Series: The Sermon on the Mount
Title: What is a Peacemaker?
Text: Matthew 5:9
INTRODUCTION: We continue our study of the introduction to Jesus’s greatest sermon on the mount, which are generally referred to as the Beatitudes.
As we have noted, the term “Beatitude” means supreme blessedness.
And Jesus is describing the character of those who are considered to be the blessed of God.
One of the ideas which I have put forward since we began this study is that I do not believe that Jesus is referring to a series of individuals.
I do not believe He is talking about some who are “poor in spirit” and others who “mourn” and others who are “meek” and so on.
I believe He is building a picture of what an individual believer should look like.
A believer will be POOR IN SPIRIT.
A believer will MOURN
A believer will be MEEK
A believer will HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
A believer will be MERCIFUL
A believer will possess a PURE HEART
As a result, when we come to the next-to-last beatitude today, what I hope we see is that this is not a specific call for a specific group of Christians, but rather it is a call which should be understood as addressing all people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.
READ: Matthew 5:9
Today we are going to address the questions “What is a Peacemaker” and “What does the call to being a Peacemaker involve?”
There is a lot which I would like to address on this issue, and I want to get right to it by providing you the outline of today’s message:
The Ultimate Peacemaker is Christ
Our First Call as Peacemakers is as Ambassadors for Christ
Our Secondary Call as Peacemakers is to Promote Reconciliation Among People
Our Call to Be Peacemakers is NOT an Absolute Call to Humanistic Pacifism
The Ultimate Peacemaker is Christ
In the Old Testament, a prophecy is given about the coming Messiah.
It is one we usually associate with the coming Christmas holiday.
Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
This title, Prince of Peace is very important.
When we talk about Jesus being the Prince of Peace, there is a very specific context wherein this applies.
You see, the Jews believed the Messiah would bring peace... but that He would do so by being a warrior.
This was what was so perplexing about Jesus.
He did not have an army; He did not bear a sword.
And He had no intention of overthrowing the Roman authorities.
He told Pilate that He could, but that this was not His purpose.
But peace in Jerusalem was not the peace which Jesus came to bring.
He did not come to be a worldly conqueror who brought peace between warring nations.
Instead, He came to bring a much more valuable and needed peace to mankind... He came to bring PEACE WITH GOD.
Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
One of the hardest things for the unbeliever to accept is that he is at war with God; yet, it is the clearest teaching in Scripture.
The Bible teaches that the natural mind is totally at odds with God’s commands.
Romans 8:7-8 “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
The term “hostile” here is sometimes translated as “enmity”
The root of this word in the Greek is EKTHO, which is HATRED.
The unconverted mind actually hates God.
And beloved, there is nothing more obvious than when you try to explain the Law of God to an unbeliever.
They like the idea of God being a blesser and a giver.
But when they realize that He makes demands on their lives, that He knows everything about them, and that He will judge them for their sins, they get hostile.
And often the natural response, “Well if that’s how God is, I don’t want to worship Him!”
This is where Christ comes in.
He is the reconciler - the mediator - between God and man.
He takes the two warring parties, GOD and MAN, and He brings them together and makes peace between them.
He does this by giving Himself as a sacrifice and becoming the appeasement for God’s wrath.
And by giving us the gift of His righteousness, that we can then stand before God as righteous.
This is how He is the prince of peace.
This is why the angels declared at His birth, “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14)
Jesus is the author of peace between God and man.
And in this sense, He is the consummate PEACEMAKER!
Now, knowing this, how does this relate to our call to be peacemakers?
Our First Call as Peacemakers is as Ambassadors for Christ
When I started writing this sermon, one passage of Scripture stuck in my mind immediately, and I want us to go and read it...
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Now, why does this verse stick out in my mind in regard to being peacemakers?
One word: Ambassador
What is an ambassador?
An ambassador is an official representative.
They are ones who stand in the place of the one they represent.
An ambassador is supposed to reflect the official position of the one he represents.
Now, what is the official position of Christ?
While it may be strange to think of it this way, the official position of Christ is the GOSPEL.
The Gospel is the central message of how sinful men are RECONCILED with a holy God.
This is why the text says we have given the “ministry of reconciliation”.
Beloved, PEACEMAKERS are RECONCILERS.
Christ is the great peacemaker, because He reconciles men with God.
But we too are peacemakers when we act as His ambassadors.
We stand as representatives of His official position.
We are proclaimers of His message of reconciliation.
We implore people to be reconciled to God.
In this sense, a peacemaker is first and foremost an EVANGELIST.
That may not be our natural thought when we think of a peacemaker, but it is without doubt the focus of this beatitude.
The peace which Jesus brings is peace with God.
This peace with God is found in the message of the Gospel.
And those who proclaim the Gospel are sharing the greatest truth about peace which has ever come to mankind.
What good is it to be at peace with all men, and yet be at war with God???
Furthermore, this also fits into the context of the Beatitudes themselves.
We noted this is not a bunch of different people, but the picture of all believers.
The believer is spiritually impoverished, mourns for sin, humble before God, desperate for righteousness, and God saves him...
