(Based on a series by Paul Snoddy, Tri-Village Christian Church, Pataskala, OH)
SERIES: “GIFTS UNDER THE TREE”
TEXT: MATTHEW 1:18-25
TITLE: “PEACE – THE MYSTERIOUS GIFT”
INTRODUCTION: A. In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy and Charlie Brown are talking. Lucy says, “I hate the
world. I hate everyone. I hate everything about this world!”
Charlie Brown looks at her for a moment and says, “I thought you said you have an
inner peace?”
Lucy replies, “I do have an inner peace but I have an outer obnoxiousness.”
1. Peace is not something that comes from around us.
--Rather it is something that God puts within us
2. Jesus Christ came not to just be born into this world but to die an atoning death so
that we could have a peace that passes all understanding.
B. Even though we’ve been at war in Iraq for several years now, it’s still disheartening to
hear about the deaths of our military personnel over there.
1. There’s a huge controversy currently happening between rival political forces and
fueled by the media concerning the importance of an announced pull-out schedule.
2. Those that support the schedule promote the idea that with a determined date to pull
our forces out of Iraq that then we will have peace.
3. Peace doesn’t come from the outward circumstances.
--It comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ.
4. If we truly want to find peace not just at Christmas but for the rest of our lives, we
have to discover the peace that passes all understanding and that only comes
thorough knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
C. Last week, we looked at the events recorded in Lk. 2:8-20
1. It concerned the angel who appeared to the shepherds and made a grand
announcement about a savior being born who is Christ the Lord.
2. One of the last things the angel said to the shepherds was “Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
3. The only way we can have lasting peace in our lives is to know that God’s favor
rests upon us
.
4. The Bible says that when we’re in a relationship with Jesus Christ that the Holy
Spirit not only rests upon us, He also lives within us.
--It’s through the Holy Spirit of God that we can have the peace that Christ offers
to every one of us.
5. Is. 9:6 prophesies: “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
--There are four ways that Jesus Christ brings peace into our lives in spite of what
is happening around us
I. PEACE IN SPITE OF STRAINED RELATIONSHIPS
A. Joseph understood strained relationships
1. He was pledged to be married to Mary and discovered beforehand that she was already pregnant.
2. Mt. 1:18-19 – “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be
married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy
Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public
disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”
B. You can imagine Joseph’s disappointment
1. Probably a marriage arranged for years in advance
2. Probably didn’t know her very well
3. One of the first things he discovers is that she’s pregnant
4. At first, because he was righteous he didn’t want to bring her to public disgrace so he wanted to
divorce her privately until the angel came and explained the situation
--God brought this pregnancy about and this child will be the savior of the world.
a. Joseph was obedient and faithful and married her
b. Joseph probably couldn’t tell anybody. Who would believe it?
--“Uh, hey, guys, this isn’t another fella’s baby. This is God’s baby.”
5. Maybe Joseph family and friends whispered about it behind his back.
--strained relationships
C. And yet Jesus wants to bring peace in spite of strained relationships
1. Maybe you got some strained relationships
--with family or friends or co-workers
2. Maybe it’s something that’s been going on for years but you’ve never settled it
a. It’s just below the surface there’s strain
b. You act like everything’s okay but it’s not
3. Maybe somebody needs to be forgiven
4. Maybe it’s something nobody wants to talk about
5. Maybe a good friend has done something or you’ve done something and you know there’s no peace
until the relationship is restored.
6. Even with a spouse, sometimes there’s trouble and there’s no peace in that relationship
D. Sometimes just offering forgiveness is the start to peace
--Take the steps to restore broken relationship
1. Peace in a relationship may not come instantly, but it’s amazing that while reconciliation and
forgiveness are a very long journey, just beginning it can bring immediate peace.
2. Prov. 14:30 – “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
II. PEACE IN SPITE OF IMPERFECT CIRCUMSTANCES
A. Many times at Christmas we want everything to be just right.
1. We want everyone to get the right present, we want to have the right food.
--We just want everything to be right.
