Peace is something we all long for but, tragically, is something humanity finds impossible to obtain. Following the election (USA) the question of finding ‘peace’ around the Thanksgiving table was discussed on a PBS program (11/23/16). David Brooks, one of the panel commented, “I recommend not talking about politics right away, but having several earlier rounds of conversations. So, the first subject could be, ‘things I have always resented about you. And the next subject could be ways you have wounded me from which I will never recover’. And then, by the time you get to politics, it will seem pretty good, actually”.
How can we make the world a better place? In the Letter to the Colossians we read, Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful (3:15).
In the flow of the LetterPaul the Apostle indicates that the place to begin is with our own circles of influence: our church, our family or household, our neighbors and our work colleagues. But significantly Paul anchors the peace of which he speaks, in Christ: Christ is its source and exemplar.
PEACE
It calls to mind the song of the angels the night Jesus was born: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, ‘shalom’, ‘peace’ (Luke 2:14).
The juxtaposition of the supernatural and the natural, the heavenly and the earthly, catch our attention: ‘Glory and Peace’; ‘God and us’; ‘Highest (heaven) and earth’. Glory and peace: God has come and made peace possible. God and us: God has come amongst us in person. Highest heaven and earth: God has set aside his glory and taken on the greatest rescue operation ever.
While Jesus could have mustered forces to smash the might of Rome, he didn’t. Nor did he call his followers to arms. Rather, he served others. He is the king who came to serve. In fact, he so gave himself for others that his feet and hands were bloodied as they were nailed to a cross.
Jesus Christ knew that our deepest problem is our self-absorption – we are trapped in self-love. Unlike God who exists in three Persons and is ‘other-person centered’, our interest is primarily self, not others. Consequently, our relationships are broken, starting with our relationship with God.
Jesus knew that only through his sacrificial death could our relationship with God be restored. Furthermore, the cross of Jesus opens the way to heal our broken human relationships and bring us peace. No wonder the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, ‘shalom’, ‘peace’.
The response of the shepherds that night sets a challenge for us. They didn’t discuss the probability of miracles or whether they were dreaming. Rather they said, ‘Let’s go and see the baby for ourselves.’
We can’t physically go and see that baby but nor could most of Jesus’ contemporaries. But we do have the record of eyewitnesses. We need to discover this truth for ourselves and encourage others to do the same.
LET’S ALL MAKE THIS OUR AIM FOR 2017
Over this Christmas Season, I am reading Dr. Paul Barnett’s excellent book, Messiah: Jesus – the evidence of history. Paul Barnett is an internationally respected teacher and preacher, Bible commentator, and ancient historian. The Anglican Connection Council is inviting Bishop Barnett to address the subject ‘Is Jesus the Only Way?’ (Solus Christus) at the Anglican Connection conference to be held in Dallas from June 13-15 next year (2017).
If we want the peace those angels spoke about, the peace we long for, we need to recognize the source – God. We can’t have peace on earth let alone peace with God, without God. God is the only one who can restore peace. The good news is that in Christ he has made it possible.
‘What is Christmas all about?’ asks Charlie Brown, in Charles Schultz’s Charlie Brown’s Christmas.
When Charlie Brown’s Christmas was first released (December 1965), the overwhelming positive response took the television network executives by surprise. It was watched by forty-five percent of the television viewing audience that night. And every year since 1965 it has continued to draw millions.
Tired of the commercialism of Christmas, Charlie Brown wants to know its real meaning. We see Snoopy’s answer when he enters a Christmas lighting and decoration competition. For Sally, Charlie Brown’s young sister, it’s all about getting.
When once again Charlie Brown asks his question, Linus responds by taking center-stage and reading from Luke 2:8-14:
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”(KJV).
In an interview, Jeannie Schultz commented that her husband pushed back against the idea that there is no place for a Bible text in a cartoon. Schultz insisted that the Bible is not just for church – it is for everyone.
GIVING AND GETTING
Charles M. Schultz understood that Christmas is the twinning ofGiving and Getting. God gave. We get, or receive.