As a result he is merciful and pure in heart...
And then what????
HE PROCLAIMS THIS TRUTH TO OTHERS!!!
He becomes an ambassador for Christ.
He becomes a spiritual peacemaker seeking to spread the Gospel of Peace to all he meets!
I believe this is the PRIMARY call of peacemaking for the believer...
Our Secondary Call as Peacemakers is to Promote Reconciliation Among People
There is a very real reality which we need to understand: As believers, we will not always promote peace between people, because the Gospel is inherently divisive.
Jesus said these words:
Matthew 10:34-36 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’....”
Thus, to say that we as Christians should seek peace at all costs is wrong.
We cannot promote peace at the expense of the Gospel; and we should realize the Gospel will bring us into conflict with many people.
This is why I think that this part of our call to be peacemakers is secondary.
As I said, I believe the primary call is to promote the peace which is available between God and man through Jesus.
We are to be His ambassadors, promoting the only true and lasting peace.
However, we still have the responsibility to promote peace and reconciliation between people when and where possible.
We should promote peace within the church.
We do this by avoiding backbiting and Gossip and slander.
We do this by lovingly seeking reconciliation with others who we have problems with, or who have problems with us.
We do this by seeking someone’s repentance and restoration when they fall into sin.
We should promote peace within our families.
We do this by avoiding drama.
We do this by speaking wisdom and love to one another.
We do this by avoiding critical behavior.
We should promote peace within our civil and social institutions and in the world in general.
We do this by supporting godly leaders and voting for godly candidates.
We do this by praying for repentance for leaders who are at odds with God’s commands.
In short, as Christians we are not to be warmongers and trouble-makers.
We are to be promoters of peace and peacefulness.
Simply put:
“The teaching of the New Testament is consistent throughout, that believers are never to seek conflict or be responsible for it.”
“On the contrary, we are called to peace, we are to ‘actively’ seek peace, we are to ‘strive for peace with all men,’ and so far as it depends on us, we are to ‘live peaceably with all’ [cf. Rom. 12:18].” - B. Schwertely
That being said, I want to make an important additional point...
Our Call to be Peacemakers is Not an Absolute Call to Humanistic Pacifism
There are entire movements within Christianity which are staunchly pacifistic.
Quakers, Amish and Mennonites are all examples.
They refuse to serve in the military, and consider such service to be inherently sinful.
Something I have often said in regard to those who demand absolute pacifism is this:
Jesus many time rebuked a pharisee.
Jesus many times rebukes a scribe.
Jesus many times rebuked a Sadducee.
But Jesus never once rebuked a soldier.
In fact, when John the Baptist was faced by soldiers and was asked what they should do...
Luke 3:14 “Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
Warriors are necessary tools for the confrontation of evil in this world.
As believers in the doctrine of Total Depravity, we understand that man is capable of immense evil.
Part of what keeps him in check is the penalty of the law and the fear of the enforcement of it.
The Bible says the government does not bear the sword in vain, as it is their right to enact punishment on the wicked.
NOTE: The ONLY way a completely pacifistic people can survive is that there be those who stand in their defense, who share not their conviction for pacifism.
There are no Amish colonies in Iraq.
There are no Mennonite villages in Iran.
These groups survive because of the willingness of warriors to take up arms in their defense.
It would be impossible for a policeman or a soldier to be a pacifist and to safely do his job.
But does that mean that policemen and soldiers are ungodly by default?
I do not believe so.
Some early church writers actually said that soldiers could not be Christians, but I steadfastly disagree.
I believe the Bible demonstrates to us that physical force can be used benevolently, to save lives, and in that sense it is not opposed to the Gospel.
This is why I have no shame in teaching self-defense classes.
I believe that a father should protect his family, and should know how to do so.
I believe children should know how to protect themselves against bullies and abusers.
I believe women should know how predators operate and how to decrease their chances of becoming their victims.
And I believe Exodus 22:2 which says that if a man breaks into a home, and is struck so that he dies, that the man defending his home is not guilty of murder.
The bible is filled with godly warriors.
Abraham, Joshua and David were all men who were accustomed to war, but yet were godly men.
They demonstrate that the call to be peacemakers (which I would argue they all were in different contexts), is not a call to absolute pacifism.
So, while we are not called to be warmongers, we are also not called to staunch pacifism either - the Bible commends the godly warrior, the one who stands to defend the weak, the lowly and the helpless.
CONCLUSION: The beatitude clearly says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”
As we have noted, the first call of being peacemakers is that we are ambassadors for the peace with God which is found in Christ alone.
And I believe that this is wherein we find the fulfillment of this beatitude.
We share the life giving power of the Son of God.
And in turn demonstrate that we are in Him.
And being in Him, we too are called the sons of God.
Galatians 3:26 “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”
Romans 8:14-17 “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
Why are peacemakers called sons of God?
Because our proclamation of peace is an extension of the peace which we have received.
We have been adopted by God.
We have been reconciled to Him by Christ.
We are now His beloved children, and we are actively performing the ministry of reconciliation by sharing His Gospel with the world.
