Sunday, December 15, 2019

The Third Sunday of Advent: Peace


Sunday, December 15, 2019
The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:
An Advent Devotional Guide

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.”
Isaiah 9:6

Sometimes things become so familiar to us that we don’t even see them. Like the Scripture above. We hear these words sung every Christmas in the “Messiah.” They are so familiar, we barely hear what we are saying. Listen to who this baby Jesus is to be.
·       Wonderful Counselor
How desperately we need Counsel.
·       Mighty God
Though born humbly as a human, Jesus is God!
·       Eternal Father
He told us, “I and the Father are one.”
·       Prince of Peace
The world is crying for peace and here he is right here in our hearts! Not an infant, but a prince in charge.

We fail to realize that he is not talking about the peace that the world seeks. The messenger to Isaiah isn’t talking about the absence of war, the absence of marauding gangs, the absence of terrorists! He’s talking about the “peace that passes understanding” that Jesus talked about in John 14. He’s talking about “my peace, not as the world gives!” He’s talking about the “peace of God” that Paul says should rule in our hearts! The Prince of Peace rules in a heart kingdom and destroys wars in the person!

Why are we not crying out to the world that the peace they seek is Jesus?

Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace, speechless we come to you in awe and expectation. Amen

The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His Son:
An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Winter 2009
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

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