Our Prince Of Peace
A few weeks ago we started a series of sermons based on Isaiah chapter nine and verse six. Let’s go ahead and read our focal passage at this time.
"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 (NASV)
This prophecy tells us that a child will be born. The child will be unique – the child will be special. The child will be the one we know as Jesus. According to Isaiah chapter nine, He will be called:
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Eternal Father
The Prince of Peace
Today we will look at Jesus as being “Our Prince of Peace”.
We live in a world where there seems to be very little peace – don’t we? I remember growing up and hearing the stories, and watching the movies about World War II. My father and uncles would tell tall tales about serving in the military. Even then the cold war was raging and we would talk about our communist enemies and the threat of nuclear warfare. One of my teachers was a Korean War veteran. In my teen years Vietnam took the center stage. The draft came to an end in my senior year of high school. After Vietnam other smaller conflicts came and went. In 1991 we sent our troops to the Middle East to conduct an operation known as “Desert Storm.” I deployed as a chaplain for that operation. Other countries of the world would call it the Persian Gulf War. On September 11th 2001 our country was attacked by terrorists. Today we are involved in a conflict known as, “The War on Terrorism.” We currently have our military stationed throughout the world but most notability in Iraq and Afghanistan. War and conflict seem to be the natural course of this world. Even Jesus said:
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” Matthew 24:6-7 (NKJV)
Can you imagine what it would be like to live in a world where there is no war, no fighting, no arguments, and no disputes of any kind? None of us can really fathom what a world like that would be like – why? Because we have never experienced it or even anything close to it! People throughout the centuries have talked about peace; but, few, if any, have ever had an actual plan to bring peace to the world! But God has a plan. God has sent us a Prince of Peace.
Here in America the term peace has been clearly connected with the absence of war. If there is no war – there is peace. However, the word that is used in the Old Testament for peace is “Shalom” and it means so much more than the absence of conflict. Shalom is indeed used to describe the end of hostilities, but the word itself also pictures health and wholeness. It denotes harmony and completeness. To have shalom is to have not only a quiet life but also to have a fulfilled life in every way.
When you have shalom there is no feeling of harm or hurt. When you have shalom you are in a state of ease and safety. There is no fearing whatsoever. There is no worry. There is a sense of harmony and oneness. You know your purpose and you have a sense of wholeness and completeness. Everything is exactly the way it should be. Nothing is out of order. Your inner world as well as the outer world is in harmony. This is shalom – this is the peace that Jesus brings for He is – Our Prince of Peace.
Today let’s look at two basic areas that Jesus brings peace into our lives. The first is:
1. Jesus brings peace between me and GOD.
Someone has said, “It is not possible to have the Peace OF God without Peace WITH God.”
It all starts right here. Each of us because of the sin in our lives has a problem with God. Our sin has separated us from God. When we sin we do things He does not like. He wants us to follow His rules. He wants us to do the things He has asked us to do and when we disobey we create a barrier between us and Him.
The Bible says that we deserve punishment for our sin. In the Bible we are told that “God will not leave the guilty unpunished.” (Exodus 34:7) In fact, the Bible often refers to us in our lost and sinful condition, as the “enemies of God”. (Romans 5:10) Our sin separates us from God. Before we can have peace with God – something must be done about the sin in our lives.
Guess what – something has been done!
God sent a Prince of Peace to deal with the situation. He sent a Prince of Peace to fix the problem. He sent a Prince of Peace give us peace with God. How did He do that? Look at Romans chapter six with me.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (HCSB)
Go ahead and circle the word “wages”. The word wages means that is what you have earned. When you work on a job you earn wages. It’s your pay. It’s what you deserve. The same is true about sin. When you sin – you deserve death. That is what you have earned. That is what you deserve.
Now go ahead and circle the word “but”. “But” is the biggest word in the English language – “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We deserved death. We earned punishment. "But" God did something about it. "But" God fixed the situation. He sent Our Prince of Peace to take our punishment. Somebody had to do something about it and God did. Here is a fact:
God does not IGNORE sin.
He never has and He never will.
