According to the 2020 Global Peace Index, Canada is currently the sixth-most peaceful nation in the world as it enjoys both positive peace, “the attitudes, institutions, and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies,” and negative peace, “the absence of violence or fear of violence.” In other words, Canada has peace because it has cultural building blocks in place that discourage and prevent significant conflict.

And that’s wonderful! However, when Scripture talks about peace—or shalom—it often means something more substantial than a mere absence of violence. Rather, the word carries with it ideas of universal flourishing, sin-free wholeness, and uninterrupted delight. By God’s grace, our country may be one of the most peaceful on earth but few would claim Canada enjoys biblical peace. And the fundamental reason why is that our nation, like every nation, is full of individuals who don’t experience the wholeness and delight of God’s shalom.

SERMON MANUSCRIPT

According to the 2020 Global Peace Index, Canada is currently the sixth most peaceful country on the planet.

While this is worth celebrating, one might ask a clarifying question: What’s meant by ‘peace’? In the report, the researchers provide a two-pronged definition. Positive peace “is the attitudes, institutions, and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies.” Negative peace “is the absence of violence or fear of violence.” 

So, according to this study, Canada has peace because it has cultural building blocks in place that discourage and prevent significant conflict. Again, this is something to celebrate and something for which we, as Christians, can thank God.

At the same time, however, we know that when the Bible talks about peace, it often means something far more substantial than a mere absence of violence (see Gen 15:15; Num 6:24–26).

One theologian writes: “The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace, but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight. … Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be” (Plantinga Jr., Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be).

By God’s grace, our country is relatively peaceful but few of us would claim Canada enjoys shalom. And the reason, at the most fundamental level, is that our nation, like every nation, is comprised of individuals who don’t experience the wholeness and delight of God’s shalom. 

Today we’re going to look at a number of passages to better grasp this wonderful biblical theme of peace. First, we’re going to look at peace in the future, that which is promised to come. Second, we’ll consider peace in the manger, that which did come as a baby. Finally, we’ll close by remembering our peace in the present, that which we have to today.

Peace in the Future

Turn to Isaiah 2 as we start by exploring peace in the future (Isaiah 2:1–4).

The first thing we notice about this passage is that it’s a promise. The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw reminds us God speaking through his chosen, prophetic mouthpiece. God cannot lie (Num 23:19) because he is truth (see Psalm 119:160). So, what follows from the mouth of Isaiah is binding reality. It’s a promise.

As we scan the passage again, note the definitive feel: “Now it will come about …the house of the Lord will be established … and will be raised above the hills … all the nations will stream to it … many peoples will come … the law will go forth … He will judge … will render decisions … they will hammer their swords into plowshares …. nation will not lift up sword against nation … never again will they learn war” (emphasis added). Not to belabour the obvious, what is this? It’s a promise.

And what’s the content? It’s a promise of peace, a peace that certainly includes what Canada largely enjoys today: an absence of conflict. The difference is that the absence of violence promised here is final, absolute, and global (v. 4b). It’s a promise of peace.

But, like we mentioned earlier, biblical peace is more than just a lack of conflict. It’s more all-encompassing. And so is the peace promised here. God is promising a worldwide seeking after his perfect wisdom and a liberal dissemination of that wisdom (v. 3; Psalm 119:165).

Isaiah, with God’s words in his mouth, promises Israel over 2500 years ago that there is peace on its way. Global, permanent, divine peace.

Now here’s a silly question: Has that promise yet been kept? Has there ever been a season of worldwide, Israel-centric, Yahweh-adoring peace that never ends? Obviously not. So, what does that mean? If God can’t lie and this promise hasn’t yet come to fruition then what we have in Isaiah 2 is not only a promise, and not only a promise of peace, but it’s a promise of peace yet unrealized. It’s still coming, still ahead of us. 

As God’s people today, we look forward to a time of worldwide peace brought about by flawless adjudication, a global desire to obey God, and a universal acknowledgement of the Lord’s rule.

It’s a wonderful blessing to live in a country that has a relatively low risk of violence. We shouldn’t take that for granted and always be thankful. There’s also something admirable about the many people today—often unbelievers—that spend their lives philosophizing about, strategizing for, and fighting for ‘world peace.’ And believers can join them in those efforts so long as we understand that it will never be realized until [2a]. World peace is coming. We don’t know when but we do know how. True, total, never-ending kingdom peace.

