LESSON 3J

PURCHASE PURSUING THE CHRIST

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Lesson: Peace

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Lesson Overview

Biblical Passages

Luke 2:13-14; Isaiah 26:3-4 Read the passages in a different translation and watch for new thoughts or insights.

Supporting Passages John 14:27; John 16:33

Biblical Truth

When Jesus left His throne in heaven for a manger on earth, He brought with Him a peace, different from any peace that had ever been available to the inhabitants of earth. He brought a peace only heaven had known. The grand birth announcement to the shepherds that night promised glory to God and peace to those on earth.

Context

The Prince of Peace won for us a costly peace. The peace He offers is not absence of conflict or chaos in our circumstances but is rather an abiding peace within, no matter the circumstances.

Learning Goals • Students will examine what the promise of peace means in their lives. • Students will identify how peace in us can become peace through us.

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Biblical Commentary and Insights

Introduction

The birth of the Savior brought heaven into the environment of earth. When the angels announced the great news, which would bring joy, the announcement was “Peace!”

What are the lyrics in the angels’ song of salvation? A proclamation of peace! Peace that had never been available on earth was, in the presence of the shepherds, offered freely from heaven. This peace was something brand new, never heard of before, never experienced in history—peace that only heaven knew, now offered to people on earth.

Heaven came to earth in the form of a baby. With Your birth, heaven’s rich storehouse of peace was opened and offered to earth’s inhabitants. It took a chorus of angels, with voices sweeter than any ever heard before on earth, to make such an announcement: in the highest heaven, glory to God; on earth, peace to its people. (Pursuing the Christ, December 20)

Luke 2:13-14

Surely the Father knew the great longing of the human heart. He knew what was missing and elusive—what no human heart could conjure for itself. The very centerpiece of His proclamation announced the greatest benefit of His gift. Peace.

Until Jesus, no one could know true, lasting peace. The Old Testament, before the Incarnation, promises peace, but it is a peace that is not fully known until the Prince of Peace bestows it.

Peace was the highlight and the focus of His coming, and peace was the theme Jesus emphasized as He was preparing His disciples for His Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension—when His presence with them would be through His Spirit and no longer through His physical body.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Do you see what He promises? He promises His own peace. “My peace I leave with you.” Not peace like His but His peace. How can He give us His very own peace? By residing in us through His Spirit. By being present with us and present to us every minute of every day, imparting Himself to us.

He says His peace is not like the world’s peace. What do you think is the difference? The world offers a cheap imitation of peace. It stays in place until the next disappointment arrives, hurtful memory surfaces, or uncertainty presents itself. In other words, it is fleeting and shallow. It never stays put for long.

His peace is not like the world’s peace because His peace is anchored in eternal realities. He knows what we do not. His peace imparted to us through His Spirit puts down deep roots and grows stronger as time passes.

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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

In Him, we can have peace in spite of any trouble we will encounter. Peace is on deposit in us. Not an add-on but the very substance of our new selves, new creations that we are.

Jesus gives us peace that has three prongs.

1. Peace with God. (Romans 5:1) 2. Peace from God. (Philippians 4:7) 3. Peace with others. (Ephesians 2:14-15)

Isaiah 26:3-4

“Perfect peace” is the Hebrew word shalom. It includes soundness, wholeness, satisfaction, prosperity. God will keep (guard, protect) our shalom when our minds are leaned into Him. The Hebrew word translated “steadfast” means to lean on for support.

I recently visited a spa where I experienced a floating tank. The water in the tank had a high concentration of Epsom salt, and the result was that I could float. The person who was explaining to me how to get the most from my experience said, “Give your body to the water. The water will hold you.” That sounded good, but when I got into the tank, my instincts kicked in. My body automatically tried to balance me. However, with time, I relaxed more and more and, as I did, found the water would indeed hold me. The more I let go—the more I gave myself to the water—the more the water proved up to the task. At last, I was so perfectly relaxed I napped. The water held me.

