The Peace of God

What does it mean to have peace? When you think about this question this morning, what does it mean to have peace in other words?

What is peace? according to the world versus peace according to God in An article titled

God's peace is different from the world's peace. This question is posed The writer points out a few things that I think are helpful for us to consider

Pondering what it means to have peace The world's peace is fleeting and changes with circumstances during times of prosperity nations experience temporary peace

But when economies struggle countries find themselves on the brink of civil war as well as war with their neighbors

The the peace of the world is a precarious thing Conflict erupts when people are hungry

Peace disappears when circumstances turn ugly The world's peace is built on the weak foundation of compromise in The Old Testament God warned the

Israelites that if they intermarried for political reasons They would face the temptation to compromise their love for the one true

God and end up serving false idols This compromise though. It would create a temporary absence of conflict would ultimately lead to destruction

The world's peace ignores the root of the problem When asked what's wrong with the world today many will point to a volatile stock markets corrupt governments disappearing rainforests poor diets lack of health care broken families

Overcrowded schools and many many more the world tries to fix these problems by doing good feeding children building wells

Regulating markets conserving wildlife funding charter schools thereby achieving a type of peace

The world's peace tries to fix the symptoms of sin But fails to see how the root of the problem is the sin disease itself

Something that can only be healed by Christ Not by money regulation or reform

Dealing with the symptoms of sin, but failing to diagnose the sin itself is nothing new in the

Old Testament the false prophets treated sin lightly and proclaimed the problem solved when it wasn't in contrast to the world's promise of peace

God's peace is permanent and firmly grounded in his word He doesn't ignore our sin

He heals it making his peace a different kind of peace from what we find in the world

God's peace is permanent and secure when circumstances are free of conflict.

We enjoy momentary peace But when we face difficult relationships health problems

Financial crisis the momentary quiet is disrupted and chaos rules the day

Our God offers peace in the midst of the chaos of the world

His peace doesn't change with the circumstances. It is secure in spite of the circumstances

What does it mean to have peace? I? Would argue peace isn't an abstract concept for us to search out

Peace is a person What does it mean to have peace the peace of God?

The living Word of God the person Jesus of Nazareth the

Christ the gospel of Luke was written by Luke the historian to give a

Chronological and precise account for the life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ so that the reader would know the exact truth about the events and the teaching of the gospel message as It existed from the

Apostle Paul's testimony and the historical facts of Christ's ministry in Today's passage the

Lord shows us two impactful observations from Luke's gospel so that you can know for certain

Jesus is the Christ and have meaningful and everlasting peace with God So we start in chapter 1 of Luke at verse 26

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called

Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David and the

Virgin's name was Mary and Coming in he said to her Greetings favored one the

Lord is with you But she was very perplexed at this statement and was pondering what kind of greeting this was

And the angel said to her do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God and behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall name him

Jesus and he will be great and will be called the Son of the

Most High and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and there will be no end of his kingdom

But Mary said to the angel, how will this be since I am a virgin the angel answered and said to her

The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you and for that reason the

Holy Child shall be called the Son of God and behold your relative

Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren

For nothing will be impossible with God and Mary said Behold the slave of the

Lord may it be done to me according to your word and the angel departed from her now at this time

Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country to a city of Judah and Entered the house of Zechariah and greeted

Elizabeth and it happened that when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting the baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the

Holy Spirit and she cried out with a loud voice and said blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb and How has it happened to me that the mother of my

Lord would come to me? for behold when the sound of your greeting reached my ears the baby leaped in my womb for joy and Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the

Lord and Mary said My soul magnifies the

Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior For he has looked upon the humble state of his slave

For behold from this time on all generations will count me blessed For the

Mighty One has done great things for me and holy is his name and his mercy is upon Generation after generation toward those who fear him.

