The Peace of Christ, Breath of Heaven. An Advent message.
The first part of this sermon is a little auto biographical.
There have been a few times in my life when I was living on the edge, well it felt like it anyway. I don’t mean the times when I was kayaking or climbing, even screaming down a rope tied between two trees at a big angle between them hanging onto a pully by another short length of rope in scouts, up a 30 foot ladder on a power pole in a howling nor-wester before getting down and telling the consumer that their power line would get fixed when the wind dropped, or the time we rolled the ute on the motorway coming back from Moratua. In these fleeting sorts of events while they may have made the adrenaline run, and the hands grip a bit tighter than usual and had possible short to long term negative consequences, there was always a resultant peace about the situation, during or after.
For me things that have left me seeking peace of mind have always been an outcome of a situation where I either did or said something really stupid that resulted in upsetting or hurting someone else or a situation that was outside my control that left me wondering could I have done more to resolve that situation or not have the situation occur in the long term.
Here’s and example and it’s quite hard to relay this. In Sri Lanka, on the 21st of April 2019 there were bombings that resulted in the deaths of 265 innocent people in churches and hotels and the nine bombers, plus some police raids that resulted in other terrible outcomes. I know I have shared some of this story with some of you. However, prior to the bombings the Colombo Central Corps of The Salvation Army was visited once around Christmas, by a group of clean and tidy young men, and then about three weeks before the bombings by the same group of young men, some of these men would go on to carry out the bombings. I had a feeling that we were being scoped for something and even made the comment that I thought we were. In both instances the young men didn’t stay long, and I think that thankfully when they came the second time numbers at the Corps were very low and they decided not to target that place of worship. In my wildest imagination as a Kiwi in a situation like that, I ever would have imagined such an horrific and destructive outcome. I was thinking burglary or an outburst down crying our beliefs, nothing like the violence and loss or life that occurred. We heard the bomb go off at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel while we were in our Sunday morning meeting. The days that followed the whole country was in lock down. This in itself brought an uneasy calm.
How do you come to terms with such a thing and find a place of peace within yourself, when you carry the thought that you may have been able to do something that could have made a difference, saved so many people, that is a rhetorical question? While I think about this often, God has helped me to find some resolution. I think about this every Easter, praying for God to intervene in places where violence may be planned. For we live in a world where violent people practice hate towards believers and others, all the while believing that God is on their side, all the while when what they do is opposed to his laws.
Why this illustration? This will become clear, I hope.
The prophet Isaiah said this in the 8th Century BC:
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 Counsellor, 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. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Lukes gospel chapter 2 relates this about this person, the promised Messiah’s coming:
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12)
We know that both prophecies were fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus the Prince of Peace, the Messiah, wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger.
In verse 14 of the same chapter, we hear the angels cry forth in joy rejoicing with these words: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” This great peace was coming, Jesus was to bring it, there would be no more conflict, no arguing, no terrorist attacks, no wars. Or is peace found in Jesus something different?
Jesus said this about himself, just after he told the disciples he is sending them out as sheep among wolves, with the advice to be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves, and not to be afraid of those who can kill the body but rather to be afraid of the One who can destroy both the body and soul in hell, oh yes he did. This may mess with your mind, Jesus words: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn:
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’” (Matthew 10:34-36)
I wonder what you think of that; we right here have this paradox, is he the Prince of Peace or not? Came to bring peace or not? This is termed a Christological paradox.
The answer is that he came to bring peace, but also we need to remember that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and God’s ways are not our ways. His peace would be something encountered internally by his followers.
The paradox of Jesus being the one the angels declared at his birth, “peace on earth and good will to all men” who states he came not to bring peace. For us who believe that Jesus is Lord we have an understanding that peace is primarily a spiritual thing that is resolved somewhere in the top 8 inches of a person’s being, Young people, that’s roughly the top 200mm of our bodies, as we engage with God, that takes our burdens of worry and shame as we come to an understanding our reconciliation with God and our fellow men and women, and being reconciled through redemption are able to rejoice in that understanding as it becomes part of our being. PEACE and a peace that transcends all understanding (ref Phillippians 4:7) that gives us as believers an assurance and deeper understanding of our place with the Creator .
Peace is found in Christ, in fact I would say here that a real depth of peace is only encountered in Christ, as it comes from Christ and you must be close to him to receive it. Jesus tells his disciples in John’s gospel a few things about peace.
