leads to forgiveness, reconciliation, and wholeness • The true peacemakers Jesus spoke of are those who seek God’s highest good in the lives of others. Jesus offered his sinless life on the cross to make clear the path of peace because He wanted God’s highest good to be possible for all people of all times. A True Story of Finding Peace Through Christ • Don Richardson was a Canadian missionary in the 1960’s to a cannibalistic, headhunting tribe in Indonesia known as the Sawi • The Sawi villages lived in constant fierce fighting among themselves • Richardson was stymied in sharing the good news of Jesus. Why? Because Sawi culture treated treachery, revenge, and murder as highly esteemed! When they heard the Easter story, they thought that Judas, not Jesus, was the hero! • However, a huge breakthrough came when Richardson learned that the Sawi had a legendary custom. The custom was that if one village gave a baby boy to another village, peace would prevail between the two villages as long as the child lived. • The infant was called a peace child • A peace child was offered at great price. A peace child required a father and mother to give up their son to secure peace for those they loved • Richardson used this Sawi custom to help them understand that Jesus was God’s divine Peace Child to humanity. Jesus is the gift that ends our hostility toward God and assuages God’s wrath against us • Richardson explained that because Jesus lives forever, the peace he offers will never end • The peace child custom was the key that unlocked faith for the Sawis. In a miraculous working of the Holy Spirit, many of them believed in Christ, a strong church soon developed, and lasting peace, both spiritual and physical came to the Sawis. Application • What have you done with the Peace Child given for you? Have you received Jesus? Have you received the Gift of forgiveness and life that cost God his Son? If not, you can today. You do that by admitting your need for a Saviour, by choosing to turn from you sin, by believing that God sent Jesus to die on a cross for your sins, and to be raised from the dead 3 days later, and by personally receiving God’s Peace Child. Today, you can receive the gift of peace God sent for you. • This Advent and Christmas season, may we all experience the peace, the shalom, of Christ. The shalom that was lost in the Garden and restored on the Cross. • May we believe the good news of great joy heralded by the angels to the shepherds, For unto you is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. A saviour who has come to restore for us peace with God and peace with one another