2. And guess what? It never happens exactly the way that we think it should.
--And that’s not just at Christmas time. It happens throughout the rest of the year
B. Joseph understood what it was like to have imperfect circumstances
1. Not only did they have strain at the beginning of their marital relationship he got news that a census
would be taken.
2. He had to travel with Mary who was 9 months pregnant all the way to Bethlehem.
a. Taxes had to be paid that he probably hadn’t counted on paying.
b. And when they got to Bethlehem, there was no room for them anywhere.
--They had to spend the first night in a cave in the side of a hill with animals all around.
c. And into that environment, Jesus was born.
3. Yet in the midst of these imperfect circumstances, I think Mary and Joseph had a peace about them
because they knew whatever was going on in their lives that God would take care of them because
they were being faithful.
4. Phil 4:6-7 –“ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
--There are times when circumstances around us are imperfect that we need to just trust God and lay
those circumstances at God’s feet.
C. I heard about a couple who were just married and were on their honeymoon. The husband was
bragging about how he hadn’t spared a penny paying for the honeymoon – especially on the hotel room.
They got there in the wee hours of the morning. They were taken to their hotel room and it wasn’t
really what they were expecting – not what the travel agent had told them about. The bathroom was kind
of small, no windows in the room, the room itself was small. The worst part was that there was no bed –
just a couch that pulled out into a bed. But both of them were tired, it was very late, and they decided to
just get a good nights’ sleep and deal with it in the morning.
The next morning the husband marches down to the front desk and asks for the manager. He lays out
his list of complaints and when he was done, the manager was just smiling. He asked the husband, “Did
you open the door inside your room?” “You mean the closet door?” The manager said, “It’s a little more
than a closet. Tell you what, just go on back upstairs, open the door and tell me what you think.”
The husband did and there was the suite they had reserved – huge rooms, a great big bed with
chocolates on the pillows, and decorated with fresh cut flowers. The best part was the great view of the
ocean.
1. Many times we do the same thing in our lives.
a. We become so focused on the circumstances in front of us that we don’t see the big picture.
b. We don’t open the doors God has in front of us.
2. Many times the imperfect circumstances keep us from the blessing that’s just beyond the door
D. Yet in the midst of it all, Joseph and Mary are faithful and God is able to bring peace.
1. Max Lucado wrote an imaginary prayer of Joseph, standing outside the stable:
This isn’t the way I planned it, God. Not at all. My child being born in a stable. This isn’t the
way I thought it would be. A cave with sheep and donkeys, hay and straw. This isn’t at all what I
had imagined.
I imagined family – grandmothers, neighbors, friends standing by my side. I imagine the house
erupting with the first cry of an infant, slaps on the back, loud jubilation. That’s how I thought it
would be. It just doesn’t seem right.
What kind of husband am I? I provide no mid-wife to aide my wife; no bed to rest her back; her
pillow is a blanket off a donkey. My house for her is a shed of hay and straw. The smell is bad; the
animals are loud. Did I miss something, God? This isn’t the way I wanted it to be.
This is not the way I wanted my son … oh my, I did it again. I did it again, didn’t I Father? I
don’t mean to do that, it’s just that I forget. He’s not my son; He is Yours. The child is Yours, the
plan is Yours, the idea is Yours. And forgive me for asking, but is this how God enters the world?
2. I don’t know if Joseph uttered that prayer or not but I’ve uttered some prayers like that.
--“God this isn’t what I intended. This isn’t what I planned.”
3. Maybe you have, too
--In the midst of imperfect circumstances, if we’ll just focus on Christ, He’ll bring the peace that
passes all understanding.
III. PEACE IN SPITE OF AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
A. Something that we probably all share is that we’d like to know a little about the future
1. We want to know what’s going to happen.
2. It might be something years down the road, something that’s going to happen tomorrow or just
what’s going to happen after we leave here.
B. Several years ago, the AP reported an interesting story. Back in the mid-60’s in France, it was
common for elderly people to draw up a contract or agreement with a younger person that when they
died, that person would own their apartment or house. The other person would pay for that privilege
and the elderly person would have some extra income.