Before his crucifixion, after Jesus had explained his relationship with The Father as recorded in John chapter 14, he said this:
“All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 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.” (John 14:25-27). So, we see here what Jesus is telling his disciples, and down through the ages, His peace is given differently to the way the world gives peace, which is more than likely a break between conflicts or interruptions during some busy time in the office, or a moments respite between the children squabbling, or other disruption, or when the neighbours lawnmower stops so you can hear your friends at the quiet Saturday BBQ you had planned. Oh yes we have all been there.
There might be those who are wondering, how do I receive this peace, God's peace? To receive the Peace that comes from Jesus we need to be close to him, there are times when all believers perceive they are distant from our Heavenly Father, from Jesus our Messiah from the Holy Spirit and guess who shifted, it wasn’t God, he’s never changing.
John’s gospel also relates, after Jesus tells the disciples he is going to leave them: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). They certainly had trouble, John the only disciple who wasn’t martyred died of old age having been exiled for a time to the Island of Patmos.
Think on this, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, he appeared to the disciples. This is a bit mystical, a precursor of what was to come at Pentecost. The disciples knew of the empty tomb, John recounts that Jesus had appeared to Mary, and then…..on the evening of that first day of the week, the lads were all gathered behind locked doors out of fear of the Jews…and “Jesus came and stood among them.” Jesus said “Peace be with you. As the father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21-22) There is another paradox here because we know that the disciples received The Holy Spirit as a violent strong wind came from heaven and filled the house they were seated in, along with tongues of fire and understandable tongues of languages encounter fifty days after Jesus’s resurrection, empowering teh disciples. Check that out in Acts 2.
John then describes another post resurrection encounter, and it happened in the same house, a week later. Thomas, who my opinion was an awesome disciple, said to the other disciples that he had doubts about Jesus’ resurrection. Once again Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:28) I do wonder if this is a similar “peace be with you, as when the angels told the shepherds, “do not be afraid” as you would tend to be a bit frightened in such circumstances. Then there’s the whole Thomas getting in the game and declaring “My Lord and My God.” This was not blasphemy, but a declaration of Jesus divinity.
Notice in both situations Jesus was there with the disciples, they were in his presence, Thomas got close and personal, sticking his hand in Jesus side and feeling the wound inflicted by the spear where all blood and other fluids of Jesus’ body, the place where the essence of his life as a man had poured out. The resurrected Christ, Jesus says this after that encounter; “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.”
We can feel blessed being in that position, at peace with God! Believing without having seen Jesus? Do Jesus words of “peace be with you” resonate true in you, throughout your life? Do you know the Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God breathed out upon you? The Holy Spirit/The Counsellor awaits to bring that Counsel of peace, of help, of comfort, to lead in friendship. The Breath of Heaven, the light in the darkness, pouring his holiness over you, for he is Holy, the Breath of Heaven. (Thanks Amy Grant.)
Peace is found in Christ, real peace is only encountered in Christ as it comes from Christ, and you must come close to him to receive it, not in a physical sense but in your spirit.
This breath of Christ and promise of the Holy Spirit was the second time that God had breathed breath into man, Genesis tells us of how, “God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7). The initial breath of God gave life to man. The second breath of God, as Jesus’ breaths, The Spirit brings the peace and empowerment of God, and the second birth, when we are born of the Spirit becoming a new creation, having been filled with God, The Holy Spirit.
There is one thing required to receive The Holy Spirit and that is being close enough to Jesus to receive his breath. To receive the Holy Spirit the space between us and God must close so that he can enter in. So that the new life of peace in Christ may be ours. There are many who seek external peace and good on them Jesus tells us, blessed are the peace makers. However as individuals we know that God wants to enter our lives, to journey with us, that we may be reconciled and restored in Him, rejoicing in his presence with us, reborn.
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 Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Something a little different today, a time of almost quiet reflection on the Holy Spirit on the peace of God with us as we listen to Amy Grant sing Mary’s Song, a song from the point of view of a young frightened expectant Mother seeking peace reaching out to God, asking for his peace and presence to be with her not just physically in the child she carries by spiritually also and always.
Please listen, you may want to do this with your eyes closed and take this time, five and a half minutes, to seek after God’s peace as you invite him into your life or use the words of the song as a prayer inviting The Holy Spirit into your life, either for the first time or once again deeper and always.
Amy Grant: Breath of Heaven.