He has done a mighty deed with his arm He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart

He has brought down rulers from their thrones and has exalted those who were humble He has filled the hungry with good things and sent away the rich empty -handed

He has given help to Israel his servant in remembrance of his mercy as he spoke to our fathers to Abraham and his seed forever and Mary stayed with her about three months and then returned to her home now the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth to give birth and she gave birth to a son and her neighbors and her relatives heard that the

Lord had magnified his great mercy toward her and they were rejoicing with her and It happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child and they were going to call him

Zechariah after the name of his father But his mother answered and said no, but he shall be called

John and they said to her there is no one among your relatives who's called by his name and they were making signs to his father's to what he wanted him called and he asked for a tablet and wrote as Follows his name is

John and they all marveled and at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed and he

Began to speak blessing God and fear came on all those living around them and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea and all who heard these things put them in their hearts saying

What then will this child be? for the hand of the Lord was indeed with him and His father

Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied saying blessed be the

Lord God of Israel for he visited and accomplished redemption for his people and Raised up a horn of salvation

For us in the house of David his servant as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from old salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us to show mercy toward our fathers and to remember his holy covenant the oath

Which he swore to Abraham our father to grant us that we being rescued from the hand of our enemies

Might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days and you

Child will be called the prophet of the Most High For you will go on before the

Lord and make ready his ways To give to his people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins

Because of the tender mercy of our God with which the sunrise from on high will visit us to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death to direct our feet into the way of peace and The child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit and he lived in the desolate regions

Until the day of his public appearance to Israel Now it happened in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus For a census to be taken of all the inhabited earth that was the first census taken while Cornelius was governor of Syria and everyone was going to be registered for the census each to his own city and Joseph also went up from Galilee from the city of Nazareth to Judea to the city of David which is called

Bethlehem Because he was of the house and family of David in order to register along with Mary who was betrothed to him and was with child now it happened that while they were there the days were fulfilled for her to give birth and She gave birth to her firstborn son and she wrapped him in clothes

Cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the guest room in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night and An angel of the

Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terribly frightened

But the angel said to them Do not be afraid For behold,

I bring you good news of great joy Which will be for all the people for today in the city of David there has been born for you a

Savior Who is Christ the Lord and he will be the sign for you you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger and suddenly there appeared with an angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising

God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased and It happened that when the angels had gone away from them into heaven the shepherds began saying to one another

Let us go to Bethlehem then and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us so they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph and The baby lying there in the manger and when they had seen this they made known the statement

Which had been told them about this child and all who heard it Marbled at the things which were told them by the shepherds

But Mary was treasuring all these things pondering them in her heart and the shepherds went back

Glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen just as was told to them

What an amazing passage of Scripture and historical Eyewitness account of the birth of Jesus Christ and we think about the peace of God We think about the

Lord coming into the earth to fulfill his earthly ministry I think we need to think about this from the context of the

Old Testament. What does it mean to have peace with God? Well, what does the Old Testament say about the

Messiah and we can ask some questions of the Old Testament in its correct context One question we may ask is what does the

Old Testament say about the Messiah? Well a good proof passage here would be Malachi chapter 3

Behold, I am going to send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me and the

Lord whom you seek Will suddenly come to his temple and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight behold.

He is coming says Yahweh of hosts Another question we may ask is what does the

Davidic Covenant have to do with the Messiah? We see this language about the Son of David David is brought up in this narrative.

Well this question we may answer with Psalm 89. I Also shall make him my firstborn the highest of the kings of the earth

My loving kindness I will keep for him forever and my covenant shall be confirmed to him

So I will set up his seed to endure forever and his throne as the days of heaven

If his sons forsake my law and do not walk in my judgments if they profane my statutes

And do not keep my commandments Then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with striking

But I will not break off my loving kindness from him nor deal falsely in my faithfulness

My covenant I will not profane nor will I alter what comes forth from my lips

Once I have sworn by my holiness I will not lie to David his seed shall endure forever and his throne as the

Sun Before me it shall be established forever like the moon and the witness in the sky is faithful So there's some promises made about the throne of David and about David's covenant

Another question we may ask is do any of the Old Testament prophecies fit Jesus?

