Luke 2:1-14
Jesus, The Prince of Peace
Woodlawn Baptist Church
December 9, 2001
Introduction
A. In current series dealing with the titles of Jesus, we have considered so far Jesus as the Son of man, and as the Son of God.
1. We saw that the title Son of man was a declaration of the deity of Jesus as well as a declaration of the humanity of Jesus, and then we saw some specific duties of Jesus as the Son of man, particularly dealing with his return to earth sometime in the future.
2. We saw that the title Son of God was a wonderful pronouncement from Gabriel of the majesty of this One who would be called Jesus: Jehovah saves. He would be great, the Son of the Highest, who would be given the throne of David and would rule over the house of Jacob forever.
B. Perhaps of all the things people think about though when the Christmas season roles around, peace is one of those most often mentioned. If you listen carefully you’ll hear many songs and sermons using this text to convey the idea that the birth of Jesus brought peace into the world.
C. I want peace.
1. I would like to know the peace of God in my marriage. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to experience a marriage without strife or heartache?
2. I would like to be at peace with my children. I would like to experience peace in my financial decisions.
3. I would like to have peace of mind at the end of the day knowing that I have lived my life rightly and usefully that day.
4. How about having peace in my thought life? James said, "Where do wars and fighting come from? Don’t they come from the lusts that war in your members?" In other words, our minds rage and war because of the lusts in them. Your mind wants one thing, and your body has a strong desire for it, but the Spirit of God tries to lead you in another direction, and because of the strong desire, there is warfare. I want the peace of God in those moments.
5. We want peace for our churches. Our nation wants peace. The people in Afghanistan would like some peace right about now.
6. And we always hear about world peace.
D. In Isaiah 9:6, we find the prophecy, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Jesus is that Prince of Peace.
E. With all this focus on the birth of Christ and peace at this time of year, I think it will be worth our time this morning to examine some truths concerning Jesus and peace.
I. The birth of Jesus did not bring peace. (14)
A. We hear the idea every year that the birth of Christ brought about peace, but it is a faulty notion. One only need to read the second chapter of Matthew to know the birth of Christ did not bring peace to the world. Verse 16 says, "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men."
B. Not only does history prove that the birth of Christ did not bring peace, but the very words of Jesus Himself contradict the idea.
1. Jesus said in Matthew 10:34, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household."
2. He said in Luke 12:51, "Suppose ye that I am come to send peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division…" What was it that created division? - A sword, and specifically the Word of God. It is the Word of God that divides. It divides husbands and wives. It divides mothers and daughters, sons and fathers. It divides churches and even nations.
3. So, either there are a lot of preachers and singers who are wrong, or Jesus was a liar. Paul said in Romans 3:4, "…let God be true and every man a liar…" Jesus was not mistaken. He knew that it was not His birth that brought peace to the world. The exact opposite was true; His birth only brought division.
C. So if the birth of Jesus did not bring peace, then what event did?
1. Isaiah 53:5 tells us that "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
2. Colossians 1:20 tells us that Christ made peace "through the blood of his cross…"
D. Had Jesus not shed His precious blood on the cross of Calvary, there would be no peace, there would be no forgiveness, and there would be no eternal life. Man would still be the enemy of God, would still be unacceptable to Him, and would have no way of knowing His love or mercy or grace. But, as we find in Isaiah 38:17, "Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back." Because of the shed blood of Christ, there is peace.
II. As the Prince of Peace, Jesus gives peace to whom He desires. (14)
A. Again, I want you to look at verse 14 with me. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Now I want to qualify what I am about to say. I love the King James Version of the Bible. I preach from it and study from it and will continue to do so, but I am not so naïve as to think that it is inspired. The translators did a wonderful job of giving us a good English version to study, but in verse 14 of Luke chapter 2 they are wrong.
B. Some of the other versions are closer to what the verse really says. It should read, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
C. Now we can ask the question, who are those with whom He is pleased? Hebrews 11:6 gives us the answer, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
D. So, to whom is peace guaranteed? Believers in Christ! "Therefore being justified, declared to be righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Those who have exercised faith in the saving work of Christ on their behalf, who have repented of their sin and confessed Christ have, "the peace of God that passes all understanding."
1. Isaiah 48:22 says, "There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked."
2. Those who reject the offer of salvation are the wicked. Just as you would be offended this year if you spent all the money you had to provide the perfect gift for a loved one, you take it to them and present it with all your love and affection, only to see them open it, mock it, laugh at it with scorn in their hearts, and leave it, reject it, God is offended at those who reject the gift He gave in Christ.
3. There is no peace for that sort of man. If you do not know Jesus, do not be fooled by the moments of peace and calm you experience in this life. Money and security and the comforts of this life will do you little good when you stand before the Prince of Peace in the judgment.
III. God intends for you to experience His peace in this present life.
A. We are all too familiar with the scenes of tranquility and peace in heaven. We look forward to the days when the lions will lay down with the lambs, when Jesus is King and righteousness is the standard and sin and the devil have been cast into the lake of fire. We know about that peace. But what about a present peace?
B. Jesus said, "peace I leave with you…" On another occasion He said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
1. Paul said that Jesus is our peace.
2. We are told in Galatians that a fruit of the Spirit is peace.
C. So we are to know and experience peace here in this life today. But perhaps today you are listening to this message and you say, Brother Kevin, I know all of that, and I still don’t have peace. Let me give you the 5 most common reasons I have found that people don’t experience the peace of God.
1. You are lost. We have already discussed this. If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you will not and cannot expect to have a lasting peace in this life. You should know whether you are saved or not. Go back to that time in your life when you trusted the Christ as your Savior. If you are unable to remember that time, then you need to be saved today.
2. You are harboring known sin. Turn to and read Psalm 38:3-6. We were saved to walk a new life, and any time we revert back to sin, knowingly and willingly, there will be little peace. We must call it what it is and repent of it, turn away from it if we are to know the peace of God.
3. You are not obeying God. Not much unlike harboring sin, disobedience in the life of a believer cannot be blessed by God. God will never bless our disobedience. Do not expect peace if we are not obeying the promptings of the Lord. What has the Lord been speaking to you about? You must be obedient in that thing. Walk in the Spirit, follow the Spirit, if you want the fruit of the Spirit.
4. Lack of trust. Our lives are out of our control, and this frustrates us to no end. If we are to know the peace of God, then we must trust His ways, His plans, His judgments, and know that He will take care of us. That is the whole point of Matthew 6. If God will take care of the flowers and the birds, then He will certainly take care of us. "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
5. You have faulty ideas about peace.
Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.
The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled.
As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.
A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.
The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?
A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.
A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.
You see, many of us have faulty ideas about what peace really is. In this life, there are going to be problems. You can’t prevent them, and as long as you are waiting for all your troubles to go away before you experience peace, then you will never know it. Real peace is being able to abide in the midst of the storm with the calm assurance that the Savior is there.
Conclusion
A. Do you know the Prince of Peace this morning? Have you experienced the peace that only comes from above?
B. Will you invite Jesus to take up residence in your life and give you the peace that He alone can give?
C. If you want His peace, then you must accept some important facts about Jesus.
1. Give plan of salvation
2. Invite the saved to yield to Christ.
