The prophet Isaiah had difficult news to deliver to God's people. It was news of exile from the Promised Land because of their breaking of covenant promise. But God would provide a Saviour for his people and that person would be Immanuel (God with us). Join us today as we learn more about what it means to know Christ's peace in our troubled hearts.
A video version is available on the YouTube channel for Annalong Presbyterian Church. New episodes will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays up to, and including, Christmas Eve.
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Transcripts
Welcome to the Prince of Peace podcast. Over 10 episodes we will explore together what it means to know this Prince of Peace and celebrate his gift of salvation this Christmas time. Make sure you subscribe wherever you are listening to this so that you will automatically get the next episode. A video version is available on the YouTube channel for Annalong Presbyterian Church. New episodes will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays up to, and including, Christmas Eve.
Today, as we begin this series, we will start with what has become for us the first song we sing on the First Sunday of Advent. Advent is that period leading up to Christmas Day when we read the Scripture passages foretelling the coming of a Saviour. In singing the carol ‘O come, O come, Immanuel’ we are drawn into the great story of redemption that explains why we need a saviour. The closing verse points us to heaven and the eternal home that is being made ready for us by the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Have a listen, and perhaps even sing along, to this advent carol.
O come, O come, Immanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! rejoice! Immanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! rejoice! Immanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o'er the grave.
Rejoice! rejoice! Immanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! rejoice! Immanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! rejoice! Immanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
For many of us we will receive Christmas cards and put up decorations that have the phrase Prince of Peace on them. This name for Jesus comes from Isaiah chapter 9 and is included in a long list of names given to the Messiah. We read in verses 6 and 7,
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Isaiah, who lived 750 years before Jesus, was foretelling the coming of Israel’s Messiah. They had long waited for their great rescuer, who would free them from the pain and suffering other nations had caused them. These nations included Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. By the time of Isaiah the people were paying lip service to God and their worship of him was simply an act of culture rather than true worship of their King of kings. Isaiah’s job was to tell the people that they were going to be invaded by the Assyrians and taken captive to foreign lands. They would be removed from Israel and would be enslaved to their enemy.
But there would be hope and this is the message Isaiah would also tell them. At the heart of Isaiah’s message is God’s purpose of grace for sinners. God continues to demonstrate his love to them, and through his prophet, told them of one greater than all their enemies and even their own kings. This child to be born would be their saviour, described amongst other names as their Prince of Peace.
At times Christmas doesn’t feel that peaceful! Music blares through the radio, towns and cities are busy and noisy, and the to-do list keeps on growing before we can put our feet up on Christmas Eve, knowing everything is ready for the following day. The peace that Jesus brings is not the 5 minutes of stillness and silence we might seek during December. His peace is eternal and as the Prince of Peace he has the authority to give and to ensure it remains with us. The peace that Christ brings is to save us from Satan’s tyranny as today’s carol put it. We are released from the relentless noise and discontentment of sin to be at peace in Christ’s salvation. His salvation is not temporary, but is forever.
In John:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Christ brings peace to our troubled hearts. What he offers is so different from what the world would give us. The things of this world are fleeting, simply here today and gone tomorrow. Jesus invites us to know him as our Prince of Peace so that we will not fear this world, but be assured of our salvation in him and the inheritance of eternity in heaven.
As our carol today tells us in verse 5,
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make sage the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Thank you joining me today in this episode of the Prince of Peace podcast. Join me in episode two as we look at the carol ‘Come Thou long expected Jesus’. Make sure you subscribe on YouTube or in your podcast app to get the next episode when it drops. Find out more at www.annalongpc.org or check out our Facebook page and Instagram account. Links are in the show notes.