Well, we can look no further than the Prophet Isaiah Isaiah chapter 7 Then Yahweh spoke to Ahaz saying ask a sign for yourself from Yahweh your

God Make it deep as Sheol or as high as heaven But a has said I will not ask and I will not test

Yahweh Then he said listen now Oh house of David Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men that you will try the patience of my

God as well Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign

Behold, the Virgin will be with child and bear a son and she will call his name

Emmanuel God with us or how about Isaiah chapter 9 for a child will be born to us a son will be given to us and The government will rest on his shoulders and his name will be called wonderful counselor mighty

God eternal father prince of peace There will be no end to the increase of his government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and Righteousness from then on and forevermore the zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this

Now in the Old Testament context, it seems pretty clear Jesus is the

Messiah The virgin birth was promised as a sign There's only one person in all of human history that God says this is going to happen and when that happens

You know, that's my anointed one. He's here But a question we need to deal with and this is in an area of a perceived contradiction

There's no contradictions in the Bible. The Bible is perfect. It's inerrant But when we see things in the scripture, we have to address them

So I thought this would be helpful for us this morning. I just want to solidify your

Faith in Christ now when we're dealing with a perceived contradiction one We need to address is in the realm of the

Davidic Covenant and the Davidic Covenant candidate There is a curse that God made on the line of the kings of Judah So David comes and then

Solomon and then we have these these kings. Well, God curses one of them a guy named Jecon. Ayah So does

Jack and I as curse actually rule Jesus out as the Davidic Covenant candidate now,

I read Psalm 89 but I want to show you the Davidic Covenant in 2nd. Samuel. It says this in 2nd

Samuel 7 in the context of the Davidic Covenant when your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers

I will raise up one of your seed after you and you will come forth and Who will come forth from your own body and I will establish his kingdom

He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me when he commits iniquity

I will reprove him with the rod of men and the strikes from the sons of men But my loving kindness shall not be removed from him as I removed it from Saul Whom I removed from before you and your house and your kingdom shall endure before me forever

Your throne shall be established forever So keep in mind this language of forever in the establishment of the throne of David as we think about Psalm 89 in 2nd

Samuel Dr. Gregory Harris is helpful here in his book the Bible expositors handbook

He touches on the theological relevance of the Davidic Covenant He points out that among other things

Yahweh established three important promises Number one the permanency of David's throne number two that God would enter into a father -son relationship

With each of David's descendants who would sit on his throne and number three that Yahweh's Covenant keeping loving -kindness

Would not depart from this person Dr. Harris's key truth observation states this

Genesis 49 8 through 12 speaks of the Lion of the tribe of Judah and his

Worldwide rule that will eventually come from 2nd Samuel 7 onward

This lineage will be narrowed down from the tribe of Judah to the household of David Whoever the

Messiah would be must prove that his lineage went back to David Also whenever someone in the

Gospels cried out to Jesus have mercy on me son of David He or she recognized him as the rightful heir to the

Davidic Covenant promises of Yahweh now let's think about this a little bit now if if God is cursing a descendant of David and In the line of the kings of Judah.

We need to think about well does is there a contradiction? There's a perceived contradiction that Exists and I say perceived

The the reason is this in the Prophet Jeremiah's writing in Jeremiah chapter 22.

This is what it says about Jeconiah It says as I live declares

Yahweh Even though konaya the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on my right hand

Yet I would pull you off and I will give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life

Indeed into the hand of those whom you dread even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the

Chaldeans I will hurl you and your mother who bore you into another land

There you were not born and there you will die But as for the land to which their souls desires to return they will not return to it

Is this man konaya a despised shattered jar or is he an undesirable vessel?

Why have he and his seed been hurled out and cast into a land that they had not known

Oh land land land Hear the word of Yahweh Thus says

Yahweh Write this man down childless a man who will not succeed in his days

For no man of his seed will succeed sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah So here's the perceived contradiction

Jeremiah will actually return to this topic and later in his prophecy in Jeremiah 36

Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David and his dead body

Shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night So when we're asking these questions of the

Old Testament, we can see something that needs to be handled here There is an interpretive challenge and I want to point out a few observations from Luke's gospel

So that you can know for certain that Jesus is the Christ two impactful observations from Luke's gospel so that you can know for certain that Jesus is the

Christ and you can have meaningful and everlasting peace with God number one

Jesus is the son of David and number two Jesus is birth brought peace with God for all people

So handling this in order Jesus is the son of David We I want to highlight two verses for you in chapter one.

Jesus is the son of David Let's look at verse 32 and verse 69.

