The Gifts Of Christmas: Peace Series

The Gifts of Christmas: Peace

Scott Bayles, pastor

Blooming Grove Christian Church: 12/25/2016

Good morning everyone, welcome to the Grove and Merry Christmas.

I’d like to thank each of you for spending Christmas morning with us here at the Grove. We often talk about the importance of keeping Christ in Christmas and there’s no better way to do that than by gathering together on Christmas morning and worshipping the One whom this season celebrates.

Now, I know that many of you—especially the younger ones here—are probably anxious to get home and open or enjoy your presents, but if you’ve been able to join us the past three weeks, you know that we began a journey through the season of Christmas by unwrapping the gifts of Christmas. We began with the gift of hope—past hope, present hope, and patient hope as we wait together for the arrival of Christ. Then we unwrapped the gift of love—God’s love, which came to us wrapped in swaddling clothes laying in a manger. Then last week, even though the weather prevented us from meeting together, many of you joined me online where we unwrapped the gift of joy. Following the shepherds in Luke 2, we discovered joy in the moment, joy in the Messiah, and joy in the message of Christmas.

So, we have one last gift to unwrap this morning—the gift of peace. This gift was part of Christ’s original birth announcement made by the angels: “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests’” (Luke 2:13–14).

Whether it be printed on a greeting card or emblazoned on a sign outside a church, the proclamation of “peace on earth and goodwill to all” often comes to the forefront around Christmas time. These few short words sum up for many the warm feeling that is synonymous with Christmas, conveying an implicit hope, a spirit of generosity and a kindly disposition toward others.

But if we lift our heads above the tinsel and trappings and take a cold, hard look at the world around us, the frequently used words of comfort and cheer seem somewhat hollow. I mean for many of us, Christmas time isn’t exactly peaceful. In fact, it’s just the opposite—stressful, busy, hectic, and demanding. You’ve got gifts to buy and presents to wrap, parties to attend and dinner to prepare, and let’s not forget church! Let me tell you, there’s nothing peaceful about getting four kids dressed and ready for church on Christmas morning. And then there’s the world at large. There’s so much war and unrest. Did anybody else see the photos of war-torn Aleppo making their rounds online? I’d never even heard of Aleppo before this week, but after a brutal 6-month siege in which much of the historic city was reduced to rubble, military forces reportedly rampaged through the streets summarily executing dozens of suspected rebels.

In a world filled with war and worry, peace can be ever elusive.

This is the world Jesus came to. The song “Silent Night” conjures calm, soothing, peaceful images in our mind, and it’s often a worshipful three-minute respite in the midst of our hectic holiday preparations. But that original silent night was not actually very silent. The world was not at peace. There was a divide between God and people. There was conflict among families and nations. There was political unrest and Roman oppression in Israel. There was demanding physical travel forced on Mary and Joseph by Roman politicians. And there was turmoil in the hearts of many. But in the midst of all this, Jesus came bearing the gift of peace.

Centuries before Jesus was born, his birth was foreseen by the prophet Isaiah. In a section of the Bible often read in churches at Christmas, we find this proclamation: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end.” (Isaiah 9:6–7).

Peace isn’t a pill, or a program, or a philosophy. Peace is a Person—Jesus. Only the Prince of Peace can give the gift of peace. Jesus says, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace… And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give” (John 14:27 NLT). So what kind of peace does Jesus give and what makes it so transcendent?

The Bible speaks of three types of peace that we can experience thanks to Jesus.

First, Christmas brings eternal peace.

• ETERNAL PEACE

This is the most important type of peace—peace with God.

I’m sure many of you have seen the bumper sticker that says, “Know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace.” Placed on the back of a car, it can sound trite and cliché. But there is actually truth there. When we know Jesus, we can experience eternal peace because of what He started in the manger and finished on the cross.