Embracing the Peace of the Prince
Summary
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Today, we conclude our sermon series titled "His Name," which explores the prophetic names given to our Messiah by Isaiah in Isaiah 9:6. These names reveal the heart of God and His plan for redemption, providing believers with a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. Today, we focus on the name "Prince of Peace."
The title "Prince" signifies Jesus' royalty, authority, and power. He is a leader with the ability to secure peace and will return to reign in His eternal kingdom. The word "peace" can be understood in two ways: subjective peace, which is a feeling of calmness and tranquility, and objective peace, which is a fact of our relationship status with God. Through Jesus, we have objective peace with God, a secure relationship status that allows us to have hope and assurance in our faith.
Jesus embodies the title "Prince of Peace" by paving a pathway to objective peace with God. Before Jesus, direct access to God was rare and dangerous, symbolized by the temple's Holy of Holies. Jesus' sacrifice tore the veil, granting us access to God and changing our relationship status to peace. This peace is not just a feeling but a fact, a security in our relationship with God.
Despite the challenges and tribulations we face, we can have subjective peace because of the objective peace Jesus provides. Our suffering produces endurance, character, and hope, allowing us to rejoice even in difficult times. The world offers temporary distractions that promise peace but ultimately leave us thirsty. In contrast, Jesus offers living water, a peace that truly satisfies.
As followers of Christ, we are called to be peacemakers, reflecting God's love to those around us. We should actively seek to make peace between others and God and with others because of God. This involves being willing to have uncomfortable conversations and sharing the source of our peace with others.
As we reflect on Christmas and the New Year, let us remember the hope and peace that Jesus brings. He is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. We look forward to His return, when He will reign in peace forevermore.
Key Takeaways:
- Jesus as the "Prince of Peace" signifies His authority and power to secure peace, both now and in His eternal kingdom. This title invites us to reflect on the deep significance of Christ's birth and His role in our lives. [03:26]
- Objective peace is the fact of our secure relationship with God through Jesus, while subjective peace is the feeling of calmness and tranquility. Understanding both helps us appreciate the peace Jesus provides. [06:13]
- Jesus' sacrifice tore the veil that separated us from God, granting us access to Him and changing our relationship status to peace. This objective peace is a secure foundation for our faith. [11:52]
- Despite life's challenges, we can have subjective peace because of the objective peace Jesus provides. Our suffering produces endurance, character, and hope, allowing us to rejoice even in difficult times. [23:04]
- As followers of Christ, we are called to be peacemakers, actively seeking to make peace between others and God and with others because of God. This involves sharing the source of our peace and being willing to have uncomfortable conversations. [36:36]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[03:26] - The Significance of Names
[06:13] - Understanding Peace
[09:27] - Objective Peace Through Jesus
[11:52] - The Veil Torn: Access to God
[18:02] - The Tension of God's Wrath and Love
[21:13] - Accepting the Sacrifice
[23:04] - Subjective Peace in Tribulation
[26:37] - The World's False Peace
[30:13] - True Peace Through Jesus
[31:16] - A Personal Testimony of Peace
[36:36] - Called to Be Peacemakers
[38:13] - Sharing the Source of Peace
[40:06] - Making Peace with Others
[41:50] - Reflecting on Christ's Return
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Isaiah 9:6
- Romans 5:1-2
- John 16:33
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#### Observation Questions
1. What are the two types of peace mentioned in the sermon, and how are they defined? [06:13]
2. How did Jesus' sacrifice change our relationship status with God according to the sermon? [11:52]
3. What does the sermon say about the role of Jesus as the "Prince of Peace"? [03:26]
4. How does the sermon describe the world's version of peace compared to the peace Jesus offers? [26:37]
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#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of "objective peace" provide a foundation for believers' faith according to the sermon? [09:27]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that suffering can lead to hope and peace? [23:04]
3. How does the sermon explain the role of believers as peacemakers in the world? [36:36]
4. What does the sermon imply about the importance of understanding the tension between God's wrath and love? [18:02]
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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced subjective peace. How did it relate to your understanding of objective peace with God? [23:04]
2. The sermon encourages believers to be peacemakers. What is one practical step you can take this week to make peace with someone in your life? [36:36]
3. Consider the distractions in your life that promise peace but leave you feeling empty. What is one change you can make to seek true peace in Jesus instead? [30:13]
4. How can you actively share the source of your peace with someone who might be struggling to find it? [38:13]
5. The sermon mentions the importance of having uncomfortable conversations to make peace. Is there a conversation you have been avoiding that you need to have? [40:06]
6. Reflect on the role of suffering in your life. How can you use your experiences to build endurance, character, and hope? [23:04]
7. As we look forward to the New Year, how can you focus on the hope and peace that Jesus brings into your life? [41:50]
Devotional
Day 1: Jesus' Royal Authority as the Prince of Peace
The title "Prince of Peace" highlights Jesus' royal authority and power to secure peace, both in the present and in His eternal kingdom. This name invites believers to reflect on the profound significance of Christ's birth and His role in their lives. Jesus, as the Prince, signifies a leader with the ability to establish and maintain peace, offering a glimpse of the eternal peace that will be fully realized upon His return. Understanding Jesus as the Prince of Peace encourages believers to trust in His sovereign power and to find comfort in the assurance that He reigns with authority and love. [03:26]
"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." (Isaiah 9:6, ESV)
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to acknowledge Jesus' authority and allow Him to bring His peace?
