Advent Week 2: Peace

Cory Snyder
Dec 5
3 min read

Four Weeks of Advent: Preparing for Christmas and Eternity

Advent is a season of anticipation. The word means "arriving" or "coming", and it is a central theme in all the scriptures. In the Old Testament, God's people were waiting or anticipating the coming of the promised messiah of God, the Chosen One. The arrival of Jesus of Nazareth, a baby born of a virgin, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, satisfied their waiting.

Today, God's people look back at the first advent of Christ with celebration and praise (Christmas), but look forward in anticipation for the second coming/advent of Christ.

Over the next four weeks, we will post a theme of Advent to help us prepare our hearts to celebrate the Incarnation (Christ made flesh) and encourage us as we wait for his second coming (The Day of the Lord).

We will use scripture readings, reflections, and prayers. Over these four weeks, an Advent reading will take place during our Sunday morning worship.

Week 1: Hope - Isaiah 9:2-7

Week 2: Peace - John 14:23-27, 16:33

Week 3: Joy - Luke 2:1-11

Week 4: Love - 1 John 4:7-12

Week 2 Scripture: John 14:23-27; 16:33

John 14:23-27

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. “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.

John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Reflection

- There is no peace in the world, only chaos, hopelessness, and despair.

- The world cannot give what it does not possess.

- Jesus is Peace. As such, He gives fully and perfectly.

Living in this Peace:

John 16:33 teaches us that Christ is the true source of peace. He closes His final teaching to the disciples with these comforting words: “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace.” The purpose of His parting message, for the disciples, and us, is to draw us closer to Himself as the only fountain of comfort. He doesn’t tell us that we won’t have any trouble in the world. He holds out no promise of freedom from tribulation while we are in the body. But He tells us to rest in the thought that He has fought our battle and won the victory for us. Though tried, and troubled, and afflicted with things on earth, we shall overcome in Him.

Matthew Henry remarks here, “When Christ left the world, He made His will. His soul He bequeathed to His Father, and His body to Joseph. His clothes fell to the soldiers. His mother He left to the care of John. But what should He leave to His poor disciples, who had left all for Him? Silver and gold He had none; but He left them what was far better, His peace.”

Spreading This Peace:

“But take courage” is His final charge: “but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Here Christ calls us to be courageous, cheer up, be confident, and go forward without fear. The world in which we live has a defeated enemy. Jesus, our Lord, has “overcome the world.” This means, that He hasn’t merely given us an example of successful fighting by overcoming the fear of the world and the flattery of the world, but something far more important. He has overcome the Prince of this world, and won His final victory over him on the cross. So all believer's must remember that we are contending with an enemy already beaten. Never stop proclaiming that Christ’s triumph is our Peace!

Prayer & Hymn

Lord Jesus, Savior of the world, let your peace be with us. Prepare our hearts this Christmas to receive afresh the peace of communion with you and, thereby, with the Father by the Spirit. Strengthen us to faithfully display this peace we have received to glorify You this Christmas season. Amen.