Jesus: The Gift Of Peace | An African Christmas
December 3, 2023 • Ps Bruce McCleland • Luke 2:8–15, Matthew 2:1–11, Isaiah 9:6, John 14:27, Jeremiah 29:11
In this special Christmas production, join Pastor Bruce as he takes us through a discovery of who Jesus is: the gift of peace.
Firstly, reading from Luke 2 verse 8 - 15 and Matthew 2 verse 1 -11 we learn about the birth of Jesus and His majesty and how it is a testament to His greatness because what kind of a birth would draw the attention of shepherds away from their flock? What kind of a birth would draw kings away from their kingdoms and cause them to bring gifts on bended knees, that would praise Him and not them? What kind of a birth would cause rulers to panic and plot to murder Him? What kind of birth would cause Angels to leave heaven in praise and celebration?
In Isaiah 9:6 we see that His birth was a gift for us because He is indeed a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Which is still relevant to this day because In this day and age we need peace - we need peace that comes from Jesus.
Jesus is our gift of peace. He was given to us as a gift of peace and John 14 verse 27 highlights that. He is our peace in every situation. His kind of peace is not like that of the world, it's the peace that gives us assurance in any and every situation.
His kind of peace is the following:
1. Peace From Your Past
We all come into salvation broken and flawed. However, when Jesus comes into our lives, He gives us peace from our past. We have an enemy and he wants to remind us of our past but Jesus reminds us of who he wants us to be - who He intends us to be.
2. Peace In Your Present
Jesus gives us peace in our present. Though life can be difficult, He renews us and gives us strength. We don't have to do this alone but we can do it with Him. He gives us Shalom (completeness, security, contentment, wellbeing and inner peace). However, the only way we can have peace is if He gives it to us.
3. Peace For The Future
Jesus came to give us a life that is secure for eternity. He came so that we wouldn't be captured by death and destruction. He came so that we can be saved. He gave us that gift.
Jesus is our light, He is our peace. He came to shine light on the things that mislead us and make us hopeless. When we invite him into every aspect of our lives, He shines a light on our lives and saves us.
The truth is, when we have peace, His peace - we are able to be hopeful, but without peace, a lot of what we see feels hopeless. So is He your peace? Are you trusting in Him?