Indeed, during this season of Advent season we have noted that back in the 8th century BC, Isaiah foretold that a young woman would conceive and give birth to a son who would be named, Immanuel – God with us (Isaiah 7:14).
But that was not all. In Isaiah 9:1 we read that into the darkness of Israel’s experience, a light would dawn in the north, in the region of Galilee: Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who are in distress.
Galilee was the region that had been subject to the Assyrian invasion. As Isaiah 9 unfolds we read there would be joy (9:3); the signs of war would cease (9:4-5); and the shadow of death would disappear. For, as Isaiah 9:6 says, To us a child is born, to us a son is given…
The sign of God’s victory would begin with something weak and insignificant – the birth of a baby. Yet, the government will be on his shoulders. His name was to be called, wonderful counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (9:6).
Through the lens of the New Testament we see these words being fulfilled – not completely, but the first installment. Matthew 1:21-23 records the words of the angel to Joseph: “(Mary) will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”.
So often we simply do not appreciate the full weight of this event. We may believe the baby born in Bethlehem to be the Son of God, but too often we let the intense meaning of this birth pass us by.
How often do we pause and reflect on the reality that divinity walked the streets of Jerusalem? That infinite Wisdom and Power humbly took on human nature? That God poured his heavenly resources into rescuing us, even though it meant the violence and the horror of a crucifixion?
It is for our sake that Christ condescended to such monumental humiliation. The lowly birth in Bethlehem points to Christ’s voluntary decision to set aside his glory for our sake. He came and he gave, to enrich us.
Because of God’s gift to us, we will want to respond with repentance and deep thanks. We will also want to emulate, no matter how feebly, the unspeakable generosity of his gift. Because God gave, we will want to live God’s way and to share with others the gift of joy and hope. Not condescendingly or aggressively, but graciously and generously.
Indeed, you may want to watch Charlie Brown’s Christmas with family or friends. You may also want to give a special Christmas gift for the work of the gospel through your church or a gospel network such as the Anglican Connection. (Please email me for more information.)
‘Familiarity breeds contempt’. There are celebrations like Christmas that initially fill us with awe. But as time goes on we become indifferent and sometimes even cynical about them.
Whenever familiarity produces contempt we are potentially in danger. We begin to accept things unthinkingly and our responses become automatic, disconnected. For example, amidst the familiar trappings of the lights and music of Christmas we can easily be blind and deaf to the explosive significance of the humility of God. We are so familiar with the birth of Jesus that we forget that it fulfilled God’s ancient promise that a young woman would bear a son whose name would be ‘Immanuel’ – God with us (Isaiah 7:14).
How would we respond if we celebrated Christmas only once every ten years?
It’s important we think about this, for Christmas celebrates the birth of a man who stands unique in history. We see it in the records of the integrity of his character, his compassion for the needy, the profundity yet simplicity of his teaching, and in the extraordinary powers he wielded.
Hegel, the German philosopher, commented, “One of the lessons of history is that we don’t learn from history”. Secular progressivism’s outright denial of the reality of the uniqueness of Christianity’s founder is one of the tragedies of our age. Jesus Christ is not just great: he is goodness incarnate. His voice is the voice we desperately need to hear and heed.
Yet such is our nature that we need to re-learn the truth about Jesus, generation to generation. It is easy to forget the lessons of the past. So we’re tempted to ask, ‘Is God really in control?’ ‘Does he really care?’ ‘Has he left us alone to fend for ourselves?’ ‘Is there any hope for the future?’
SIGNS
Back in the day of Isaiah the prophet, it would seem that these kinds of questions were in the mind of King Ahaz when he was confronted by the Assyrian threat on his northern border. It was in this situation that the prophet Isaiah spoke: ‘Keep calm Ahaz. God will give you a sign – any sign, all you have to do is ask’ (Isaiah 7: 10).
But Ahaz was not interested in any sign. Even though God had given him this special offer to demonstrate that history was in God’s control, Ahaz refused. 2 Kings 15 reveals that Ahaz chose to do it his way: he paid tribute to the Assyrian king in the hope the danger would go away. Ahaz turned his back on the familiar – the lessons of Israel’s past. Prayer and listening to God’s Word was not part of his response.
