Prince of Peace (2)
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1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered.
2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,
5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.
6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.
9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!
15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger.
17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child,
18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.
Welcome. I am so thankful you are here.
Every year as a church we gather, the night before Christmas, to celebrate Jesus, our Emanuel, God with us.
We believe that God so loved the world, that he sent his son to die on the cross, to pay the necessary price for our sins - and with that, came so many other wonderful things, including restoration of our selves with our creator. Tonight, we sill sing songs, some I hope you know and remember, and we join people around the world, celebrating all that Jesus is for us.
If you don’t know the songs, and even if you do, listen to the words. Think about the wonder that we are celebrating. Fill your heart with joy, as we celebrate Jesus.
Let’s pray.
Worship team:
For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.
This past month as a church we have been huddled around this verse as our focus for Christmas.
Written by the Prophet Isaiah - speaking on his revelations of God, shared this about Jesus.
A Child will be born - for us.
Given to us.
Knowing who we are, knowing who we would be, God so loved the world that He sent his Son for US
This is the time that we celebrate the coming of our king.
This is the time we celebrate the birth of Jesus
What we celebrate is not what the world celebrates.
This isn’t about a guy in a big red coat coming down chimneys, though all of that is fun to pretend sometimes.
As much as we try to be with family in this time, for Christians, this holiday isn’t even about family.
It certainly isn’t about giving gifts - though that adds to the celebration.
It isn’t about food - though there should be opportunities to enjoy plenty of that too.
We celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
And it is only right and fitting that we make it a big deal.
Jesus coming to earth changed everything for everyone ever.
And the Bible tells us, that when Jesus came, he would be known by these things; He would be:
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God.
Eternal Father.
And Prince of Peace.
As a wonderful counselor, we know that we can look to our God for wisdom, guidance and direction.
As our relationship with Him grows, we can trust that his ways - are better than our ways.
When God gives us those directions and instructions for our lives, they are for our good and for His Glory.
We try to go through this life on our own, and look where it gets us.
This may not be everyones story, but I know a lot of stories, and even for those people who have all of the material things that they could have, they are empty inside.
Isaiah 28:29
29 This also comes from the Lord of Armies. He gives wondrous advice; he gives great wisdom.
24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me up in glory.
So when we relate to Jesus, as we celebrate Jesus, we should consider him a wonderful counselor.
He is able and willing to listen and advise. To care, and direct.
He will be called wonderful counselor.
He will be called MIGHTY GOD.
After considering his thoughts, consider his POWER.
He is ultimately strong, and ultimately God.
To make that really simple - He is enough.
Strength serves one purpose, Might serves one purpose - it is the ability to do things.
I can only do the things that I am strong enough to do.
In my house, I am the lifter of heavy things, and reacher of things in high places. The opener of jars and cans. There is function to strength.
For those that I love, my strength provides some level of comfort - not just physical strength, but my ability to do - and to Handle - things.
And sometimes, things just need handled, Right? Strength is the ability to handle.
For us to consider Jesus Mighty God - speaks to his ability to handle the things. And to wrap our head around it, we have to think, he is both strong enough - physically - and in his nature as God.
In the beginning was the word - and the word was with God and the word was God. And from him and to him and through him are all things.
14 The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet.”
3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding.
29 He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.
30 Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall,
31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.
20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
There is nothing that MY GOD cannot do. There is nothing beyond his power. There is nothing beyond his capability. As Christians today - our hope ultimately lies in the power of Jesus. He is A Mighty God.
He is our Eternal Father:
Jesus is from everlasting to everlasting. He is the begginning and the end. He is the author and the finisher of our faith.
And in that eternal nature, we find comfort - because he does not change.
And in that.. he is a loving father.
18 And I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
There is a love that comes with Jesus that can only be explained in the way that a father loves his children.
It is a feeling that runs deep. It is a love that we can’t really comprehend, but in mortal men, the love of a good father makes men do some incredible things.
Good dads - show us who Jesus is.
There is compassion, and care, and generosity.
The is provision and sacrifice.
He is our Eternal Father.
And lastly, He is our prince of peace.
To say Jesus is a prince, speaks of his eternal royalty and importance.
He has no equal.
He is of most importance.
When he speaks, things happen.
When he decides, it is so.
Because everything under heaven and earth, answers to him.
18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
And in that - he gives us peace.
Peace is the absence of conflict.
It is not only that violence is paused, but there is conflict no more.
There cannot be conflict in his presence. He ends it.
Jesus brings us peace in every situation.
First and foremost, he brings us peace with God.
We are reconciled to the Father because of the work done by Jesus.
18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
He brings us peace in our well being.
Completeness, wholeness, an absense of lacking.
He brings peace to our relationships and situations.
He brings prosperity and wholeness.
He brings health.
All things, available to us, because Jesus - our God, born of the virgin Mary, is our Prince of Peace.
You may be saying - Pastor, these christians aint living like they got any peace.
And your right.
We are struggling out here.
But it isn’t for a lack of Jesus.
Its because we are out there in the world. And the world sucks.
But that isn’t what he wants for us.
He offers us peace. He gives us peace.
But that peace is found in him.
And we aren’t always there.
Sometimes, we aren’t there because the world requires us to be somewhere else.
Sometimes we aren’t there because we are stuck in our heads.
Sometimes we aren’t there because the enemy has us.
But Jesus...
Offers peace.
He is the prince of PEACE.
Jehovah Shalom
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.