So chapter 1 verse 32 in the middle of this birth

Prophecy we see this statement He will be great and will be called the son of the

Most High and the Lord God will give Him the throne of his father

David Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua meaning

Savior Joshua led God's people into the promised land Jesus is leading people into everlasting life

The symbolism and meaning of his name would not have been lost on the people of Israel the

Israelites understood the power in a name and Recognized a name as a source of power.

The name of Jesus is powerful People have been healed Demons have been cast out the forgiveness of sins are all under the power and the authority of the name

Jesus Amazing the the term son of the

Most High is nothing less than a crystal -clear affirmation of the

Messiah the additional reference to the throne of his father David is Pointing to the divine sonship and the

Messiah ship that is in accordance with the Davidic Covenant The explanation of Jesus is destiny as Messiah follows the statement of his sonship

We see his sonship is directly related to his divine origin Without a doubt

Luke sees the Messiah job as a function of God's Son Luke is not saying sonship is merely an aspect of the

Messiah ship The Messiah is the Son of God The Messiah is the

Son of David and we can look further at verse 69 in chapter 1 During Zechariah's prophecy, he makes this statement and Raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David his servant

Zechariah praised the Lord with his first words After months of silence his first words were praised to God Zechariah gives a

Holy Spirit inspired benediction He prophesied the coming Messiah the

Savior who would give redemption to his people Zechariah also predicted that his son

John would prepare the way for the coming Messiah Zechariah was praising God because all the

Old Testament prophecies were coming true before his very eyes The Christ would come in his lifetime and God had chosen his son as a forerunner to God's anointed

The word horn is a common Old Testament metaphor for power it is an allusion to the great strength of the horned animals in the

Middle East a Horned animal is powerful the blending of the word with salvation

Demonstrates the kind of strength that Zechariah was thinking about the messianic theme continues because the power of Salvation resides only in the

Savior the Savior will be Powerful to bring salvation and he will be a descendant of David Zechariah is talking about the fulfillment of the

Davidic Covenant because Jesus is the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant And so we can we can finish this first point by just answering the question.

How do we deal with perceived contradictions? Now this contradiction is just that it's perceived only and one way we can deal with this is with the genealogies of Christ You ever think there's just this long list of names and the genealogies.

What's that doing in there? How does that help me to know Christ more why this list of gene of genealogies?

So I want to point these genealogies out to you keep your finger in math in Luke But turn over to Matthew chapter 1

So you're probably thinking you're gonna get this really sweet Feel -good Christmas message and I'm gonna preach on the genealogies buckle up a

Really great thing here that I want to point out to you Yeah, Matthew and then Luke and we have right in the middle there.

Jeconiah was cursed in Jeremiah 22 So let's just point out a few things as we look at these passages

Just a few verses we're not going to read the whole genealogy, but I want to show you Why and how important this is?

Praise the Lord that we have these lists. This is the inspired Word of God. What a joy it is so let's think about this

Matthew chapter 1 look at verses 6 6 and 7 and Jesse was the father of David the king and David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah and Solomon was the father of Rehoboam and Rehoboam was the father of Abijah and Abijah was the father of Asa now look down at verse 11 and Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon So Matthew 1 6 and 7 lists

David and Solomon Matthew 1 11 shows Jeconiah now go back to Luke And if we just look at Luke chapter 3 is where you'll find this list

Luke chapter 3 Think starting in Verse 23, but I want to point something out

Luke chapter 3 verses 31 and 32 the son of Malia the son of menna the son of Matatha the son of Nathan the son of David The son of Jesse the son of Obed the son of Boaz the son of Salmon the son of Nash on so Luke 3 31 and 32 lists

David and Nathan Different lineage and so no mention of Jeconiah One commentator observes the

Luke genealogy in the passage from Jeremiah like this Luke's genealogy moves backwards from Jesus to Adam Matthew's moves forward from Abraham to Joseph Luke's entire section from Joseph to David differs starkly from that given by Matthew The two genealogies are all are easily reconciled if Luke's is seen as Mary's genealogy and Matthew's version represents

Joseph's thus the royal line is passed through Jesus's legal father and His physical descended from David is established by Mary's lineage