We can be like Ahaz. We ignore the enormous influence for good that Christianity has had on the western world and we look for human solutions and not God’s solutions. A study of God’s Word and prayer are not the way we respond to life’s challenges. We have allowed a liberal, secular progressivism to drive our thinking, even in our churches.
SECULAR PROGRESSIVISM
Yet what does this have to offer? In its apparent humanitarianism, secular progressivism appears to resemble Christianity in that it encourages tolerance, love, understanding and the relief of poverty and injustice. But at its center, it is myopic and cruel, because it teaches that this life is the only life. It ignores the lessons of history that reveal that God not only exists but that he has acted in great humility to serve our greatest need.
Secular progressivism fosters the current preoccupation with security which can infect us. The first Christians did not expect security! For them the incarnation and the events of the life, death, and resurrection were real. Their security, their life, were rooted in God and his Word. The daily insecurities of the decaying Roman Empire with its organized persecutions did not affect their basic confidence. They looked for the day when Christ would return. Indeed, they heeded Jesus’ words: “Stay awake at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).
Familiarity with the Christmas story can breed an indifference to the miracle of the incarnation. Are you praying that the Spirit of God will keep your faith fresh, confident in God’s promises? Are you praying that God’s Spirit will awaken hearts that have grown cold towards him because familiarity has bred contempt? Recent research shows that one-third of those who have not been in church for six months would accept an invitation to go to church. Christmas is a great time to invite them.
‘Christians should not fear speaking about their faith at work and in public places,’ Theresa May said last week (Telegraph, UK, 11/30/16). In his article Steven Swinford reported that the (British) Prime Minister ‘said people should be able to celebrate Christmas… Christianity should be “celebrated, not denigrated”’. The article went on to record Mrs. May saying that Christians should “jealously guard” their right to speak out about their faith as she endorsed a report by the Evangelical Alliance and the Lawyers Christian Fellowship.
According to the article, the Prime Minister commented, “Of course we are now into the season of Advent, and we have a very strong tradition in this country of religious tolerance and freedom of speech and our Christian heritage is something we can all be proud of.”
“I’m sure that we would all want to ensure that people at work do feel able to speak about their faith, and also be able to speak quite freely about Christmas,” Mrs May observed.
IT’S IMPORTANT WE THINK ABOUT THIS
Too often we are silenced by secular progressivism and its political correctness and are reluctant to speak to others about the good news of great joy of Christmas.
It’s helpful to consider one of the readings set for this Advent season.
Isaiah 35:1-2 reads:
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocusit shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
A central theme of Isaiah 1-39 is God’s judgment of his people. Occasionally a bright light shines in the dark scene of impending judgment on Judah (through the Babylonian conquest). Isaiah 35 is one such light, bringing God’s promise of a new day.
Isaiah’s poetry is powerful as he likens the experience of joy and singing at the coming of the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God, to our response when flowers burst into bloom in parched lands after a refreshing rain.
It is a vision that inspires courage and fearlessness: Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God..’ (35:3-4a).
But Isaiah 35 also continues to sound a warning note. Because God is holy he must judge what is unholy. In 35:4b we read, ‘…He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense…’ We would be happier to overlook this aspect of God’s character. We’d prefer to hear and pass on only a message of blessing – of justice without judgment, of salvation without a cross.
MERCY
The wonderful news is that the nature of the God of the Bible is always to have mercy. Isaiah continues: ‘…He will come and save you’ (35:4c). We have no power to save ourselves: spiritually we are blind, deaf, lame and mute (Isaiah 35:5-6). The great news is that God himself will build us a highway into his presence (not just into heaven)! God will bring us to our true and lasting home where there will be joy and gladness… sorrow and sighing shall flee far away (35:8, 10).
Isaiah uses the language of redeemed and ransomed of the Lord (35:9-10) to speak of everyone who is brought into God’s presence. These words look back to the rescue from Egypt; they also look forward to the saving work of Jesus Christ.
