“War & Peace”
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.
In the name of
Jesus, dear Christian friends:
I was speaking to a
veteran of World War II who spent one Christmas at a base camp set up at the
foothills of the Himalayas. I asked him,
“So, how did you know it was Christmas?”
“Well, we had
calendars and radio and everything!” He said, indignantly.
“No, I mean when
did it feel like Christmas for you?”
“Oh... Well, when
we had a big feast. And we had a lot of
talented guys who put on a show for us.”
I asked if any of
them happened to be Bing Crosby or Danny Kaye, and he laughed and said
“no.” No Bob Hope, either. But, the singing and the food helped to
remind everyone what time of year it was.
Brothers and sisters,
when does it feel like Christmas for you?
Is it when all the
gifts are wrapped? Is it when you watch
your favorite holiday special or movie?
For me, it is the moment at the end of this special service when the
church is flooded with candlelight and we all sing together “Silent Night, Holy
Night.” Then it feels like Christmas for
me, mostly because it is a moment when PEACE just washes over me. To me, peacefulness is Christmas – given from
the Prince of Peace.
So, this led me to
investigate Isaiah this year and find out more about the Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father and the PRINCE OF PEACE. But, when I started investigating this text,
I discovered that these words were presented at a time when there was very
little peace to be found.
In fact, the
journey that these words take from the time when they were first presented to
the people of God and then fulfilled in Bethlehem on this night, is a journey
that is fraught with warfare, violence and political conspiracy. So, the Biblical world that produced the
words that give me the feeling of Christmas was a bloody world with great fear
and uncertainty. Starting with King Ahaz
in Isaiah’s day, who was not at peace.
He was about to pay tribute to another nation’s king because he was
afraid of other powers that were conspiring against him. Through Isaiah, God tried to comfort King
Ahaz and even gave him the sign “the Virgin shall be with child” – the child, Immanuel – God-with-us. Through Isaiah, God sent the message to that
king that these northern powers were not calling the shots. King Ahaz needed to put his trust in God, not
in military alliances!
Isaiah speaks words
of wonder in his prophecy, saying “to us, a child is born, and to us a son is
given!” He sees a time when a great
light will come upon “Galilee of the Nations.”
That is a curious thing, as Galilee was a region that was often the
first to be conquered and occupied by other nations when they invaded Judah
from the north. But, centuries later, a
great light did appear in the sky to lead people to a family that came from Galilee.
The young couple, Mary and Joseph, had to travel to Bethlehem from
Galilee for a census. And in Bethlehem,
their firstborn came into the world. It
was the angels who announced to nearby shepherds that this child is “the
savior, who is Christ, the Lord.” A
child is born! A Son is given! The fulfillment of Isaiah’s vision from so
long ago!
But, centuries after
Isaiah, there still is no lasting peace.
Jesus was born in the time of King Herod. If you will indulge me, here is a little on
Herod’s reign from writer Philip Yancy:
Herod, King of the Jews, enforced Roman rule at the local level, and in an irony of history we know Herod's name mainly because of the massacre of the innocents. I have never seen a Christmas card depicting that state-sponsored act of terror, but it too was a part of Christ's coming. Although secular history does not refer to the atrocity, no one acquainted with the life of Herod doubts him capable. He killed two brothers-in-law, his own wife Mariamne, and two of his own sons. Five days before his death he ordered the arrest of many citizens and decreed that they be executed on the day of his death, in order to guarantee a proper atmosphere of mourning in the country. For such a despot, a minor extermination procedure in Bethlehem posed no problem. Scarcely a day passed, in fact, without an execution under Herod's regime. The political climate at the time of Jesus' birth resembled that of Russia in the 1930s under Stalin. Citizens could not gather in public meetings. Spies were everywhere. In Herod's mind, the command to slaughter Bethlehem's infants was probably an act of utmost rationality, a rearguard action to preserve the stability of his kingdom against a rumored invasion from another. From The Visited Planet by Philip Yancey
Dear brothers and
sisters in Christ, I dare say that it did not feel like Christmas in the days
right after Jesus was born. The Holy
Family were refugees soon after Herod began looking for the child who was born
“king of the Jews.” From Ahaz to Herod, there does not seem to be the peace of
any “Silent Night, Holy Night.”
Yet, in Isaiah’s
words, this child is born and this son is given to be an end to violence and
cruelty. This child is meant to put an
end to war. Isaiah testifies: “For the
yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as in the days of Midian. Indeed every boot that marches and
shakes the earth and every garment dragged through blood is used as fuel for
the fire.” Midian was a great victory for God’s people under the leadership of
Gideon (Judges 7:19), but this Isaiah sees more than just a military
victory. All the instruments of war are
to be destroyed and burned. Weapons are
laid down and the righteous are to live in the care of this child who is born
and this son who is given.
