Jesus: The Peace-Giver

Introduction

Last week, we looked at how in our dark times, our world is in desperate need of hope. We also saw that Jesus came as the hope-giver. That is Good News.

What else do we need in these turbulent times? It just so happens that the second Sunday of Advent is that of peace. We need to ask, how badly do we need peace? And in what areas?

We have been reflecting on COVID-19, although that is not the only crisis we are going through. This pandemic has created conflict as people have strong opinions on how to respond and those opinions do not always agree. Let’s take a look just at the church. People within congregations disagree on what measures to take. Congregations disagree with other congregations on how to respond. Some congregations are in conflict with the government and  health officials about what to do. It is not just that we have different opinions, it is that people can get down right nasty with people on the other side.

There are many other areas that we need peace. We need peace in our relationships with other people. We need peace of mind as we struggle with stress and anxiety. We need peace to deal with our grief and mourning. Thankfully Jesus is the Prince of Peace and so we have nothing to worry about.

Except that is not quite that simple. When we looked at hope, we saw that Jesus rarely used that word. We have the opposite problem when it comes to peace. Jesus spoke a lot about peace but it can be a struggle to understand what he is really saying. So Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” (John 14:27) But Jesus also says, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34) So which is it? Did Jesus come to bring peace or not? The answer is yes.

What Jesus is doing throughout the Gospels is messing up our definition of peace. How might be define peace? One definition might be that peace is the ending of conflict and the shift to people just getting along. That sounds good but what if there is a deeper peace? We are going to look at peace from the life of Jesus and then unpack what Jesus meant by peace.

Peace For Jesus

We are attempting to argue that Jesus is the peace-giver. That assumes that Jesus has peace to give. I can offer to give you one million dollars but since I don’t have one million dollars, that is an empty promise. So what did peace look like in Jesus’ life?

We think of the birth of Jesus as the ultimate picture of peace. But part of the Christmas story is King Herod’s jealousy of the new King of the Jews. Herod has the young boys of Bethlehem killed and Joseph, Mary and Jesus are forced to flee to Egypt. That doesn’t sound very peaceful. Then Jesus began his ministry. That quickly turned into conflict with some religious leaders. There were different groups and it seemed at times that all they had in common was their dislike for Jesus. There was also conflict with Jesus’ family, with his brothers in particular having strong feelings against his ministry. Even his disciples whom he hand picked were a problem. One betrayed him and another denied him. Jesus was arrested and condemned and was crucified by the Romans as a criminal. Where is the peace that Jesus had to offer?

This is where those two statements about peace come in. Jesus knew that the message of the gospel, far from making everyone happy, would cause division. When people took a stand for the kingdom of God, there would be those who would not like it. Relationships would be broken, including family relationships. Jesus knew this as a theological fact and from experience. What Jesus was teaching his disciples is what Jesus was experiencing himself.

So if that is the case, where is the peace? While Jesus experienced conflict, he also experienced peace. But as he promised his disciples, he would give peace not like the world gives. The best the world can give is break in the conflict, this peace would be deeper.

The first kind of peace that Jesus had was peace with the Father. He was confident in his relationship with the Father. He was both able to admit his fears and be able to say “Not my will but yours be done.” This was foundational to the peace Jesus enjoyed.

Closely related to that was the peace that came from being confident in who he was. He had a strong self-identity. He knew who he was and what he was to do. This shaped his relationships with others. He did not depend on other’s approval for his own value. People could hate him or love him and that wouldn’t change who he was. Jesus had compassion toward all, no matter who they were. But people had to accept him or reject him as he was, and this gave him peace even when people, both friends and enemies, came against him.

Peace For Christians

The theme for this message is that of Jesus as our peace-giver. We have just seen how Jesus experienced peace himself: peace with the Father and peace within himself. How does this affect our own experience of peace? The principles are exactly the same.

Jesus made it clear that aligning ourselves with him would have a cost. Perhaps we didn’t feel it as much in previous generations, as cultural Christianity was still strong. But with each passing year, as Canada sheds the veneer of cultural Christianity, there will be those who will dislike us for being followers of Jesus. There are those who think of Christians as at best, mentally ill and at worst, actually dangerous to the flourishing of humanity. Some of those people may be in our families, of circle of friends or our workplace. So if we think the peace that Jesus offers will mean that everyone likes us, we will be disappointed.

We get the same peace that Jesus had, starting with peace with God. The truth is that sin separates us from God. We are offered peace with God through Jesus Christ. This is not a simple cessation of hostilities but an adoption into God’s family. We are invited to pray “Abba, Father,” the same prayer that Jesus prayed.

We also get inner peace, although it does take time for us to experience it in fulness. We don’t have to find our value in other people’s approval. We are who we are in Christ. We are created in the image of God. What people think of us can never affect that. Now we are human, and what people say or do will affect our feelings, but it cannot change our identity. This inner peace can give us strength to overcome any circumstance. At this time we are think of friends and family who we have lost. We experience grief and we should be open to those feelings. But even that loss cannot change who we are. We will miss those relationships but we are and always will be in Christ.

Conclusion

Jesus Christ was born approximately two thousand years ago. He came as the Prince of Peace. What was that peace like? It was not like the world thinks of peace. Jesus experienced more than his fair share of conflict and he promised the same for his followers.

Jesus offered a special peace, the same kind of peace that he enjoyed himself. Peace with God and peace with ourselves. The problem is that we want to start with peace with others. But if we start there, we have to shift and change to meet their expectations. The best we can do is be at peace with God and peace with ourselves. Some people will not like that but others will accept us. Remember that long list of people that Jesus had conflict with? Some of those religious leaders followed Jesus. Those brothers followed Jesus. The one who denied him followed Jesus. The point was being confident in who we are in Christ and letting that shape our relationships. That is true peace.