Luke unlike Matthew includes no women in his genealogy even Mary herself

Joseph was the son of Eli by marriage Eli having no sons of his own and thus is named here in verse 23 as the representative of Mary's generation

Jeconiah did have offspring first Chronicles 3 But he was reckoned childless in the sense that he had no sons who would reign

The curse continued in his descendants down to Joseph the husband of Mary How could

Jesus then be the Messiah when his father was under this curse It was because Joseph was not involved in the bloodline of Jesus since he was virgin -born

Jesus is blood right to the throne of David came through Mary from Nathan Solomon's brother not

Solomon Jeconiah's line thus bypassing the this curse or as another commentator points out with perhaps even more succinct clarity the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 1 through 17 established his legal lineage and the right to the throne of David it is

Joseph's ancestry which constituted this Jewish requirement the genealogy of Jesus which is found in Luke 3 23 through 38 is the physical lineage of Jesus the ancestry of Mary Read Luke 3 23 carefully, which says

Jesus assumed was assumed to be the son of Joseph But he was really the son of Eli Therefore Eli was

Mary's father These two lineages meet in King David the legal descent of Jesus coming through King Solomon David's son while the physical lineage of Christ came through Nathan another son of David You see how helpful it is to consider this perceived contradiction

There is no other candidate It eliminates everyone else There is no other person in the historical record

Not one other person ever born on the planet Earth that is qualified that meets the the legal claim to the throne

While bypassing this curse, it's Jesus of Nazareth Jesus of Nazareth is the son of David no one else and because of these claims it just eliminated there's nothing else even close and Because of this perceived contradiction when you look into it, it just pops out

So we we handle it by looking at the Word of God and these really really helpful

Historical accounts of the genealogy of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is the son of David He is the son of David two impactful observations from Luke's gospel so that you can know for certain

Jesus is the Christ and have Meaningful and everlasting peace with God number one

Jesus is the son of David and number two

Jesus is birth brought peace with God for all people for all people

Look again at chapter 2. I want to point out two verses here for you chapter 2 verse 10 and chapter 2 verse 14

So if we look at chapter 2 verse 10 It says this But the angel said to them

Do not be afraid For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all the people

The greatest day in the history of the world was here. The Messiah was born the

Christ was born For many ages the people of Israel waited for the

Messiah to come But the announcement of the Messiah's birth is not given to the elite or religious authorities of the day

The announcement of the Messiah's birth came to humble shepherds The good news of Jesus is that he came for all people.

No one is left out The angelic announcement of good tidings and joy is a bold Gospel proclamation

The gospel is proclaimed from on high at the very hour of the birth of Jesus.

This is an angelic divine proclamation Luke's narrative or historical account of Christ's birth

Declares that the time has come for the fulfillment of all the prophetic expectation regarding the coming of the

Messiah in this child and Then look again at verse 14 of chapter 2

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased

Many of the Jewish people were waiting for a Savior Some were waiting for a Savior to deliver them from the brutal rule of Rome Some had hope that the

Messiah would heal their physical ailments When Jesus arrived he healed their illnesses he established his spiritual kingdom and he delivered the people from their sin

Jesus paid the ultimate price for sin and he opened a way to peace with God Jesus does not merely provide temporary political or even physical changes

Jesus is the Messiah He offers every person who will ever live a new heart that will last for eternity

There can be no new birth in the Holy Spirit without first the birth of Jesus The doxology of glory to God in the highest is the story climax because it relates to heaven and earth

Respectively the peace here is the peace that the

Messiah brings Peace with God is a consequence of turning from sin and humbling the heart.

This is a good consequence For those whom Jesus forgave on the basis of their faith could go in peace

Those on whom his favor rests Luke later describes in chapter 10 as being the little children

The little children to whom God reveals truth according to his good pleasure

It is worth noting that this is the only other use of the Greek word for favor or good pleasure in all the

Gospels besides the obvious parallel in Matthew So outside of lineage does

Jesus's life and death match other Old Testament predictions Again, we can just seek

Isaiah Remember what Isaiah said about the Messiah Isaiah chapter 53

Put a finger in Luke and turn to Isaiah 53 read with me outside of the lineage

Does Jesus's life and death match Old Testament predictions According to this angelic proclamation and in the context of the gospel of Luke Isaiah 53

Who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed For he grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root out of parched ground

He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him Nor appearance that we should desire him he was despised and forsaken of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and Like one from whom men hide their face.