“The wages of sin is death.” Sin must be paid for. Sin must be punished. That’s what the cross of Christ is all about. Jesus went to the cross to take our punishment. Jesus went to the cross to take our place. He paid for our sin. He received the wages that we were due. He took the punishment that we deserved.
In the Old Testament men made sacrifice after sacrifice hoping to pay for their sin. Hoping somehow to fix the broken relationship that they had with God. You see sin had to be paid for. God does not ignore sin. Sin must be punished. But God had a solution. He sent a Prince of Peace to die for our sin because – the wages of sin is death. Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sin. Look at what it says in Hebrews chapter nine:
“He sacrificed himself once and for all, summing up all the other sacrifices in this sacrifice of himself, the final solution of sin.” Hebrews 9:26 (MSG)
He sacrificed Himself for our sin problem. We can now have peace with God because of what Jesus has done for us. Jesus is God’s gift to us. We were at war with God because of our sin. But Jesus - Our Prince of Peace gives us peace with God. He fixed the problem. He took the wages of sin to the cross so that we can have peace with God. But that’s not all.
2. Jesus brings peace within MYSELF.
Look at this verse from Matthew chapter six with me:
“Look at the birds of the sky: they don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?” Matthew 6:26 (HCSB)
How much are you worth? What is your value? In Matthew chapter six the Bible tells us that we are worth MORE than the birds of the air. Latter in Matthew Jesus says:
“But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Matthew 10:30-31 (HCSB)
Folks the point is that God sees you as valuable. Here is a fact:
God don’t make no JUNK.
Now I know you English teachers in the congregation are cringing in your seats – because this is not proper English – but the statement is true. God doesn’t make any junk. That which God touches is holy and pure. He takes that which is bent and straightens it out. He takes that which is dirty and cleans it up. He takes that which is broken and fixes it. If you are a believer in Christ – if you have accepted Christ as your savior – God looks on you as if you are holy and pure. Look at what it says in first Peter chapter two:
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
1 Peter 2:9-10 (HCSB)
Folks if you need to change your self image – if you need to build up your self esteem – read this passage daily. In Christ you are – a chosen race, you are a holy nation, you are a royal priesthood, you are a people for His possession – that is how valuable God sees you.
Our Prince of Peace has come so that we can have peace within ourselves – so that you can change your self-image - so that you can see that you have value in God’s kingdom.
Robert Reed understands this. He has said, “I have everything I need for joy! Amazing!”
Most of you have probably never heard of Robert Reed. He’s not some movie star or some great athlete. He did graduate from high and went on to graduate from Abilene Christian University in Texas with a degree in Latin. He taught at a junior college in St. Louis and even ventured overseas on five mission trips before moving to Lisbon as a missionary in 1972. He rented a hotel room and began studying Portuguese. He found a restaurant owner who would feed him – because he could not feed himself.
You see Robert’s hands are twisted and his feet are useless. He can’t bathe himself. He can’t brush his own teeth. He can’t put on his own underwear. His shirts are held together by strips of Velcro. His speech drags like a worn out audio cassette. He can’t drive a car. He can’t ride a bike. He can’t even go for walk. Robert has cerebral palsy. But that did not keep him from becoming a missionary to Portugal.
Robert would go daily to the park. He would station himself there and with his twisted hands he would pass out brochures about Jesus. Within six years he helped seventy people find the Lord, one who became his wife, Rosa.
Robert could have been bitter because of his disease – but he wasn’t. Robert could have asked for pity – but he didn’t. Robert could have a really bad self image - but he doesn’t. Robert has just the opposite. He holds his bent and twisted hand in the air and yells, “I have everything I need for joy! Amazing!” Robert can do that because he knows that he has value in God’s kingdom. Robert can do that because he has met the Prince of Peace – Jesus.*
“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
1 Peter 2:9 (HCSB)
Folks we have a Prince of Peace his name is Jesus. He has come to give us peace with God and He come to give us peace within ourselves. How about you – have you ever asked Him to come into your heart – into your life - so that He can give you peace?
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)
*Story of Robert Reed adopted from Brain Harrell
