Isaiah 40.1-11

“The peace the world offers is a peace of avoidance, a peace of denial, a temporary, fragile peace…” It reminds me of what Hezekiah said when Isaiah revealed that the Babylonians would come and ransack Jerusalem… “The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “For there will be peace and truth in my days.”

The peace of Hezekiah is too often the only peace we know…fleeting, empty, selfish. We get so distracted by trying to maintain our own peace now. If I can make it through the holidays, If I can make it to payday, I can retire when…, if I can get my kids through college, if I can keep my spouse happy. A peace like Hezekiah’s – “at least I’ll know peace”. The only problem is, maintaining peace is hard work. If you find yourself always trying to keep the peace, know that you don’t have it. True peace is not something you can manufacture.

But the peace that the coming Davidic King would bring is as everlasting/eternal as the word of the LORD, never fading, never failing. Isaiah paints a landscape where all war has ended. Peace has been established.  And that is true, our peace has come. Our peace is here – here and now, in this moment, today. And our peace is coming, advancing every moment, we are anticipating our coming King. And again, to be clear, Jesus is the Davidic King who came to bring that peace. It is the peace of the kingdom…peace with God and peace with our neighbor.

Paul describes it this way…“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Romans 5.1-11)

Where is your peace today? As I read these verses from Isaiah 40, the prophet seems to offer comfort by reminding the people  who they were. They were God’s – the LORD’s…The LORD God’s…Zion…Jerusalem. When people under Babylonian captivity, in the distant future, would read these words, they would recall whose they were. The present realities of suffering could not be ignored, but neither could the fact that they were God’s chosen people…they were His. I think that is our comfort. That is our peace. We are His. He chose us, died for us, lives in and through us. I pray that you may know His peace today by understanding the depths of His love for you.

It starts by trusting in Jesus. You can do that today. It’s as simple as admitting that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Believing that Jesus came to save you from your sin. He lived a perfect life, died a sacrificial death on your behalf, and was raised the third day, so that you might have forgiveness of sins and eternal life…that you might know true peace.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Advent series: He Shall Be Called. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.