Advent 2021 Peace – Week 4
The Prince of Prophets Points to the Prince of Peace!
Isaiah 9:6-7 (NAS95)
Isaiah’s ministry happened during the time of the decimation of the northern ten tribes of Israel by the Assyrian Empire, culminating in the late 8th century BC, and the coming power of Babylon who would ultimately destroy Jerusalem in 586 BC, and bring the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the remnant of Israel, into captivity for 70 years, until released by the Persian Empire. These were darks days, indeed, with great political upheaval caused by shifts of political power, warfare on multiple fronts, and the internal disease of religious chaos, caused by Israel’s generational rebellion against God and His Law.
Isaiah was a bold voice for God! He called both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah to repentance, back to covenant faithfulness to the Law of God. Isaiah prophesied against foreign nations who were invading God’s people in the Promised Land. Finally, Isaiah was a voice of hope for God’s rescue and deliverance from their current darkness—there was hope if the people would return to God!
Jerusalem, the City of Peace, was being threatened and coming under judgment! God’s people were living in apostasy and their repentance was coming too late to stop what had been set in play for their judgment. But God… God who is merciful would relent and send a future Messiah who would redeem God’s people from their transgressions, and from judgment. Listen to one such prophecy, one that we celebrate every year at Christmas, found in Isaiah 9:6-7:
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
Jesus defeated the power of death and the forces of evil to restore us back into right relationship with the Father; it is only “in Christ” that we can have “peace with” or “access to” God. When we talk about having peace with God, we must remember first and foremost that peace is the very essence of God—He is Jehovah Shalom (Judges 6:34-34). It is nothing we do; it is 100% His zeal that accomplishes this!
Peace is God’s presence—the miracle of Immanuel—His wholeness in a situation! That is what shalom means and this is God’s desire for His covenanted people, as the Prince of the Prophets declared in the following prophecies:
-
- Isaiah 26:3-4, “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.”
- Isaiah 26:12, “Lord, You will establish peace for us, since You have also performed for us all our works.”
- Isaiah 54:10, “‘For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,’ says the Lord who has compassion on you.”
- Isaiah 66:12-13, “For thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.’”
Jesus is the “Prince of Peace” foretold in Isaiah 9:6. Listen to how Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecies:
-
- John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
- John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
- Colossians 1:19-22, “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.”
- Romans 5:1-10, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
It is the promise of Immanuel: God is with us! God gives you peace by giving you Himself! Listen to the Christmas story as the fulfillment of God’s promise of Immanuel. From the Gospel of Jesus according to Luke 2:8-14,
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Why was the Christmas miracle of Immanuel necessary to fulfill God’s promise of peace? Because of sin, which is rebellion against God! Sin separates us from God (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Therefore, God acted in love to give us the solution, which in a solitary word is Immanuel! God with us! God gives you peace by giving you Himself!
The Prince of Prophets pointed to how the Prince of Peace would bring about our peace. Listen to one of the suffering servant songs, found in Isaiah 53:1-12:
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.
It was in fulfillment of all the prophecies of the Prince of Prophets that Jesus Christ came that Christmas morning over 2,000 years ago. Once and for all—to fulfill the good pleasure of His Father in Heaven. Jesus came to make a way for our sins to be forgiven so that there is no longer a separation between God and humanity, He took our enmity and gave us His peace! Through His birth in a Jewish manger and His death on a Roman cross, Jesus was exalted above all and given authority over death as witnessed by His resurrection. His shed blood covers the wrath of God for humanity’s sin (propitiation) and forever restores peace between people and God in a redeemed relationship through the forgiveness of sins. This is the work of the Prince of Peace who came so that God may dwell in us and us in Him!
Jesus is our peace, and His peace is to rule our lives. Listen to Colossians 3:12–17:
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, not just in this Christmas week, but in each and every day that we are blessed to live in the light of His love and grace.