This Christmas, we look around and see that we are not living in those days,
yet. The nations of this world have not
put down their weapons. People have not
stopped fighting one another. From
Virginia to Afghanistan, soldiers’ boots are still marching. A sign of this is that there are empty tables
in some family homes. There are soldiers
who are called on to sacrifice their time and be away from their families to
serve their country. For them, it may
not feel like Christmas right now. We
remember that when we think of what those service men and women and their
civilian support and all those who are working right now in hospitals and
police stations – they all sacrifice to keep us safe as we worship tonight.
That sacrifice is
necessary in this dark and sinful world.
Diseases, despair and death cover the earth in “thick darkness.” This is the condition of humanity and the
curse that is over all creation. If
anyone has ever lost a family member and felt the emptiness at the time of year
when everyone else seems to be merry, they know…. Christmas does not always
come with a warm feeling. So, if it does
not feel like Christmas and life does not look like a pleasant Christmas card
with a Thomas Kincade snow covered cottage – then what do we do?
First, it is
important to remember that the world has never been as peaceful as the carol
“Silent Night” would lead us to believe.
But, the Christ child came into this world of darkness to shine an
incredible light. A different Christmas carol, tells us…
How silently, how silently, The wondrous gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts, the blessings of His heav’n
No ear may hear His coming, yet in this world of sin;
Where meeks souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ
enters in.
Next, we note that Isaiah’s
prophecy is about a child. Isaiah keeps
sees visions of the lion lying down with the lamb and little child
leading them; or a child named IMMANUEL, which means God with us, and
here, in chapter nine – “For unto us a child is born…”. Unto us!
God gives the child to us. What a
remarkable thing! The angel who spoke to
the shepherds also echoes this when he said: “for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a child who is
CHRIST the LORD.” The child prophesied
by Isaiah is born for the people.
The full extent of
what Isaiah preached so long ago was not realized until that child was
crucified by the violent and cruel, who mocked and laughed as the deed was
done. It was when the wailing of His
followers filled the Jerusalem streets as this Christ was lifted up on a cross
in agony and torment. Then this child,
who grew to be a man, announced, “IT IS FINISHED” before He died. It was a day of darkness and thick darkness
that covered the people. Darkness and
fear and uncertainty lasted until the sunlight of Easter morning slowly crept
over the Judean hills. Suddenly,
bewildered, joyful people began to spread the news “He is Risen!” Forty Days the Risen Christ gave final
instructions, and then left and after His leaving, the Holy Spirit came filling
the people with courage and conviction.
It was then that
the armies of Mighty God began to march and the reign of our Prince of Peace
began. Ahaz and Herod – and all the
rulers from Virginia to Afghanistan have it so wrong and maybe we do too. Peace is not won through conquering our
enemies. Peace – lasting peace – is a
gift from God. It is Jesus’ sacrifice
and God’s love for us given by the Holy Spirit.
These are the greatest gifts of Christmas, given that come to us from
HEAVEN to EARTH - Forgiveness.
Reconciliation. Love. Joy. And,
true, lasting PEACE. WARNING! These gifts are too big to fit under your
Christmas tree! They need to come into
your life.
These great gifts
are from heaven, and so is the child who is born to us – the son who is given
to us. Dear friends, whether or not it
feels like Christmas to you at this moment, have no doubt how great the love of
God is to come down from heaven to earth – FOR US. That love that is born in us, dies for us and
raises us to life – that love of Christ can beat back the thickest darkness of
this world and shine it’s marvelous light in our lives.
That is the
Christmas we celebrate. Nothing can stop
it. In even the darkest of dark places,
the light will shine.
In the history of
warfare, World War I was among the nastiest of conflicts – this is the war that
gave us the indiscriminate mass killing of the machine gun. Yet, even here in the darkest and bleakest
time of year – from across the trenches in Europe – even here there could beChristmas carols, gifts exchanged between enemies and a day of rest andpeace. It did not last,
unfortunately. But, for a moment, the
Prince of Peace reigned and people defiantly beat back the darkness with the
Christmas message of “peace on earth.”
That is the power
of God’s love… for us. It breaks into
this world in even the darkest of places.
There will come a day when the darkness will be forever defeated. That too, is the promise of the child who was
born and the son who was given, because that child will return again to beat
all swords into plowshares. He will
return again to fully and completely reign as the Prince of Peace. Until that day, we live in the power of His
love, this CHRISTMAS and into the NEW YEAR.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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