Advent Series - Peace (2) | A Quest for True Peace | The Revd. Walter Macdaniel Nakan

 Advent Series - Peace (2)

07.12.2025

Fr. Walter Macdaniel Nakan

                                                                                                                                

Text: Isaiah 11:1 - 10; Romans 15:4 - 13; Matthew 3:1 - 12

Title: A Quest for True Peace

Last week, I begin with an Advent series that highlight the theme of hope, peace, joy, and love for the entire 4-weeks of Advent. This series will end with Christ being the center-piece of the whole narrative (rightly so), as to bring us to a fresh perspective of Christmas this year.

A brief recap from where we left last week. Last week theme of hope bring us into the perspective of a greater hope beyond this world that awaits us. The call for us is to live in holiness and to project the light of Christ to the world as we await for the Day. Biblical hope is not passive but rather active; personally and interpersonally. And to continue on, this week we will bring in the idea of peace as we still hope for the greatest hope to dawn before us.

                                                                                                                                                      

Peace! Peace! When there is no peace! (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11)

There are 340 verses in the Bible that quoted the word “peace”; the vast majority of the quotations are in the Old Testament – 31 verses in Leviticus and 24 verses in Isaiah. But, I purposely quoted from Jeremiah to begin my sermon because Biblical definition of peace (shalom in OT, eirene in NT) means wholeness or well-being in relationship with someone – and the subject of relationship in the Bible being God Himself.

However, in Jeremiah’s verses that I quoted (twice it was repeated by the LORD), it implies the absence of peace as the product of human fallenness. The people of God chose to trust in the false sense of peace from the security of the world (relying on their neighbors for protection instead of the LORD). And so, if we are to stay true with the definition, when the Bible describes “no peace,” it does not necessarily mean chaos, but rather the absent of wholeness in the relationship between God and mankind.

What does this lack of shalom look like today? It's the constant anxiety that steals our rest. It's the division in our communities that poisons relationships. It's the inner fragmentation—living one way on Sunday and another way on Monday. This fragmentation is the product of a broken relationship with God.

So, how then do we approach the subject of wholeness in relationship with God as Christians?

                                                                                                                                                     

Can there really be peace? (Isaiah 11:1 – 10)

Often time when we hear someone talking about peace, it will go along the line of non-violence, becoming a pacifist, or in the pursuit of good relationship with one another and the list goes on. While all these are positive in nature, in all honesty, much more is demanded of us, the people of God, than just the above. If even Paul claimed that “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding” could guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:7), that means to preserve the wholeness of our relationship with Him, then it would suggest that pursuing the knowledge of God will be the foolproof plan for our quest for that true peace.

The knowledge begins in knowing that the LORD our God is faithful in keeping His promises. And the greatest declaration of His promise of peace (other than the famous Isaiah 9:6), is in Isaiah 11:1 – 10. The promise revolves around the destroyed kingdom of Judah (specifically the Davidic kingdom) will be restored by a person from the same line somewhere in the future. This person will be clothed with the Spirit of God that will grant Him wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, and knowledge and fear of the LORD. And we know that this person is Jesus Christ! His attributes match the description by Isaiah!

But, people at His time, much like our time, were ignorant of His role in their lives. He came to deliver “justice with righteousness” (v4) to the poor. While this certainly includes those who are destitute in spirit, the wholeness Jesus brings also restores the physical and social order, bringing justice to the marginalized and oppressed. This means, while the world loses its wholesomeness of relationship with God, Jesus will be the pacifier that will restore the relationship between God and mankind. That is true peace! Not merely restoration of one’s condition but the wholeness/completeness of being – pointing towards the everlasting peace with God (v9).

    This peace (wholeness/completeness) can only be experienced through the knowledge of God (v9) – not manufactured, but cultivated in faithful relationship with the LORD, as Jesus did.

If that is the case, what can we learn from the Prince of Peace?

                                                                                                                                                      

Jesus: The Prince of Peace & The Righteous Judge (Matthew 3:1 – 12)

    John declared to the crowd that Jesus’ arrival will be judgement: the analogy of winnowing fork and acts of gathering the crops to store and to burn (v12). Now, we need to understand that even through what John’s declared about Jesus here already telling us about His first and second Advent, often time, we only talk about His coming as our Saviour. That is correct. But, we must not forget about His ultimate purpose according to what God has revealed to Israel in Isaiah – that He will be the righteous judge (Isaiah 11:4). 

    John presented the clue that before we stand in front of the judge, repentance must come. “Repent” is an active verb, it implies actions. In Matthew’s version, the flow is clearer: repent and be baptized. But, repentance without the knowledge of God will ended up becoming empty ritual (vv7 – 10).

This is the key connection: Repentance is an act of turning toward the Judge, the one described in Isaiah 11—the one who brings a reign filled with the knowledge of the Lord. Therefore, knowing God is prerequisite to true repentance. You cannot stand before the Judge before knowing Who the Judge is and what His laws are! The Judge and His laws are inseparable. True repentance is turning away from our own fragmentation and toward God's wholeness.

Throughout the ministry of Jesus we can see that He dedicated His life to draw people to that complete relationship with God the Father. It is not only the lack of provision or justice that caused people to have no peace, but, because the world has no wholesome relationship with God that everyone lives for themselves and allows injustice to prevail. This knowledge, or rather perspective, can only be made known to us by the Holy Spirit – then only we are fit to stand before the judge at His second Advent.

So then, how can we rely on God’s wisdom to have a complete relationship, not only with Him, but one another?

                                                                                                                                                     

Encouragement to Endure (Romans 15:4 – 13)

So, we know that we are to stand before the seat of judgement and the requirement is to stand in “peace” with the Judge. But, we can only be encouraged to stand before Him without fear if we know Him for who He is. Praise be to God, that Scriptures have no lack of the wisdoms. Scriptures (the Bible) has revealed to us of His great plan of salvation, and the best thing about this plan, it is open for all! His plan to have a wholesome relationship with humanity is for all humanity!

So, to conclude this sermon, here are some take away points that Paul has helped us to link the Old Testament and the Gospel:

 

1. The Scriptures are written as encouragement and to provide endurance (v4) for one another.

2. The epitome of peace is Jesus Christ (v5) – living not for Himself, but for the world (living and dying for the sake of the world).

3. Knowing what God has revealed to us in order to encourage and provide endurance through the Scriptures could definitely help us to pursue the true peace, and project God’s peace to the world (God’s wholesome relationship).

 

And so, may the God of Hope fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (v13). Amen.