Advent Promises Peace

A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick


We've now come to the last of the Four Sunday's of Advent when we talk about the Promise of Peace. Yes, Advent Produces HOPE, is Prompted by LOVE, Provides JOY, and also Promises PEACE.

This truth obviously is based on what the Bethlehem shepherds heard from the "great company" of angels: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:14)

    Long before that night in Bethlehem, there was a prophecy given through Haggai, "'In this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." (2:9) Of course this was referring to Jerusalem, the name of the capital city of Israel, the name of which literally means "founded on peace." Isaiah gives a similar prophecy concerning Jerusalem in 66:12: "I will extend peace to her like a river."

So the message to the shepherds, and to us all, was that the coming of Messiah, the Advent, would usher in an era of peace.

At first reading, it sounds like a blanket promise, a promise we all desperately want to believe - with the coming of Messiah, there will be ushered in world-wide peace. However, if that's what was meant, it would certainly represent a broken promise.

Yes, for a time the world experienced the Pax Romana, the Roman Peace, but that was a relative peace brought about not by Jesus, but by the Roman Caesar, a peace fragilely maintained through the brutal force of Roman occupation soldiers - Jesus Himself became a victim of this brutality. We now know that the propped up peace of the Roman Empire wouldn't last long; it soon gave way to what every generation since has known, as foretold by Jesus, "wars and rumors of wars." If the angels foretold peace, it certainly didn't come to pass then, nor is peace a reality of our present world. In fact, at one point Jesus Himself predicted just the opposite when He said,” Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division." (Luke 12:51) And Jerusalem, the "city of peace" is the one city in the world where conflict seems endless.

But perhaps world peace is not what the angels promised at all. A better translation of the angels' statement to the shepherds is now given in our more current translation, the NIV: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

This is no blanket promise, but a specific promise for those who find themselves in God's favor.

    In Isaiah's prophecy, the promised Messiah would, among other things, be called the "Prince of Peace." Yes, Jesus is the Prince, but He is Prince for those who have been received into the kingdom of God - if God is our supreme ruler, then we can claim Jesus as our Prince and thereby receive the blessing of His peace.

Going back to the message given to Bethlehem's shepherds, what they were told about peace was not new news. Listen to a prophecy spoken of Jesus' predecessor, John the Baptist, who was used of God to prepare the way for the Advent of Messiah. These words were spoken by John's father, Zechariah:

    "And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." (Luke 1:76-79)

On several occasions during Jesus' ministry, as recounted by this same writer, Luke, Jesus spoke peace into the lives of individual believers, and He also coached His disciples to do the same.

    There was the woman who washed Jesus' feet - Jesus said to this "woman who had lived a sinful life" "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (Luke 7:50)

    And there was also the woman who was healed of an internal hemorrhage when she pressed through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. To her Jesus said, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." (Luke 8:48)

    When giving instruction to the traveling evangelists, Jesus said, "When you enter a house, first say, `Peace to this house.' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you." (Luke 10:5, 6)

    At the end of the book, when after His resurrection Jesus suddenly appeared to His disciples, He once again spoke peace to them, "While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." (Luke 24:36)

Notice that what these accounts have in common is the phrase, "Go in Peace." By seeing this statement in other Biblical contexts, we can get a better idea what was involved.

    First, the phrase, "Go in peace" suggests blessing. When Moses informed his father-in-law, Jethro, that he wanted to be released from his shepherding duties to go to Egypt and check on the well being of his people, Jethro sent him on his way with these words, "Go in peace." (Exodus 4:18) The elder "Priest of Midian" (Exodus 2:16) was giving his blessing.

    Second, it suggests safety. David's good friend, Jonathon, when promising to assist David so he will not be harmed by King Saul, said, "If it please my father to do you evil, then I will show it to you, and send you away that you may go in peace: and the LORD be with you, as he has been with my father." (I Samuel 20:13) The NIV translates "go in peace" with these words, "send you away safely." To have God's peace is to feel secure, to be aware of Divine protection. As David wrote, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me."

    "Go in peace" also suggests answered prayer. There is the heart warming story of Hanna in the temple praying to be blessed with a child. After hearing her pray, the priest, Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." (I Samuel 1:17) We already know that God hears us when we pray, but there is a special sense of peace that comes over us when we have an inner awareness that the answer to our prayer is on the way.

