Advent 2 - Peace

Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs December 9, 2007.

The candles on the advent wreath symbolize Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Understanding facets of each of these and how they apply to Advent, the season of expectation and waiting before Christmas, is a challenge. Oh, we can talk about Hope and Peace and Joy and Love as abstract concepts, but it is much harder to think about them and embody them in our daily lives.

Last week, I talked to you about hope, and how during Advent, we think of the prophecies in the OT about the coming of Jesus, and how in the NT, hope began to be seen as a component of a righteous life. Finally, today we see hope as a response to the saving grace of Jesus Christ as well as a confident expectation in His return to establish the Kingdom of God among us.

This second week of Advent, I come to you with a message of Peace. And as I said, peace is something that seems to elude us, often just beyond our grasp. We talk about seeking it, we have groups that support it (like “Nebraskans for Peace,” (a very divisive group, in my opinion) as if there really are “Nebraskans for War”), we all long for it, but what is it, after all? "Peace" is something that the whole world seems to be striving for, at an individual level and at a national and international level. Yet, most people spend little time really thinking about what peace means.

What does peace mean to members of Al-Queda or Hamas? What does peace mean in Northern Ireland? What about in Bosnia, Sudan, Pakistan, or a dozen other hotspots across the globe?

What does it mean in regards to national defense? Strong national defense, more and better weapons than any other nation on earth. “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for I am the biggest and baddest one in the valley?”

Do we find peace in metal detectors in airports—or high schools?

What about in politics? It seems that every candidate is out to smear the next, increasing the division that we all struggle with. It would be easy to lay the blame on politics—red state, blue state. But even our church is divided—Great Commission (Go and make disciples), or Great Commandment (Love God, love others).

What about personal peace—in your home (not if you have teenagers) and in your deeper inner self—are you at peace with who you are and your life?

It seems that there IS NO peace—and no prospects for it either. So where do we turn for peace? How can we find it? Part of the answer, I believe, is found in scripture. Zechariah 9:10 prophesys that a king will come and bring peace to the nations, a king that comes riding on a donkey.

God promised to send His people a King of Peace. This prophecy of the coming King of Peace is fulfilled in Jesus Christ on Palm Sunday as recorded in Matthew 21:7-9: "They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

"Hosanna (meaning ’Praise for salvation’) to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"

Notice that this king is not elected – elected means that they have ascended through some popularity contest. We are in the midst of presidential primaries. Each candidate is trying to somehow get your vote so that they can get to the top—to achieve the power of the presidency—the highest pinnacle of success, to rule the greatest nation in the world—wait, did I say rule? That's not what the candidates want, or is it?

Listen to the words of Jesus, the King of Peace: Jesus said to His disciples in Luke 22:25-30, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves?

Jesus came to live among us at Christmas and to bring us peace. His power is found in love and peace. Even Napoleon’s diary records, "Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded great empires; but upon what did the creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded His empire upon love, and to this very day millions would die for Him."

Jesus did not win any popularity contests—his influence was not in being popular or elected, his influence was in being the Son of God, in establishing life and love, peace and joy regardless of the circumstances of the world surrounding us, with the promise that he would return to establish his kingdom forever.

Friends, peace can be found—Ephesians 2:14 says that Jesus is our peace, bringing unity to a world divided by religion and politics. Peace is found in a relationship with this Prince of Peace--Emmanuel – A Hebrew word meaning “God with us.” Peace is found in Jesus Christ.