There was a fellow by the name of Andre Refray (sp?) age 47, who drew up a contract with a
woman 90 years of age. He would pay her the equivalent of $500 a month and when she died, he would
get her apartment.
30 years later, she was 120 years old, the oldest living person, and over the 30 years he had paid her
$184,000 and never lived in the apartment. The AP reported it because he had died. Now his estate had
to pay the $500 a month until she passed away.
1. Ecc. 8:7 warns: “Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come?”
2. We plan for the future.
--We try to gain security for the future.
3. But the only place we can find security is in relationship with Jesus Christ.
--Because he secured our future when he went to the cross, died for our sins, and rose again
4. No matter what our future might hold, we need to know the One who holds the future.
--Through Jesus Christ, we can have peace no matter what the future may hold.
C. Eight days after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple.
1. There was priest there named Simeon.
--Simeon had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he could see the Messiah.
2. Imagine Simeon every time a baby is brought to the temple. He probably wondered, “Is this the
one?”
--But the Holy Spirit never confirms it until Joseph and Mary bring Jesus.
3. Simeon gives a prophecy to Joseph and Mary
--Lk. 2:34-35 – “Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to
cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that
the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’”
a. Can’t you just picture Mary and Joseph with puzzled looks on their faces wondering what kind of
blessing Simeon had given?
b. Don’t you think that they walked away from the temple wishing they knew more about what was
going to happen?
D. They had an uncertain future not just because of the prophecy.
1. After the magi came, an angel came and told Joseph about Herod’s plot.
--Don’t go back the way you came. In fact, go to Egypt because Herod is killing all the babies age 2
and under. Don’t come back until the Holy Spirit let’s you know it’s okay.
2. You can imagine Mary and Joseph wondering about their future in a foreign country.
3. But Jesus Christ the baby brought peace to their lives.
--And Jesus Christ the Savior can bring peace to your life, even in the midst of an uncertain future
4. That’s why Jesus said 30 years later in Mt. 6:31,34 – “31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we
eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” “34Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
IV. PEACE IN SPITE OF PAST TRANSGRESSIONS
A. When the angel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, he said, “Today in the town of David a
Savior has been born to you…”
1. The news of Christmas is that God came in human form, lived a perfect life, died on the cross so that
our past could be wiped away and forgiven.
2. Col. 1:19-20 – “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to
reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through
his blood, shed on the cross.”
B. I heard about a fellow that would put a nativity scene on one side of his front lawn marked with a
sigh that read, “God’s gift to man.” On the other side of his lawn, he would put a cross with a sign,
“Man’s gift to God.”
Some of his neighbors would say, “We don’t think that the cross has a place at Christmas.” And
we would take the opportunity to tell them that Jesus didn’t come to be born in a manger. He came to
die on a cross so that we could have forgiveness.
1. Jesus said that He came to “give his life as a ransom for may”
2. He came so that you could find the peace that passes all understanding in His death and resurrection.
CONCLUSION: A. Back during WW II, there was a young mother whose husband was off fighting in
Europe. She decided that the best thing for her and her son that the best thing would be
to visit with her family for Christmas. In fact, she decided they’d just spend the whole
month of December so they could be part of all the decorating and preparing for
Christmas.
About a week before Christmas, she got the news that not only would her husband not
be back for this Christmas, he wouldn’t be home for any Christmas. He had died in
combat. For the next several hours, the mother went to her room and just cried and
grieved by herself.
When she came out, she found that her family had taken down all the decorations,
had taken down the tree, and there wasn’t a present in sight. She asked, “Mom, why did
you do that?” Her mom replied, “Well, honey, you were grieving so hard, we just didn’t
feel like it would be the right time for a celebration.” And the young mother said, “But
Mom, Christmas was made for times like these.”
B. When your circumstances aren’t all perfect, when your future is uncertain, and your
relationships strained, the message of Christmas was made for times like these.
1. The manger is just the beginning of the story.
2. Jesus came not just to be born but to live a perfect life and die on a cross to pay for our
sins, and rise again so that we could have the peace that passes all understanding.