Day 2: The Dual Nature of Peace in Christ
Peace in Christ is understood in two dimensions: objective peace, which is the secure relationship status with God through Jesus, and subjective peace, which is the feeling of calmness and tranquility. Objective peace is a fact, a foundation for faith that assures believers of their standing with God. Subjective peace, on the other hand, is the experience of inner calm that flows from this secure relationship. By understanding both aspects, believers can appreciate the comprehensive peace Jesus provides, which is not dependent on circumstances but rooted in the unchanging truth of God's love and grace. [06:13]
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1, ESV)
Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of both objective and subjective peace in your daily life?
Day 3: Access to God Through Jesus' Sacrifice
Jesus' sacrifice tore the veil that separated humanity from God, granting believers direct access to Him and changing their relationship status to peace. This objective peace is a secure foundation for faith, allowing believers to approach God with confidence and assurance. Before Jesus, access to God was limited and fraught with danger, symbolized by the temple's Holy of Holies. Jesus' death and resurrection removed this barrier, inviting believers into a personal and intimate relationship with God, characterized by peace and reconciliation. [11:52]
"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh." (Hebrews 10:19-20, ESV)
Reflection: How does the reality of having direct access to God through Jesus impact your prayer life and relationship with Him?
Day 4: Endurance and Hope in Tribulation
Despite life's challenges and tribulations, believers can experience subjective peace because of the objective peace Jesus provides. Suffering is not without purpose; it produces endurance, character, and hope, allowing believers to rejoice even in difficult times. This peace is not a mere feeling but a profound assurance rooted in the truth of God's love and faithfulness. By focusing on the eternal perspective and the hope of Christ's return, believers can navigate life's trials with resilience and joy. [23:04]
"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope." (Romans 5:3-4, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you find joy and hope in the midst of your current challenges?
Day 5: Called to Be Peacemakers
As followers of Christ, believers are called to be peacemakers, actively seeking to make peace between others and God and with others because of God. This involves sharing the source of their peace and being willing to have uncomfortable conversations. By reflecting God's love and grace, believers can be agents of reconciliation and healing in a broken world. This calling challenges believers to step out of their comfort zones and engage with others in meaningful ways, demonstrating the transformative power of Christ's peace. [36:36]
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience God's peace, and how can you be a peacemaker in that relationship today?
Quotes
"If you haven't been with us for the last few weeks, we have been working through a short sermon series titled His Name, a sermon series that explores the prophetic names that were given to our Messiah by Isaiah in Isaiah 9 -6. In the study of the passage, we are examining who Jesus Christ, our Messiah, who he is based on the titles that were prophesied about him. Each of these names that were given to our Messiah invites believers to reflect on the deep significance of Christ's birth." [00:01:28] (36 seconds)
"These names are going to reveal, they have revealed the heart of God and his plan for redemption, while providing believers with a deeper understanding of who Jesus is in the transformative world. power of his coming that we have memorialized in the celebration of Christmas. Isaiah 9 -6 says, for to us a child is born and to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Today we're wrapping up the sermon and I'm going to talk about his name, Prince of Peace." [00:02:08] (42 seconds)
"The other side is objective peace, and that exists outside of a person's feeling. This is the fact of peace. This is the peace that Jesus provided to those who believe in him and God, right? Between those who believe in him and God. Peace between his followers and his father. It's not a description of your feelings, but a relationship status that we who believe in Jesus have with God. Romans 5, 1 through 2. I'll start with 1. It says, Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That is objective peace. Because of our faith in Jesus, a pathway for peace has been paved between us and God. The relationship status now equals peace." [00:08:40] (53 seconds)
"God is an enemy of the unbeliever and the unbeliever an enemy of God. God is a God of wrath. He is a jealous God. He is a just God and he is a righteous God. But there is a tension in that description. There's a tension that is in that description. This may be making some of you uncomfortable right now. You can feel that tension. But we can't truly appreciate the peace that has been made between us and God if we don't understand the why. If you feel uncomfortable right now with this, you should feel uncomfortable. If you feel uncomfortable right now with this, if your relationship status with God right now is not peace, you should be uncomfortable." [00:17:50] (40 seconds)
"Seek your peace in god set your mind on him and he will keep you in perfect peace so we have objective peace in our relationship with god that leads us to subjective peace that flows from god which brings me to my third point jesus embodies the title of prince of peace by expecting his followers to be peacemakers we believers are sons of god and as sons of god we should reflect god to those that are around us first john 3 1 says see what kind of love the father gives to us that we should be called children of god and so we are because of the love that god has given to his enemies we can now become his children he adopts us into his family you see how god has treated his enemies with love so much love that he would give his son to his children and he would give his son to his children to die for us and that and that subjective peace can be accessed through god that objective peace was made between us and god we see his example what are we supposed to do with it in matthew 5 9 jesus says blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of god blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of god we should be making peace" [00:35:08] (79 seconds)
"Peace has been made between you and God. You can feel this peace. Now, go be a peacemaker to those around you. So, I'm going to land the plane, don't worry. As we reflect on Jesus, as we reflect on who Jesus is, let us consider what the prophecies of Isaiah say that he would be and reflect on how he has fulfilled that. How he is fulfilling it and how he will fulfill it in the age to come. Let us remember that Christmas is about Christ's birth. That God sent his only son to provide a pathway to objective peace." [00:41:50] (47 seconds)
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