Peace on Earth
25th December 2022
Peace on Earth
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
Do you want peace…?
Of course!
‘Peace' quickly emerges as a theme when you ask what people deeply long for.
We share a desire for peace – personally and for all humanity.
And the passage from Isaiah we’ve just heard proclaims a peace that is coming.
· Light shines,
· endless peace is promised,
· with justice and righteousness.
And Isaiah’s prophecy is linked to the birth of Jesus:
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (v6)
Prince of Peace…?
Did Isaiah get it wrong?
And in Luke’s Gospel the angels declare at Jesus’ birth:
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward humankind." (Luke 2:14, NHEB)
How real is the promised ‘peace’, given the evidence in our world today?
Where is this peace (we long for)?
Is this a case of the Bible over-promising and under-delivering?
The truth is, since Christ’s birth, conflict and violence still have their evil way.
Is the Prince of peace for real?
When Isaiah wrote these words about the Prince of peace, he and the people of Israel were in the midst of intense oppression.
In the same chapter Isaiah describes their experience:
“the boots of the tramping warriors and garments rolled in blood” (Isaiah 9:5)
in the midst of this grisly experience, Isaiah’s vision of the hope for peace is not another army, but …a baby.
God knows the grisly experience of humanity.
And in the midst of human conflict and violence, God comes to with us
...as a little baby.
This commitment by God tells us that we can truly know spiritual peace.
Jesus brings peace between God and humanity.
There is a spiritual reconciliation of sinners with their holy God.
Like a bridge over troubled waters, Jesus lays himself down,
so that rebellious humanity might find peace with our Creator.
As the Carol sings it:
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.
This morning, on Christmas Day,
we can truly celebrate this reconciliation.
Without it this church would not be standing here,
and this congregation would not exist.
This morning, on Christmas Day,
We can celebrate this peace we have with God.
But can we expect peace with one another too…?
We WANT this peace, but it seems so elusive.
Despite this, Christians around the world continue to proclaim at Christmas that peace IS promised for our world.
Jesus HAS come all this way to plant peace in the soil of our lived experience.
Do you know what gives me hope for this promised peace…?
The fact that Jesus (the Prince of peace) had such limited success in his own lifetime!
There is no suggestion in the Gospels that Jesus was able to reconcile enemies to one another.
In fact, Jesus made lots of enemies.
It seems clear to me that the peace Jesus has in mind is not from being ‘nice’ to people!
Jesus was a peace-maker.
And that means exposing corruption, hypocrisy, and injustice.
The Prince of peace knows that certain evils in the world need to be confronted.
And therefore, peace is much more than sentimentality at Christmas.
Just this week Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to Washington DC to seek help with the war in Ukraine.
Many already recognise this as ‘history in the making’ – as one of the most important visits to Washington by a foreign leader.[1]
In time where we have become so accustomed to Zoom meetings,
this visit is a powerful example that physically showing up still matters!
Zelensky’s visit has had a powerful affect for the support for his country’s cause.
And it has been compared to a very similar visit to Washington 81 years ago – also at Christmas time.
Winston Churchill came seeking to strengthen relations, as he urged the US to confront the threats of WWII.
Being a peace-maker requires honesty.
Being a peace-maker requires confronting evil.
Being a peace-maker can be costly. The Cross is proof of this.
Isaiah’s prophecy did NOT get it wrong.
Peace IS the purpose that the Prince of peace came for.
We can experience peace
peace with God
and peace-making with those around us.
Today, Christmas Day, it is right that we celebrate!
We celebrate what IS, and what is TO COME!
We celebrate the Prince of peace who
(as we are about to sing in our next carol)
has been born ‘in yonder manger low’.
Others around the world also sing the words of truth in this carol
“lo! we saw a wondrous light:
angels, singing peace on earth,
told us of the Saviour's birth.’
It’s time to party!
Let our Christmas celebrations be a re-commitment to peace-making,
as we follow the Prince of peace to that day when the words of Isaiah, and the songs of the angels, will be totally fulfilled throughout the world.
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward humankind." (Luke 2:14, NHEB)
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64059777. Accessed 23rd December 2022.