There is one caveat to that peace-loving reputation however. Historians say that Romans regarded peace not as an absence of war, but the rare situation that existed when all opponents had been beaten down beyond the ability to resist (wikipedia).
Not exactly Jesus’ definition of peace, I confess. But peace is worth any cost, right? Italians like to “cement” their relationships with opponents. And it was into this environment of iron-fisted world peace, this Pax Romana, that a baby was born to a poor carpenter and his wife some 2,000 years ago in the unlikely town of Bethlehem.
Isn’t that ironic? A baby from little Bethlehem sent into the mighty Roman empire. Let us read the account of Jesus’ birth found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2 beginning with verse 1. I’m going to read the first 14 verses. Luke 2:1-14 [READ].
“Do not be afraid,” the angel said, “there has been born to you a Savior.” What a contrast. A tiny, innocent, helpless, non-threatening baby from a poor family had been delivered to free the people in the mighty, Roman empire.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men. The peace that Jesus brought was not of the same brand as Pax Romana. It wasn’t a peace borne of crushing submission, but rather one of convicted, changed hearts. It wasn’t at that time a governmental peace, but rather a personal, individual, inner peace.
The Roman Governor said to Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Well he was looking at it. The peace of God was manifested in the man, Jesus. Pilate asked “What is truth?” Let us ask ourselves What is peace?Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33
God loved His Creation man and wanted to give them peace. He performed a miracle in the womb of a young virgin lady named Mary and created a brand new person in the Christ child. What was the peace this child would eventually bring?“In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world,” Jesus said. Well, did he? Did Jesus topple the Roman Empire? Did he even change the church leadership? No. So in what manner did he overcome the world?
Jesus trumped the world. The world controls, manipulates, corrupts and kills. But in the end that’s all it can do.
Jesus said, “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5).Once we die, the world’s control over us is ended. Sin used to render an eternal punishment in death. But Jesus overcame death and provided a way free.
He overcame temptation. He overcame the power of sin and death. And in that way he overcame the greatest power of the world. And he is also returning as the global king. It’s a fait accompli. He has overcome it even as he has yet to take his earthly throne.
Remember David was anointed king many years before he actually replaced Saul. He went back to being a shepherd for a time and then a servant to Saul. But his kingship was an accomplished fact long before it was an earthly, experiential reality.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.Knowing the reality of the gift of Jesus. Knowing the end of the story. Knowing the future of this world and us as children of God, this gives peace which surpasses all comprehension to the extent we internalize it.
Paul said to the Corinthians regarding Jesus, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Cor 9:15) What makes the gift of Jesus “indescribable?”
John did a good job describing a part of it. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (3:16). But there is so much in this gift that cannot be expressed in a sentence or paragraph.
I don’t recall the name, but there was a company that advertised a gift that keeps giving and giving. I tried to look it up online, but so many people have borrowed that slogan I couldn’t find the original. Anyway, God’s gift of Jesus is the ultimate in the what keeps giving and giving.Evangelist David Jeremiah tells of a minister who had a dream. In his dream it was as if Christ had never come. He drove to the church but there was no church. He picked up his Bible and it stopped at Malachi. In his dream he was at a freshly dug grave. As many ministers do, he took some dirt and sprinkled it on the grave.
Ordinarily he would say, “Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the dead through Jesus Christ our Lord.” But in his dream all he could say was, “Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” That was the end of it. If Jesus had not come there would be no resurrection. What if Jesus had never come? What if we were still awaiting the birth instead of the return of our Savior? What we await in 2009 is a conquering king. Not unlike that which the Jews expected 2,000 years ago. But think about this. If Jesus had come then as a conquering king, it would have been a hollow salvation.
He could have saved the people who were living at that time from Roman rule. He may have even been able to give them a kind of Nirvana on earth, but it still would have been short-lived. Do you know why that is?
Because that great peace would have only lasted until they died. It would have continued for the world (assuming Jesus could have continued living for much longer than the average human), but it would have ended for the individual. Because it is appointed for all men once to die, Scripture says. Regardless of Jesus and his work, we all die once.
