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Well, we live in a world where it is really difficult to find peace. In many ways, the Twin Cities have been a prime example of that over the last few years. Not only did we experience a pandemic, but our cities have been riddled with killings and crime and injustice. We agree with the song writer who asks us the question, “Do you feel the world is broken? If we are honest with ourselves, we do. It is clear that the world is broken, that things are not how they were meant to be.
We also live at a time in which, with everything going on around us, it is easy for the lack of peace around us to mask the lack of peace that is within us. You see, it is easy to be distracted by all of the brokenness and sin around us, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, to ignore the brokenness and sin within us. It is easy to look at the horrible things going on in the world around us and to ignore the evil in our own hearts.
So do we feel the world is broken, including us? If we are honest, we do.
Whether we are dealing with the brokenness and sin around us or the brokenness and sin within us, or both, there is only one true path to peace. You see, the answer to the lack of peace outside of us and the lack of peace within us is not a public policy, nor a president, nor the end of a pandemic, but it is a person. It is the person, Jesus Christ.
You see, since our first parents sinned and rebelled against God, all humans have experienced a lack of peace because of their spiritual poverty. If there was a poverty line for spirituality, all human beings throughout existence would qualify for maximal assistance and would find no way out—that is except for one, the God-man, Jesus Christ.
You see, 2000 years ago, the world was broken just like it is now. In the first four books of New Testament alone we see infanticide, beheadings, injustice, executions, ethnic hostility, sexual brokenness, sickness, disease—all manner of sin. It was at this time, a time that God decreed before he created anything, that God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the same conditions as us, into a world ravaged by the effects of sin and lacking peace.
God, the one who created all things, who owns all things from every mountain range to every snowflake, who is rich in every way, sent forth his Son, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, to bring peace to those who would believe. This one, though being rich in every way imaginable, took on human flesh. The one who created all things and owns all things lowered himself, became poor for us in taking on human flesh, so that by his poverty we might become rich. The one who is rich in mercy took on our poor estate in order to pour out the immeasurable riches of his grace on those who believe.
You see, God the Son, in taking on human flesh, did not leave all of his riches behind in heaven. Rather, as a good and gracious King, God sent his Son with the riches of his mercy and grace in tow in order to bestow them freely on those who would believe, who would receive them—in fact, he came to bestow them on those who would receive and believe in him.
You see, we are those who are spiritually poor and who have no way out, other than faith in the God-man, Jesus Christ. We have nothing to bring to the table. Spiritually speaking, we are not in the financial position to buy anything. In fact, there is nothing that we can do in order to bring true peace without us or peace within us. There is no good in us that we can bring to the table, no merit of our own that could earn any right standing before the God who made us and gives us life and breath and everything. In fact, for our sin and rebellion against God, we will be left in this state of spiritual poverty, and it only gets worse after we die. You see, those who don’t turn from the poverty of their sin and turn to trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sin and eternal life will spend all eternity realizing that every investment they made in this world only left them unsatisfied and bankrupt before their maker on that day when he holds them accountable for all the deeds we have done in the body. The only way to true peace within, that is peace with God, is for someone to pay the bill for our sin.
For those who humble themselves, who recognize their spiritual poverty before God, and who put their faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who took on human flesh, who lived the perfect life that we could not live, who offered himself as a substitute for us, bearing the penalty that we deserved for our sin, who rose from the dead, and who rules and reigns—for those who realize they have nothing to bring to the table, and receive Jesus Christ, they will receive peace with God, eternal life with him, and experience the immeasurable riches of his grace in Christ Jesus. To all people he says,
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
Do you have eyes to see what God has done? The lamb who was given, slain for our pardon. His promise is peace for those who believe.