He was despised and we did not esteem him Surely our griefs he himself bore and our sorrows he carried yet We ourselves esteemed him stricken smitten of God and afflicted, but he was pierced through for our transgressions

He was crushed for our iniquities the chastening for our peace fell upon him and By his wounds we are healed all of us like sheep have gone astray

Each of us has turned to his own way But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him

He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet He did not open his mouth Like a lamb that is led to slaughter and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers

So he did not open his mouth by oppression and judgment He was taken away and as for his generation

Who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living that for the transgression of my people?

Striking was due to him. So his grave was assigned with wicked men yet He was with the rich man in his death because he had done no violence nor was there any deceit in his mouth

But Yahweh was pleased to crush him putting him to grief If you would place his soul as a guilt offering he will see his seed he will prolong his days and the good pleasure of Yahweh will succeed in his hand as A result of the anguish of his soul

He will see it and be satisfied by his knowledge the righteous one

My servant will justify the many and he will bear their iniquities

Therefore I will divide for him a portion with the many and he will divide the spoil with the strong Because he poured out his death his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors yet He himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased

Some manuscripts read peace goodwill among men two impactful observations from Luke's gospel so that you can know for certain

Jesus is the Christ and have meaningful and everlasting peace with God number two

Jesus's birth brought peace with God for all people for all people and If we think about the gospel connection here, you know

This this is an amazing reality the peace of God We think about Christ being born the birth of our

Lord so at the beginning and then at the end we think about what comes and And that's judgment in the gospel connection.

We can think about the birth of our Lord and then the judgment that awaits the great white throne judgment revelation 20 the

Apostle John Writing this down recording what he saw what he saw

He says then I saw a great white throne in him who sits upon it From whose presence earth and heaven fled away and no place was found for them then

I saw the dead the great and the small standing before the throne and books were opened and another book was open which is the book of life and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds and The sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them and they were judged

Every one of them according to their deeds Then day death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.

This is the second death The lake of fire and if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life

He was thrown into the lake of fire God's plan was to enter our fallen world and bring reconciliation between himself and fallen man

By sending his son into the world as a complete payoff for the sin of mankind

The purpose of this plan was the glorification of the Lord in the ultimate display of his mercy and loving -kindness to his fallen creation

Jesus the Christ Came to earth as the perfect expression of the

Father The in that expression he explained the Father and the scriptures to mankind

He gave us the gift of reconciliation with the good news of salvation

Jesus made peace with God Possible the gospel of Luke reveals

God's plan for the church in Jesus Luke appeals to the authority of the Old Testament Luke lays out that what has been prophesied by the

Messiah or had been prophesied about the Messiah has been fulfilled in Jesus by appealing to the

Old Testament He points us back to the Old Testament scripture. He quotes from the

Old Testament some 30 times in his gospel The first occurrence is the beginning of the gospel when

Luke refers to the prophet Malachi When he connects John the Baptist is coming in the power of Elijah as a forerunner to the

Christ To turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children God's plan is peace for mankind through the

Messiah in another messianic reference from the Old Testament Luke appeals to Isaiah in Describing God's plan to bring light to the

Gentiles that they would know God and have peace According to Luke as he references the

Old Testament prophet Isaiah God's plan is that the gospel is preached to the spiritually blind and poor in spirit

Luke reveals God's plan for salvation in the church as he warns against perishing from lack of repentance

God's purpose is for his son to seek the lost Jesus touches on his own purpose in the gospel of John when

John records this therefore Pilate said to him. So you are a king Jesus answered you yourself said

I am a king For this reason I have been born and for this reason

I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice

Much later in the account Luke relates Jesus's reminder of the Old Testament claim that the

Jews would reject him as the Christ and Validates his rejection as part of God's plan when he references the

Psalms God's purpose in Christ according to the gospel of Luke is in direct correlation with his plan

