The Lutheran Hour
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"Prince of Peace and Power"
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Text: Mark 1:7
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! The Christ who conquered sin and Satan, death and grave, is with us. His resurrection light dispels the darkness which would envelop us. It gives us hope during this holy season and always. God grant this living hope resides within us all. Amen.
Christmas is coming. To some of you its arrival brings a longed-for excuse to overindulge in eating, to be intemperate in drinking, immoderate in both purchasing and partying. To a multitude of parents Christmas means listening to their children’s impatient, never ending, and always growing litany of things which they simply must have if their lives are to have any meaning or purpose at all.
To those who are in control of what you see on television, the coming of Christmas means an opportunity to roll out the old cartoon specials where the public will once again be served up a banquet of sentimental silliness. One of those specials will seriously suggest the true meaning of Christmas is family; another will boldly promote the true meaning of Christmas is giving; and yet another will declare the real meaning of Christmas is having a good heart. Night after night viewers will be provided a plethora of programs celebrating the arrival and struggles of Santa, Frosty, Rudolph, the Grinch, Jack Frost, and a whole host of other characters who have become part of our culture’s Christmas celebration.
Only Charlie Brown’s Christmas special will get it right as Linus lisps, “Unto you is born in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” The network executives didn’t want Linus to read the nativity story from the King James Version of the Bible. The executive producer, Lee Mendelson, and director Bill Melendez didn’t want those words to be heard either. So strongly did they feel about removing the story of the Christ Child’s birth, they went to cartoonist Charles Schulz and told him, “You can’t read from the Bible on network television.” Indeed, when those two men first saw the show, they turned to each other and said, “We’ve ruined Charlie Brown.” Well, they hadn’t.
Linus was absolutely right. Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus, the sinless Son of God. The birth of the world’s Savior is what Christmas really recalls – the coming of the Christ to offer Himself as the ransom to save us. “Unto you is born a Savior,” that is what we Christians will be celebrating.
Christmas is coming. That story has been beautifully painted by countless artists in subtle and soothing strokes of deep blues and gentle golds. The Christmas story, as we have heard it, has been described by poets and hymn writers with soft sounds and calming consonants. “O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by; Yet in thy darkness shineth The everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight.” Listen carefully, because if you do, you will not hear a scratchy sound or a grating phrase in any of those lines. Christmas is coming and the cards we send out to everyone we know are jam-packed with heartfelt hopes that the world might, at long last, find an end to war; and peace on earth and good will toward men might become a reality. For many of us, if our childhoods were blessed, the coming of Christmas will mean pleasant moments as we reminisce about holidays of yesteryear and special souls who have long since left us.
Have you found this talk about Christmas peaceful? Have you been getting sleepy? If so, you may be surprised that today, on this, the second Sunday in Advent, the subject of today’s message is power! The Prince of Peace, yes; but also the Prince of Power. Jesus Christ, the Babe of Bethlehem, is the Prince of Peace and Power.
Are you surprised that power would be the subject of a Christmas-time message? Most people are. Most people prefer to keep Jesus as a cuddly little infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Most people would prefer to think that Christmas is about human birth and renewal. They’re shocked when I say: Christmas is celebrating the arrival of the Prince of Peace and Power. Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it. Go to the Jordan River and you will see the last of the Old Testament prophets and the individual whom God selected to prepare the people for the Savior’s arrival. Travel toward the Jordan and you will soon hear the camel-skin-clad messenger as he shouts out God’s call to repentance and the Lord’s offer of forgiveness and salvation. Listen to John the Baptizer as he speaks of Jesus saying, “After me will come One more powerful than I.”
Understand, John might just as easily have said, “After me will come one more loving than I.” John didn’t say that, he used the word powerful. Similarly, John could have said one more gracious was coming, but he didn’t say that. He could have said “Someone who is more kind, or gentle, or better dressed than I am is coming.” John could have done that, but he chose to use the word powerful; and since he was speaking by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, and since his words were written down by the same Spirit’s guidance, I’m not going to change them. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace and Power.
