Why Was Jesus Born? Part IV
INTRODUCTION – For the last three weeks, we have considered why Jesus was born. We have seen that He came to save us from our sins, to bring His light into our dark world, and to give us His joy. This week, as prophesied in Isaiah 9:6 and 66:12a, we see that Jesus was born to grant us His perfect peace. In simple terms, Biblical peace is God’s best, the best of everything.
- GOD’S BEST IS AVAILABLE Numbers 6:24-26 is a classic benediction that ends with peace from God. Verse 23 makes it clear that this blessing – all of it – is for all who want it. In the account of the first Christmas, Zechariah’s prophecy of Luke 1:79 speaks of peace offered to all through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The central Biblical passage of this study (Ephesians 2:11-22) states in verse 17 that this peace is available to both Gentiles and Jews (the great religious divide in the first century).
- GOD’S BEST IS TANGIBLE In other words, God’s peace is more than a feeling: it does include intangibles such as feelings (as we will consider in a bit), but it has observable outworkings. As we read in Ephesians 2:14-15, Jews and Gentiles were brought together to worship; anyone could observe this remarkable change. In Galatians 3:28, Paul marvels that divisions of religious background and ethnicity, social status, and gender are demonstrably swept away by faith in Jesus Christ. Because God has given His peace to us, He reasonably expects us to be people of peace (see Romans 12:18). At the first Christmas, the angels rejoiced that the peace of heaven was “on earth” (Luke 2:14) in the person of God the Son.
- GOD’S BEST IS HIMSELF Ephesians 2:14 avers clearly that Jesus Himself “is our peace.” The account of Simeon in Luke 2:25-32 well illustrates all three points of this message: God’s best is available to all (verses 31-32), is tangible (verse 30), and is Himself (Simeon actually held Him! Verse 28). Such was God’s peace (verse 29) that Simeon was content, when God so chose, to die. He had seen and held God Himself.
CONCLUSION – Although we have not seen Jesus nor physically held Him, we have ample proof of His birth, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection. Through faith in Jesus and His finished work, each one of us is granted His eternal peace and His temporal peace. The latter includes an increasing serenity that we can cultivate in places of peace (including the sanctuary of God’s house), with people of peace (they do exist), and pursuits of peace (activities that God uses to calm us). God’s peace, His best, works into everything in our lives. May each one of us hear God speak His ancient blessing of Number 6:24-26: “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”