I have always been one to count down to Christmas. As a kid I would embody the words of the Christmas song, “Tiny tots with their eyes all a-glow will find it hard to sleep tonight.”
It was only in the past 8 years or so that I realized that it’s not only kids who count down to Christmas but the Church does also. The season of Advent is a countdown to the most amazing miracle that has ever occurred; the infinite God of the universe becoming a finite man, entering space and time, to live and die in our place.
In my first post, we talked about the Hope that Jesus brings in fulfilling the promises to those who came before us, to secure our hope in the future promises we are waiting for. The second week of advent is marked by Peace.
Peace Lost
In the Old Testament, everything is straining and groaning for peace. The Hebrew word we normally translate into English as “peace” is “Shalom”. It means wholeness, completeness, satisfaction, prosperity, and rest. We can follow the theme of the pursuit of Shalom through the entire Old Testament.
In the beginning, the Garden of Eden is the quintessential symbol of peace. In the garden everything was “very good.” There was no death, no sorrow, no pain, and, “the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed (Gen. 2:25).” All was at rest, at peace with God, nature, and humanity. But that peace was broken by the fall. The man and woman were cursed with conflict in their labour, their love, and their legacy (Genesis 3:14-19). The first generation after Adam and Eve, their sons Cain and Able, are the perpetrator and victim of the first murder (Gen. 4:8). Peace is lost.
Since the Fall, true peace has alluded mankind over and over again. We fight we argue, we grumble, and we run ourselves into the ground striving after the wind.
Peace Promised
In the curse that God put on Adam and Eve, and by inheritance all humanity, peace was broken, but a victorious conqueror was promised:
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
– Genesis 3:15
This pattern of God promising peace is repeated over and over again. One of the promises God makes to Abraham is, “you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.”
In the Law of Moses, God outlined the regulations for the Peace Offering. A freewill offering for thanksgiving, praise, or upon payment of a vow (Leviticus 3). It was a holy symbol of God’s peace with his people. Peace is a central theme to one of the most familiar benedictions in all of the Bible,
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
– Numbers 6:24-26
Even David, whose life is marked and driven by military and personal conflict is given peace from his labour and all his enemies (2 Sam 7:1).
Peace is something God promises and gives from the abundance of his mercy. It was the goal of the Old Testament and it is a mark of the New Testament Church today.
Prince of Peace
At Christmas time we focus on Jesus as the Prince of Peace,
“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”
– Isaiah 9:6-7
Peace has always come from God. It was a gift of God’s design in Eden, it was a blessing to the Patriarchs and the Kings of Israel, and it is embodied in his Son. Jesus, The Prince of Peace, absorbed the wrath we deserved from God so we could know the peace of God (Phil. 4:7).
Peacemakers
Now, this side of the manger, the cross, and the empty grave, Christians are given a ministry of peace, reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18), and unity (Rom 12:18). The Holy Spirit grows the fruit of peace in us that we could never cultivate ourselves (Gal. 5:22). With the power secured, Jesus can turn to us and say, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God (Matthew 5:9).” In Christ, we are called to take part in the family business, to join with God in what he has always been doing, bringing peace.
Peace is a word we use at Christmas but it is rarely the focus of our efforts. The hustle and bustle of gifts, parties, family get-togethers and traditions, year-end projects, budget reconciliations, and sales goals often leave us worn out come December 25th. Christ calls us to something better. This Christmas, with many normal events cancelled, let us use the opportunity God has given us to rest, to ponder, and to bring peace to our homes that is ours by the grace and power of Jesus. Let’s export that peace to others around us by declaring the truth of Christmas, and the promise of peace that started in a perfect garden and was restarted in that manger in Bethlehem.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
– Romans 15:3
