SERIES: ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS…
“SOMEONE TO CALM ME”
(adapted from a sermon by Dave Stone)
ISAIAH 9:6-7
OPEN
Three small boys were in a Christmas play at church. They represented the three wise men and they were to give their gifts to baby Jesus. The first boy stepped forward, held out the gift in his hands and said, “Gold.” The second boy stepped forward, held out his gift and said, “Myrrh.” The third boy stepped forward, held out his gift and said, “Frank sent this.”
Over the last several weeks, we’ve been in the series, “All I Want for Christmas…” It’s based on the prophecy found in Is. 9:6-7 – “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. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”
We’ve focused on the meaning of the four titles mentioned in this passage. Several hundred years before Jesus was born, God revealed to His people what the Messiah would be like through the prophet Isaiah. Through the gift of His own Son, God provided for my deepest needs.
As Wonderful Counselor, Jesus is Someone to advise me. As Mighty God, He is Someone to rescue me. As Everlasting Father, He is Someone to provide for me. And as Prince of Peace, He is Someone to calm me.
A recent study revealed that seventy-six percent of Americans have a hard time falling asleep at night between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So for some of you, the only sleep you’ll have had over the last month or so is what you’ll get over the next 20 or so minutes while I’m preaching. We allow the stress to consume us rather than allowing the Prince of Peace to calm us.
The term “Prince of Peace” means that there is someone whose rule will bring wholeness and completeness to individuals as well as to society as a whole. Please understand that when we talk about the Prince of Peace that it doesn’t mean that peace is defined as the absence of conflict. Peace is the presence of God.
For centuries, the Jewish people wanted peace so badly that their greeting to one another when they would pass on the street was, “Shalom.” “Shalom means “peace.” It was their wish; their desire. And still today they greet each other with this term: “Shalom.”
But a little over 2,000 years ago, on a quiet Judean hillside where shepherds were watching their flocks, and Angel shared the news that the Savior had been born and that He is Christ the Lord. Lk. 2:8-14 – “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord
appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to
them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town
of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ 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.’” The prophesied Prince of Peace had come.
But the question for us at this Christmas season some 2,000 years later is a very simple one. Moreover, it is a relevant one. The question is: Can Jesus bring peace to my own life?
What I want to do this morning is for us to look together at three different encounters that people had with Jesus Christ. I know we will see some interesting things. My goal is that we understand how Christ brings peace into the midst of strife.
PEACE FOR A GUILTY HEART
Lk. 7:36-50 – “When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at
the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet
weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Simon, I have something to tell you.’ ‘Tell me, teacher,’ he said. ‘Two people owed money to
a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money
to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon replied, ‘I
suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.’ ‘You have judged correctly,’ Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a
kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head,
but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great
love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.’ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ The other guests began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ Jesus said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’”
The woman in this story had a past. And if the truth be known, we all have a past. We all have some skeletons in our closet. She had several closets and all of them were full.
We are all sinners, but Luke points out that she had lived a sinful life in that town. In other words, that was her reputation. People stared at her and she was embarrassed to show her face.
But there was something that she heard while Jesus taught that made her want to see Him. She wanted to express her love and appreciation to Him and perhaps receive some type of absolution for all the mistakes of her past. Maybe she was displaying her willingness to change.
A man named Simon, who was one of the Jewish religious leaders, invited Jesus over for supper. This woman heard about it and she somehow got into the house. She went to Jesus and began to cry. Her tears began to cover Jesus’ feet.
Then she took an alabaster jar filled with perfume and she poured it over Jesus’ feet. It intermingled with her tears. She used her long hair to wipe Jesus’ feet. It was an act of adoration and worship.
Simon was upset at both the woman and at Jesus. He was upset that this woman was ruining his fine dinner party and he was upset with Jesus that He would allow such a sinful person to get that close to Him. But Jesus had a different attitude. Look at v. 48: “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’”
That statement brought a buzz from the dinner party guests. They began to say to themselves, “Who is this that even forgives sin?” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” And I’ll bet that she did because of Christ’s love and acceptance of her and because of His extension of grace and peace.