As I say this, perhaps you’re remembering that the Bible says we won’t all sleep (that is, not all will enter the grave and sleep in death awaiting resurrection). And you’re right. It does say that. We won’t all sleep. Nevertheless, we will all die.
Those who are alive and remain at Jesus’ second coming will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. It is a momentary death, but a death nonetheless. But if Jesus hadn’t died 2,000 years ago, if he set up his kingdom then and remained alive, he wouldn’t be coming back. He’d still be here. So there would be no twinkling of an eye transformation. Those who died would stay dead!
We’re not just playing with the words of Scripture here. There is a very important reason why this would be. Even if Jesus had wiped out sin at that time, those alive then would still have eventually aged and died. And they would have remained in the nothingness of death. Because without the death and resurrection of Jesus, Death was still invincible to man. We have to remember that Jesus did not conquer the first death. We all still die.
So the great peace on earth Jesus might have brought had he set up his earthly kingdom 2,000 years ago would have only been enjoyed by those alive for as long as they lived. But eternal life for them and for us would have been impossible.
Jesus had to conquer death. He did that by living a life perfectly obedient to God. Then once he died, death had no power over him because death’s only power was to trap sin. Jesus had no sin, death had no hold on him. Thus, by God’s perfect justice, Jesus was released from death. He was permanently resurrected.
John 14:27-29 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you ' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. In the kid’s Christmas play the other day, Cowboy Chase asked how a baby could have such significance. It’s a good question, with a simple answer. For centuries upon centuries, God sent all kinds of prophets, kings, judges, angels and other messengers to his people. Their success was limited and fleeting. And even the best of them could not save the people eternally.
God couldn’t take someone already alive and change them sufficient to do the trick. What God needed was someone pure from the start. Someone who needed instruction but not convincing or conversion. He needed a pure heart.
God needed someone who felt the effects of sin, but had not tasted it for his own pleasure. He could not have a house divided. To beat death, the person had to be pure. Jesus wasn’t inherently perfect. If he was cut, he felt pain and bled. When he was tortured and hung on a cross, he died.
God is perfect by nature. Jesus is perfectly obedient by choice. God could not beat death for man. God created death and He Himself cannot die. Death can only be beaten when entered into by someone who can die, but chooses not to sin. It’s a matter of choice and justice and that choice is man’s.
Jesus chose to be perfectly obedient to God. And we choose to surrender ourselves to Jesus’ kingship. It is through Jesus’ life and death and resurrection that we have a place to go upon our own death and resurrection. God is entrusting Jesus with his followers. We cannot beat death ourselves because we have all sinned. Death was beaten for us. We can only choose to follow Jesus to the kingdom.
Over 40 days after his crucifixion, the resurrected Jesus bid his followers goodbye with these parting words: He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
8but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." He left them with a worldwide commission.9And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
11They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." Christmas is more than just the birth of Jesus, though that was a magnificent event in its own right. Christmas is the beginning of an everlasting chapter in God’s eternal plan. Jesus was born. Jesus died. Jesus was resurrected. Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father. Jesus, is coming back.
2,000 years ago, after a long and dusty travel, Joseph and Mary stopped at a stable in Bethlehem for the birth of Mary’s first son. Though visited by an angel and treasured by God, Mary didn’t fully understand the person and purpose of that child she carried until she saw him complete his life on this earth.
As we celebrate his birth, let us be thankful that he did not stay and build his kingdom then in that era. Let us be thankful that he was willing even to die, trusting that God would raise him up and thus set us all free. All who are willing to surrender themselves to him.
May we never forget the significance of his birth, his life, death and resurrection, and may we also ever seek to be ready for his powerful return. I hope you had a Merry Christmas. May the joy you have reflecting on Jesus this season, remain in your hearts all year long.
For today’s benediction, let us recite the Lord’s Prayer….
Thank you, take care and God Bless.
