12-29-2024 His Name is The Prince of Peace

Text: Isaiah 9:6

                    This morning, we’re going to finish our study of the names that Isaiah gave to the coming Messiah in Isaiah 9:6.  This verse has been immortalized in the amazingly beautiful choral work by Handle called the Messiah.  Today we will look at why Isaiah called Jesus the Prince of Peace.  Skeptics often use this name as a reason to discount Christianity because throughout the life of Jesus, Israel was under tyrannical control of Rome and throughout time there has always been war in this world..  Yet, we humans continue to get it wrong because we fail to understand the true heart of God our Father.  We make assumptions about God when we try to fit Him into our understanding of how things should go rather than studying our Bible to learn how God really works.  A prince was definitely born in the manger in Bethlehem.  The lineage of Jesus goes all the way back to King David, so He was born to be King of Israel had He asserted that right.  But, as usual, God had other plans.

                   We learn in Acts 3:15 that Peter called Jesus the Prince of Life.  The religious leaders of the day thought they had put an end to Jesus when they crucified Him.  But their confidence was shaken when Peter told them that Jesus was alive again and this time they could not harm him.  Peter’s message emphasized that people and their religious leaders has killed Jesus; that God had brought Him back to life; and the Disciples were witnesses to this fact.  After pointing out the sin and injustice of these leaders, Peter showed the significance of the resurrection was God’s power over death.  John wrote in Revelation 1:5 that Jesus is the Prince of the kings of the earth.  He is telling us that Jesus is the all-powerful King, victorious in battle, and the champion of peace.  Far from being just a humble earthly teacher, Jesus is Lord overall.  And as Isaiah wrote in  our text, Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  The Jesus teaches us three dimensions of peace:  peace with God, the peace of God, and  peace on earth.  Let’s look at each dimension in order.

                   Many people want peace with God.  They believe that if they participate in religious rituals, do good works, and give their money or possessions they will have peace with God.  But this is an illusion because none of these actions will bring peace with God.  Paul wrote in Romans 5:1:  “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God.”  When Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, all of mankind was separated from God.  Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, mankind can now be justified, or made right, with God again.  Our Bible speaks of many encounters with the risen Jesus but far more heard about it from those who did see Him or heard of Him being alive.  Paul tells us that all who believe in Jesus must do so by faith because they have not seen the living Christ walking the earth after His resurrection.  All who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior in their lives, are now complete in Him because of the Cross, and can be declared righteous before God and be fully accepted fully by Him.  But our work doesn’t end there.  We are not yet fully like Jesus because we will continue to sin as we are still growing in our faith.  We must be diligent in confessing our sins every day so that they can be forgiven.  While we have the status of royalty as heirs of God, we are still slaves because of our continued sin.  We enjoy the peace that comes from being made right with God, but still face daily problems that will help us grow.  The peace of God isn’t peaceful feelings such as calmness and tranquility.  It means that we can be reconciled to God; and the hostility that stood between us and God can be gone because no sin blocks our relationship with Him.  Peace with God is only possible because Jesus paid the price for our sins through His death on the Cross.  The gulf that separated us from God has been bridged by the Cross.  Jesus paid our debt of sin.  Isaiah wrote in 53:5-6:  “(5) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our inequities:  the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.  (6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”  It was necessary for Jesus, the Messiah, to do this because God is holy, and we can’t be in His presence marked by sin.  So, Jesus, the perfect sinless Lamb of God took our sin and experienced the death we deserve.  He made our sacrifice for us so we can now enter God’s holy presence.  Best of all, the Messiah’s sacrificed didn’t end in death; He rose from the dead to show that He had power over death and gives us confidence that we, like Him, will experience an eternal, resurrected life.  Isaiah compares us to wandering sheep who God sent the Messiah to bring back to the fold.  If we can see all that Jesus did and still reject Him, our sin is much greater than that of the ancient Israelites who could not see what we have been able to see through God’s Word. 

                   Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:12-18 that Jesus broke down all barriers to reconciliation with God and included not just the Jews but the Gentiles as well.  Then in Colossians 1:20 Paul teaches that the death of Jesus provides a way for all people to come to God because His blood cleans away the sin that keeps us from having a right relationship with our Creator.  It’s not a guarantee that everyone will accept that way, just that it has been made available to all who choose to accept Jesus.  Paul wrote in Romans 5:  “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Only when we find Jesus through faith will we find peace with God.  This peace is positional and unchanging, meaning that with the acceptance of Jesus by faith, our peace with God has been made.  The war is over, and we are reconciled with Him. 

                   Next is the peace of God and it is dependent on us having a relationship with Him.  Many can have peace with God but miss the peace of God.  The path to the peace of God is explained by Paul in Philippians 4:5-8, where he tells us how we should live.  We are to be reasonable, fair-minded, and charitable to everyone, not just to fellow believers.  We aren’t to look for revenge against those who treat us unfairly, nor should we be overly vocal or demanding about our personal rights.  And kids should mind their parents and listen to them.  When circumstances in our life threaten to make us anxious and worried, we should turn our concerns over to God in prayer; then listen to what God has to tell us and thank Him for all the good work He has done in every aspect of our lives. 

                   God’s peace is different from the world’s peace.  True peace is not found in positive thinking, in the absence of conflict, or in good feelings.  It only comes when we trust God to work everything out in a way that is best for us as we fulfill our role in God’s work in the world.  Our citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is certain, our destiny is already set, and we can have victory over sin.  We must allow the peace of God to guard our hearts against the anxieties of this world that try to bring us down and keep our focus off of Jesus.  When we trust God, He gives us a peaceful perspective during disagreements with those we are close to, when we are in a traffic jam, on a difficult phone call, in a troubled relationship, and even as we get closer to death.  Remember too, that what we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words, desires, and actions.  Paul tells us to train our minds to focus on thoughts and actions that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.  If you have problems with impure thoughts, actions, and daydreams, examine what you’re putting into your mind through movies, the internet, books, conversations, television, and video games.  Replace all harmful input with wholesome material and most importantly, read the Bible regularly, pray often, and always ask for forgiveness of your sins.  Ask God to help fill your mind with good and pure thoughts.  This takes practice but it can be done.  When we conquer the things that pull us away from God, we will find a peace that passes the understanding of the world around us.  That is the peace of God.

                   Finally, there is Peace on Earth.  Luke 2:14 tells us the angel who announced the birth of Jesus spoke of peace on earth.  This is the peace that awaits us when Jesus returns to establish His earthly Kingdom where there will be no more violence or war.  Isaiah tells us in chapter 11 that this will be a time when there will be peace among the animals and among people, and all the world will live together in peace.  This will be the time that the angel Gabriel promised to Mary in Luke 1:30-33. 

                   So, you see, the best is yet to come for all Christians who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, study the Bible regularly, and live as Jesus showed us while He walked this earth.  It’s the kind peace that’s available to all who chose, by faith, to accept Him then make a sincere effort to live a life that pleases God our Creator.  Anyone can have inner peace now and everlasting peace for eternity in the Kingdom of Jesus.  Don’t let it pass you by and encourage those close to you who have not yet accepted Jesus by faith to do so before it’s too late.

                   May you have a happy and blessed 2025 as you continue to study the word of God and live as Jesus showed us. 

                   Until we meet again, may God bless and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.