    And finally, this phrase suggests pardon. This is seen in the story of Paul of Silas in prison. After they were miraculously freed as a result of a God-sent earthquake, they were taken into the home of the jailer. The next day the jailer relayed to the apostles that the town officials had set aside all charges and they were free to go. They said, "Now you can leave. Go in peace." (Acts 16:36) The magistrates were basically saying, "You no longer have any charges against you, you are pardoned." Ultimately, the peace of God that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) is the peace that accompanies God's pardon. Because of the Advent, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1)

It's obvious that the promise of peace accompanying the Advent is other than the creation of a utopian society on earth. Rather, it is a peace that is related to God's favor, His protection, answered prayer, and pardon. We may say that it is a kind of peace of mind (although certainly not the kind often referred to when someone says, 'I'd like to give them a piece of my mind." If you do that very often there just won't be anything left!)

In relation to this matter of peace, one of the truly great stories in the New Testament is an account given by three Evangelists - what, according to Mark, took place right after Jesus finished teaching some of His best known parables. At the end of the day Jesus boarded in one of His disciples' fishing boats and headed across the Sea of Galilee. Soon they found themselves in the midst of a ferocious storm - the disciples were terrorized and felt doomed. Meanwhile, Jesus appeared to them totally unconcerned - He was found sleeping on a mattress at the back of the boat. When awakened, Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves with the famous command, "Peace be still!" (Mark 4:39) To the amazement of His followers, calm was immediate - but then Jesus turned to His disciples and faulted them for being faithless.

Why? Did Jesus expect them (and us modern day disciples) to be able to have this ability? Was He implying that we should be able to command wind and waves to perform at our bidding? Can you just imagine the chaos that would result if this were the case? While one person of faith is commanding snow to stop so they can drive safely "over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house," another person of faith, who also happens to own the local ski slope, is commanding an abundance of snow to fall.

On the other hand, because they were acquainted with the Scriptures, perhaps the disciples were thinking about what had been written in Psalm 107:25: "For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves". They accepted the idea that God was responsible for these terrible stormy conditions, and He must be angry with them and will destroy them in His wrath.

Or maybe they remembered and identified with what Job had written, "I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me. You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me. You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you toss me about in the storm. I know you will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living." (Job 30:20-23)

The disciples felt doomed, and not only doubted that God would save them, but even believed that this was His way of expressing His anger and punishment - they all would die, drowning in the sea of God's wrath..

So what I think is that when Jesus chided them for being faithless, He was saying, "Why didn't you have enough faith to believe that we would safely make it to the other side?" Obviously Jesus had enough faith to be able to sleep - he was not anxious at all. Here's the message, "Yes, there will be storms, but we will make it to the other side." Knowing that is what brings about the promised peace.

Remember again what the angels said, peace will be available for those "on whom his favor rests." Who are these people who have found favor with God? They are the ones who have put their trust in the One who came to bring this peace. The apostle Paul writes, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace. . . ." (Ephesians 2:13, 14)

This then in the meaning of Advent, the Coming of Messiah -

    Advent Produces HOPE
    Advent is Prompted by LOVE
    Advent Provides JOY
    Advent Promises PEACE

This is why we celebrate Christmas, and this is why we invite Jesus the Messiah to come to us, and abide in us.

Those who want to experience true HOPE, LOVE, JOY, and PEACE will say with great sincerity, "O come to my heart Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for you."

Discussion Questions

Advent Promises Peace


1. Besides the promise of peace, what else was contained in the message of the angels given to the Bethlehem shepherds?

2. What is the meaning of the name of Israel's Holy City, and why is there so much turmoil and conflict there?

3. What is referred to by the term "Pax Romana," and how was this both a bane and a benefit to Christianity?

4. If Jesus is the "Prince of Peace," who is the "King" and what does that mean for us?

5. Why did Jesus say that He would not bring peace, but division?

6. If the promised peace is not for the entire earth, to provide "heaven on earth," who is it for?

7. How would Jesus fulfill the prophecy of John's father, Zechariah, when he said Messiah would "guide our feet into the path of peace"?

8. Who were some of the Bible people who heard these words, "Go in peace" or "peace be with you"?

9. How is God's peace related to the following: blessing, protection, answered prayer, and pardon?

10. According to Mark chapter 4, what happened at the end of a long day after Jesus finished teaching the crowds?

11. When Jesus chided the disciples for their weak faith, was He suggesting that they should have stilled the wind and the waves without bothering Him? Why do you think so?

12. Psalm 107:25 says, "[God] commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves". Does that mean storms are indicators of God's wrath and punishment?

13. Job seemed to be upset with God when he said, "You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you toss me about in the storm." Was Job justified feeling this way?

14. If as Paul wrote, Jesus "himself is our peace," how do we access that peace?

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