And if God's plan is to send his son into the world to save mankind Then God's purpose is to save mankind

God's purpose is to bring peace between himself and mankind and without Jesus that is not possible

God's purpose is to glorify himself Luke first relates this in the account of Christ's birth is

Proclaimed by an angel and a multitude of the heavenly host Jesus himself qualifies what his purpose for coming into the world is when he states this

But he said to them I Must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also for I was sent for this purpose

That's Luke 4 He came to preach the kingdom of God God's purpose also includes appealing to the church by Christ's question of why people claim to follow him

But do not obey his teaching God glorifies himself and calling the church into an obedience to Christ's teaching

That is peace with God Repent and believe in the gospel.

That is peace Jesus also establishes God's intention by the way, the

Pharisees reject God's purpose, which is a call to repentance God's purpose is synonymous with his call to repentance, which is an extension of his will

The father glorifies himself in the work of his son God is glorified by Christ's work of healing the lost and spiritually tormented what is the peace of God as They glorify

God in acts of worship. They are spiritually healed in Christ. That is the peace of God Jesus takes the broken and makes it new he takes the unclean and makes it clean

The world offers temporary peace based on material things material wealth.

It is fleeting It is like chasing after the wind it is a lie

Jesus offers meaningful and everlasting peace based on the grace of God Salvation comes from the grace of God alone by faith alone in Christ alone through the scriptures alone for the glory of God alone

That is what Jesus offers real peace It is a real peace

Because it is the truth despite personal circumstances No matter how negative the peace of God is possible today the circumstances of life change

Jesus does not that means the peace of God does not change it is forever

The final section of Luke details the resurrection of Christ in which God Glorifies himself by raising his son from the dead.

God is glorified by demonstrating his sovereignty over space and time God entered his creation for the purpose of the gospel preaching ministry of the

Messiah God's plan of salvation and Reconciliation through the legal termination of sin by applying

Christ's perfect righteousness to the account of fallen sinners was accomplished

Jesus accomplished it with his holy life and in the sacrificing act of the crucifixion

It was this purpose that God worked in and through his son the purpose of God's reconciliation is the ultimate expression of God's love and worthy of his

Exaltation and his glory the gospel of Luke teaches that God's plan is connected to his sovereignty

Jesus is the expression of God's sovereignty His purpose of salvation for the loss for the lost people.

It was an act of mercy. It demonstrates his incomprehensible loving -kindness Toward his creation.

God is a peacemaker Jesus is the Prince of Peace This amazing feat is a blessed mercy for fallen mankind and simultaneously an act of self -proclamation and glorification to the whole creation

The good news is here. Peace with God is now possible Genesis and creation to revelation and creation judgment

Consider Genesis 3 15 and I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed

He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel the promise of a

Savior Or how about Genesis 49 10? the scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes and to him shall

Be the obedience of the people's the promise of a king of Judah who will reign forever

From the beginning of God's Word to the end of God's Word listen to Revelation chapter 22

Behold, I am coming quickly and my reward is with me to render to every man according to his work

I am the Alpha and the Omega the first and the last the beginning and the end

Blessed are those who wash their robes So that they may have authority to the tree of life and may enter by the gates into the city outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices lying

I Jesus sent my angel to bear witness to you of these things for the churches

I am the root and the descendant of David the bright morning star

Jesus is the son of David and Jesus is birth brought peace with God for all people

But we need to consider that the gospel is Not an invitation it is true that we invite people to believe in Christ and God is is doing that and he's drawing people, but we need to put

Jesus where Jesus belongs He is the king of kings He is the

Lord of Lords The gospel is a command to repent and believe to repent and believe in the good news

Jesus once said this Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart

And you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light

Jesus also said this as a promise to all who believe in him who follow him who act in accordance with his word who obey

His teachings I will never leave you nor forsake you. I Will never leave you nor forsake you the promise of divine peace from God himself is for all who follow

Jesus 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

Today, no matter what you are going through No matter your past mistakes or present circumstances

Put your trust in Jesus and you will experience the peace of God Because Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you

Put your trust in Jesus and you will experience the peace of God for Jesus gives his peace a

Divine peace that is permanent and secure. That's what it means to have peace because the peace of God is