That’s the principle of peace. Fully rest your heart and life on Him. Give yourself fully to Jesus, and Jesus will hold you. Remember Jesus sleeping in the back of the boat as the storm raged? That’s the kind of peace He imparts. Peace that has its anchor in eternal realities rather than being subject to the moment. Our mind is set on Him, and there we find peace beyond understanding. When we give ourselves to Jesus and find He always holds us, then we know that we have no need for anxiety about anything. We can hand everything over to Him through prayer, thanking Him in advance because we know Him to be faithful. And the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

In Philippians 4:7, Paul uses a word that means to guard or protect—“will guard your hearts and minds”—similar to Isaiah 26:4, which uses a Hebrew word translated “keep” that means to guard or protect. God will guard your well-being. He will protect your mind and heart—thoughts and emotions—from peace-stealers. As long as we are flailing and struggling to stay afloat, we will not experience the peace that could be ours. But when we give ourselves to Him, we learn by experience that He will hold us.

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Teaching Plan

Lesson Materials and Discussion

Teacher Tips

Have someone read the focal passage aloud, then take it verse by verse. Use discussion questions and activities to explore the major concepts in each verse.

Discussion Starter

What comes to mind when you think of the word peace? What are the peace-stealers in your life?

Location, Location, Location Ask: Knowing that the Jews believed God’s presence resided in His Temple in Jerusalem, where would you expect His announcement of His Son’s birth to be made? (At the Temple; to the high priest and the other priests in the Temple.) Where and to whom was the announcement made? (In a field to shepherds.) Why was this unexpected? (It didn’t include any of those who thought they knew God; it wasn’t in the expected place for where God communicated with people.)

On the board, list: GOD, HOST OF ANGELS, SHEPHERDS. Ask: Why does this entire event shows how differently God was embracing the world, not just making announcement to the Jews? Write responses beside each of those listed on the board (i.e., God—He made the announcement in the world He had created, not a Temple man had created for Him; Host of Angels—God used a “host” or an army of angels to proclaim His message; The Shepherds—They were considered unworthy, untrustworthy, and the lowest on the society ladder.) Emphasize that all these ingredients show that God’s message was for the entire world, not just the Jews. Say: God wanted the world to know that His message was for those who were deemed unworthy and devalued by society, but were not deemed so by Him.

Luke 2:13-14 Have you ever experienced a concert where the music moved you and generated emotions that lasted even after the concert was finished? Scripture says the host—large company—of angels were “praising God.” The text uses a word that most often means extolling God in hymn. Though they spoke the essential message, it seems to have come in a setting of angelic music.

Use your imagination to think about the shepherd’s experience on the night of the announcement from heaven:

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What were they doing just before heaven broke into their experience? What must the experience of that heavenly concert been? What was the essential content of the birth announcement? What was the promise to earth’s inhabitants? What did it stir in the shepherds in the way of response? How simple would it have been for the shepherds to leave their flocks and find Jesus? Do you see in this narrative how powerful a pull on the heart a promise of peace produces?

After discussion, feel free to share more information from the Biblical Commentary and Insights section with your group.

Finding Peace Read Isaiah 26:1-2, and share that verses 3-4 were an individual response to the national response in verses 1-2. Say: That simply means the understanding of peace and security introduced in verses 1-2 becomes very personal in verses 3-4. Call for a volunteer to read verses 1-2 while learners listen for words and phrases that describe peace. After the reading, call for responses and list these on the board (i.e., strong city; walls and ramparts; protective gates.) Share that each of these are metaphors for spiritual strength and security. Ask: How does strength and security lead to a sense of peace? (We can find true peace when we fill safe, protected, and secure.) Lead learners to read verses 3-4 again and to call out how the individual can find peace in God. List these on the board as well. (By keeping our minds dependent upon God; by trusting God personally; by embracing God as the foundation or rock on which our faith is built.) Ask: How can we find peace through our reliance upon God as our foundation?

Isaiah 26:3-4

What is the condition for being kept in perfect peace? How would you define a steadfast mind? How does the description of God “the Rock eternal” feed into the idea of trust or confidence? How does it matter that you are leaning on a person (“the Lord, the Lord himself”) rather than an idea or belief? How does the Incarnation of Jesus solidify this reality? (“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ...... No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” (John 1:14, 18)

After discussion, feel free to share more information from the Biblical Commentary and Insights section with your group.

Conclusion Peace is impossible apart from God because peace is an illusion unless it is the byproduct of knowing where to rest the weight of your life. Scripture tells us to pursue peace, to make peace, and to live at peace. A person who is peaceful can infuse any situation with peace. Where in your life do you need to be

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an infuser of peace?

Closing Prayer Let’s let the Holy Spirit speak into our lives and encourage us to lean into Jesus. Ask Him where in our lives we need to adjust our behaviors or attitudes to be a peace maker.