Maybe you came here this morning and you have a hardened hear because you have a sinful past. In your mind, even if this Christmas story is really true, God could never love you or use you because of your past. Or maybe your one of those people who say, “You know what? If I came into that church the roof would cave in.” Well, it’s still there and you are here! I have good news for you. Jesus specializes in giving people a second chance.
Do you know about King David? He committed adultery and murder. In Ps. 32:5, David says, “Then I acknowledge my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity and I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”
You see Satan loves to bring up our past while Christ is much more interested in our future. He can help you make a change in direction. The next time Satan reminds you of your past, you simply remind him of his future. He is doomed to hell for all eternity.
Our first lesson is this: If you have a guilty heart, Jesus can still be your Prince of Peace..
PEACE FOR A WOUNDED HEART
Let’s look at another encounter with Jesus. It’s in Mk. 5:25-34 – “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent
all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him
in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ ‘You see the people crowding against you,’ his disciples answered, ‘and yet you can ask, Who touched me?’ But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had
happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her,
‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’”
This is a story within a story. Jesus is actually on His way to heal the daughter of a man named Jairus. And in this story within a story, we see another woman who didn’t want to show her face. She had been very sick. She probably didn’t want to be out in public a whole lot. She suffered from an incurable hemorrhage that had robbed her of her vitality and health for twelve years. The Bible says that for twelve years doctors saw her and couldn’t help her. Instead of her situation getting better, it got worse. She thought there was nothing that could be done.
But then she heard of a man from Galilee who they said could heal with the touch of His hand or a word from His lips. She thought may He could make the difference. She saw Him in the distance one day and she thought, :Maybe I’ll go to Him. Perhaps there is power in that man and maybe it even stretches to the hem of His garment.
Jesus was entirely surrounded by a mass of people. They were tightly-knotted all around Him. She got so close that finally at one moment she knifed her shoulder in between two burly fishermen. She reached out and touched the hem of His garment.
Immediately, she relinquished her grasp and faded back into the crowd. Jesus, with His unassuming manner, suddenly said, “Who touched me?” His disciples laughed and said, “Well, Lord, there are a lot of people pressing up against You and yet You ask , ‘Who touched Me?’”
But Jesus knew the difference between the casual jostling of the crowd and the purposeful touch of someone in need. Power had gone from Him and He would find the person who claimed this new peace in her life.
He gazed at the crowd one by one until finally this woman fell in a heap before Him. She blurted out the whole truth. She told everyone about the twelve year that she had suffered with this disease that would cause her to bleed. The she said, “”I’ve changed. I’m healed. I’m like new.”
And what does Jesus say? He looks at her and says in Mk. 5:34, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Did you hear those words? Go in peace. That phrase must have seemed like a magical phrase to this woman who had been wounded for a dozen years. And I have a strange suspicion that she did go in peace. You see, when you come face to face with the Great Physician, you will never be the same again. Peace becomes a viable option.
Perhaps you almost didn’t come this morning to this service because you are embarrassed to come. Not because of anything you have done but because of something that was done to you. Many years ago, a parent wounded you, an illness wounded you, or you are experiencing a wound at this current time. Maybe the economy has you in a financial position where you don’t know where to turn. Maybe you’re suffering from a physical ailment or disease. Or maybe it’s an emotional or spiritual wound. Maybe you feel like you’ve been wounded by God. Maybe there is an empty place at your Christmas celebration because someone has passed away or is serving in the military and can’t come home for Christmas.
The second lesson is that if you have a wounded heart, Jesus can still be your Prince of Peace.
PEACE FOR A TROUBLED HEART
There’s one more encounter. This one is between Jesus and His closest disciples. It takes place on the night that Jesus is betrayed; the night before He goes to the cross. It’s setting is what we refer to as the Upper Room and the Last Supper.