Peace in the Manger

While I’m sure it was exciting for God’s people to hear Isaiah promise peace in the future, it must have been even more thrilling when they found peace in the manger. Turn a few pages to chapter 9. Remembering that this is the same God speaking through the same prophet to the same people. They’ve got peace on the brain (see Isaiah 9:1–7).

How is this promised peace going to be inaugurated? Through the child. The child born, the son given. Through this baby, war will end and peace will be established unendingly.

And note the child’s names. And his name will be introduces descriptions of his character.

Wonderful counsellor: His wisdom and discernment will transcend all that of humanity. (Which is great if he’s going to judge between the nations, and will render decisions of many peoples [2:4].)

Mighty God: This child is going to possess the power of Yahweh.

Eternal Father: Kings were always thought of as the father of the nation but this child will have an everlasting paternal reign.

And, finally, in climax, the child will be called Prince of Peace. How is the peace described in Isaiah 2 going to be realized on earth? A child is going to come—given to the world—and he is going to be the eternal monarch who establishes true peace. This is his very character captured in the child’s names.

Finally, notice the child’s work. The government will rest on his shoulders (v. 6). Government isn’t an evil. It’s a gift from God. But government will always be less than perfect as long as less than perfect people form it. This child, though, isn’t like most rulers and government officials. He’s divine, true, good, righteous, and eternal. 

And, when he takes control, what happens (v. 7)? The peace promised in Isaiah 2 is re-promised in Isaiah 9 with more detail. What could God’s people do now but wait for this baby who would be usher it in?

And, as we know and were reminded last week, that Prince of Peace came in a manger (see Luke 2:14).

We need to understand that it’s going to be a Person who brings world peace, not any collective effort of the nations. And that Person appeared first in a manger, a huge step toward the world peace promised in Isaiah 2.

Peace has been promised in the future, and the Prince of Peace actually came in a manger taking a huge step toward that future peace. But, while we wait, what good is all this for us?

Peace in the Present

As I mentioned at the outset of our time this morning, I want to close by reminding us of peace in the present. This is the peace you and I can enjoy while we wait for the future peace that will be inevitably established by the Prince of Peace, he who was once laid in a manger. There is peace in the present (see Romans 5:1–2).

While our world has yet to come under the reign of the Prince of Peace and while we wait eagerly for that day, we can, as individuals experience peace—total, everlasting, life-giving, strife-ending peace—with the God of the universe. How? Paul tells us it’s because we have been justified by faith.

To be justified means to be declared, or pronounced, righteous. Notice that it doesn’t mean we are righteous but that we’ve been declared righteous. This is in direct contrast to 1:18, 2:5, and 3:23. All humanity, without exception, as infinitely missed the required standard of God’s perfect righteousness and are thus owed the unending wrath of the perfectly holy and just God we’re transgressed. Every person has committed, and does commit, high treason again the King of the universe. The gavel falls: “Guilty!” Easy decision. 

Our only hope of deliverance from that deserved wrath is to be declared righteous. To have an external righteousness, goodness, attributed to our account. The question becomes, how can God pardon such vile sinners and remain just at the same time?

He did so but sending the Prince of Peace. He did so, but God becoming flesh, living among humanity—his own fallen creation as a holy God. That child was born, that son was given, and his lived righteously, meeting God’s standard. And when he died on the cross, the just wrath of God for your sins and mine were poured out upon him. He took the penalty we’re owed. And by believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ, his righteousness, his goodness, his perfection, is attributed to our account. The Bible says we are hidden in Christ.

So again, we come to 5:1–2. That’s how we have peace in the present with the God of the universe, even as we await that future peace that’s promised because of the peace that came in the manger. By believing in Jesus we have peace with God. Not just an absence of violence and wrath (although that’s certainly part of it, thank God!), but also a flourishing, a wholeness, a delight, a shalom.

There is an objective peace in the present. Done deal. Finished. And it is established just the way Paul described—through faith in Jesus. If you’ve never trusted Christ, you do not have peace with God even if you think you do. There is no peace to be had through good living, charitable giving, or cleaver thinking. It’s through humble belief in Jesus. When you do that, there is objective peace, shalom, with God.

There is also, however, a subjective peace in the present that even those who have the objective peace, sometimes fail to enjoy. It’s stolen by doubt and sin, ignorance and apathy, immaturity and trial. It’s the lack of enjoyment of the objective peace. My prayer is that for my brothers and sisters in Christ, this advent season would be one of relishing the objective nature of the peace you have with God, enjoying it, celebrating it. 

Remember that peace is coming in the future. Anticipate it. Peace came in the manger. Commemorate it. And you have peace in the present through faith in Christ. Celebrate it.

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