There is also something here that we miss. The highway to God is called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it… (35:8). Having been rescued we are now called upon to work at the quality of life that reflects the holiness of God. Paul the Apostle puts it this way: we all… beholding the glory of the Lord, will be transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Isaiah 35 is a great reading for Advent. We see in it another facet of Isaiah’s vision of the glory of the Lord as he points us to the glorious day of the final coming of the Lord. We can drink it in and take new courage as it speaks to us of the everlasting joy and gladness we will then know.
Surely this is news we will want family and friends to know – so they too will see glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
And, there is a present benefit: Theresa May observed that the report she was commending ‘warns that society is forgetting “that its many freedoms derive from centuries of applying the Bible to public life”.’
Writing in The Spectator (UK) last weekend (11/26/16), Ysenda Maxtone Graham drew attention to the season of Advent. She spoke of Advent as ‘a season of death, judgment, heaven and hell’.
Last Sunday, November 27, was Advent Sunday, the first Sunday in the yearly church calendar. The word advent, from the Latin advenire, means ‘to arrive at’ or ‘to reach’ (a destination). Advent speaks of the arrival of God’s king – not his first coming, as is usually thought but rather, his second.
ADVENT 2016
The focus of Advent is on the return of God’s King and a day of reckoning. The season of Christmas follows, reminding us that we are currently in the era of God’s mercy. As Jesus himself put it, with his first coming, he came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
It is interesting that in our secular, material society, there is a lively interest in the season of Advent. In her article, Ysenda Maxtone Graham writes: ‘I relish the frisson of gloom, foreboding and fear of judgment you get at Advent, alongside the hope. “The Holly and the Ivy” is all very well, but it’s the minor chord at the end of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” that I crave.’
‘So do thousands of others,…’ she observes. ‘The Advent service at Salisbury Cathedral, for example, is so oversubscribed these days that it’s repeated on three consecutive evenings, starting on the Friday before Advent Sunday…’
‘More goose-pimples erupt in the naves and transepts of our cathedrals during the Advent service, than at any other in the liturgical year’, she comments. ‘It’s the mixture of bitterness and sweetness that does it,…’
It was Isaiah the prophet, writing in the 8th century BC, who was amongst the first of the prophets to speak, not only of the first coming of God’s Messiah (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7), but also the second coming, the return of God’s king (Isaiah 11:1-9).
Isaiah was disappointed with the corruption of the leaders of his day: they took bribes, ignored the poor and were unconcerned about justice. King Ahaz for example, had not only turned his back on God but had even used the Temple gold to pay tribute to Assyria in an attempt to halt its march on Jerusalem.
Yet in the midst of his prophecies concerning God’s judgment on Judah, Isaiah has a message of hope: A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, he says (11:1). Jesse was the father of David, the greatest of the Old Testament kings. Just as David had come from obscurity, so too another king would emerge. He would be even greater than David: The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord (11:2-3).
This king’s rule would be characterized by wisdom, understanding and knowledge. And central to his rule would be his willingness to learn from God. Corruption would not plague his government. And there would be no broken promises. It sounds too good to be true.
Isaiah continues: The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them (11:6). This king’s rule would also be marked by unprecedented peace.
But Isaiah doesn’t stop, for in 11:10-16 he goes on to portray people coming from every corner of the world to rally around this ruler. Centuries before Jesus came, Isaiah was opening a window on features of Jesus’ life. Wise men came from the Far East to pay him homage at his birth. And ever since, people from all over the world have been coming to him.
THE FUTURE
The numbers of people attending Advent services in London reveal the deceit of a progressive, secular liberalism which insists that life now is all there is. Such progressivism is cruel. It denies the reality of a day when perfect justice will be done. It also rejects what our hearts tell us – eternity exists (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
As I write, I am praying that we will all have a renewed commitment to shape our priorities, decisions, and relationships in the light of Jesus’ return. His return will happen when we least expect it.
Today is also St Andrew’s Day in the church calendar. It is a day when we recall the Apostle Andrew’s outreach – bringing his brother Peter, as well as others, to meet Jesus.
So, will you join me in a commitment to invite five people to meet Jesus this Christmas? If others around us do not hear how can they have a sure hope of an eternal future?