The disciples know that something was happening. There was a definite heaviness in the air. At this time, Jesus makes His farewell speech. In this speech, He didn’t focus on Himself. He focused on everyone else.
In Jn. 14:1-3, He says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My
Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a
place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you
also may be where I am.” In the strangeness and strife of the evening, Jesus begins to give them hope.
Then in Jn. 14:27, He tells them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the
world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Here was Jesus on this difficult night trying to prepare His closest followers for the grief they were about to experience. Because, before the night was over, He would be arrested, He would be tried in several different courts, He would be beaten, and He would receive the lashing of the Roman whip. The next morning the crucifixion process would begin. And so Jesus took time to comfort them with the hope of what was going to come.
Notice the peace that Jesus gives is not the peace the world gives. Fred Craddock explains it this way: “…it is not a truce with one’s environment whereby hassles are avoided and comfortable nests are undisturbed. It is not ‘getting away on weekends’ to a mountain lake or a strip of private beach, as attractive as that may be. The peace of God is the confidence that God is God and neither our gains nor our losses are ultimate.”
True peace is trusting in and relying on God. And Paul tells us in Phil. 4:7 that this kind of peace is a “peace that transcends all understanding.” The turmoil flies all around us but because we’re trusting in and relying on God, our soul is at rest.
Maybe you came here this morning and you have a troubled heart. Maybe the holidays are a lonely time because a loved one has passed away. Maybe the loss is due to a divorce or a severed relationship. Maybe it’s because you don’t know what the next day or days ahead might hold for you and the stress seems unbearable.
Regardless of your situation, the lesson here is that if you have a troubled heart, Jesus can still be your Prince of Peace.
You say, “How do you know that?” Well, I’ve seen that peace at work in the life of believers. I’ve experienced that peace first hand when I’ve gone through trials in my own life. But more importantly than what I have experienced or what I have seen, it all rests on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
You see, the crucifixion is just a comma in the life of Christ. It wasn’t a period at the end of a sentence. What took place was that Jesus died and then three days later the disciples were behind locked doors and in fear of their lives. All of a sudden, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, appeared before them.
I want you to listen to the first recorded words that Jesus said to His disciples after His resurrection. Jn. 20:19-21a – “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you!’”
The one thing His disciples didn’t have was the one thing Jesus offered them: PEACE. He is still offering it today.
CLOSE
On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright finally succeeded in keeping their homemade airplane aloft for fifty-nine seconds. They were ecstatic. As part of their enthusiasm, they rushed a telegram to their sister in Dayton, Ohio. Their simple message said: “First sustained flight today of fifty-nine seconds. Hope to be home by Christmas.”
The sister was so excited by their success and being the prod sister that she was, she immediately took the telegram to the newspaper office and gave it to the editor. The following morning, the Wright Brothers names were splashed across the front page. But this is what he headline read: “Popular local bicycle merchants to be home for Holidays.”
The editor had missed the point. It wasn’t their homecoming that was big news. It was the history-making news that they had gotten an airplane to fly for fifty-nine seconds.
I don’t want the same thing to happen to you this Christmas. I don’t want you to miss out on the significance. This is not a holiday where people come together with their families. This is not a holiday where your work throws a party. This is not a holiday where people give each other gifts.
It’s a celebration that says in the midst of all the stress and pressures of everyday life, we can take heart that two thousand years ago the God of the Universe came to earth disguised as a tiny helpless baby qnd that He grew up and lived a perfect life, died an atoning death, and conquered the grave. And because He conquered the grave, you have been given the gift of peace everyday of your life.
You see, if your eternity is set and secure, you’re not really concerned with the development of the plot on a day-by-day basis. Today I tell you, regardless of the condition of your heart, Jesus Christ wants to be your Prince of Peace.
“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.”