Power. That’s not a word which people often use when they think of Jesus. It certainly is not a word which pops into their minds when they gaze at the baby in His Bethlehem manger. Indeed, these last few years as I’ve traveled the country, I’ve frequently asked people to give one word which describes Jesus. No matter the age of the group, the ethnic or genetic composition of the group, the list has been surprisingly the same. Everyone agrees: Jesus was gentle, kind, loving, caring, compassionate, forgiving, and our Savior. Understand, according to the Scriptures, the heaven-sent person we see in the Bible most certainly was all of those things. But He was more. Jesus was the Prince of Peace and Power.
Now, I have no difficulty if you are thinking, or are even saying: In what way was Jesus the Prince of Power? When Herod the Great tried to have the infant Savior murdered, Jesus had to depend on His mother and foster-father, Joseph, to carry Him to Egypt where He would be safe. When the people of Nazareth tried to stone Him, He didn’t throw those stones back, nor did He, with a miraculous wave of His Divine hand, turn those stones into floating feathers. Jesus did none of those things; He merely walked away. To the minds of most people, Jesus is not a powerful Savior. When the devil tempted Him in the wilderness, Jesus, using verses taken from holy writ, fought a battle of words. Jesus didn’t use any Divine power to wither the Prince of Darkness like a plucked dandelion. When John the Baptist was imprisoned, Jesus didn’t command His heavenly host to lay siege to the castle where the prophet was being held; He didn’t teleport to John’s cell and break the bars or loosen the locks which imprisoned the prophet.
In what way was Jesus powerful? When He was arrested, He didn’t put up a fight and He didn’t allow His friends to swing their swords to win His freedom. When people spit upon Him, He allowed the spit to drip down His chin; when He was struck in the face, He didn’t have the striker’s hand turn leprous and wither. When He was crowned with thorns, He didn’t transform that crown to a diadem of daisies. In what way was Jesus powerful? When men jeered at Him as He hung upon the cross, He didn’t get down off that cruel instrument of death and punch His detractors in the noses. What did John mean when He called Jesus, “One more powerful than he?”
And as long as you’re asking those questions about the power of Jesus during His 33 years of earthly ministry, might I not also encourage you to ask about the Savior’s power in this present age? I mean, think about it for a moment. If Jesus is the Prince of Peace and Power, why doesn’t He stop the rain from falling on the field of the farmer who doesn’t believe in Him? If Jesus is the Prince of Peace and Power, why doesn’t He make mute all those who take His name in vain? If Jesus is all powerful, how come we have so many disasters, catastrophes, inequities, and tragedies; and why doesn’t He spare His followers from being hurt by those disasters catastrophes, inequities, and tragedies? Why do criminals succeed and Christians crumble and crash? Why do the Christ’s followers suffer from painful illnesses, financial reverses, poverty, hunger, heartbreak?
Because of these questions and many others, skeptics and cynics, doubters and deniers love to laugh at anyone who thinks upon Jesus as being any kind of prince. Indeed, they sneer at the Savior and proudly proclaim, “There is no God or Savior.” They suggest all the wonders around us are accidental; no almighty hand fashioned the billion of stars which illuminate the night’s sky. These stars, they maintain, made themselves and keep themselves on a steady course. The small foxglove flower invented itself so someday, someone might extract digitalis for a hurting heart; and the magnetic poles which enable animals and people to navigate air and ocean just came about. They say the human heart is able to pump for 50, 60, 70, 80 years or more without faltering, but they also have little idea how it gets enough rest between those beats. They know a kidney can filter the poison from the blood and leave the good stuff alone, but they don’t know how that ability came about. Confident in their unbelief they say there is no God and Jesus is neither a Prince of Peace or Power.
When they look into His nativity manger they see a baby, a baby who grew up and made a profound impact upon the world, but a human baby and nothing more. Yes, Jesus was a human baby, but He was also, by virtue of being conceived by the Holy Spirit, the Son of God. Yes, He was a human baby, but He was also the divinely sent Child of destiny, whose coming was of such significance that it divides all of human history. Yes, Jesus was a human baby. If He had not been, He could not have taken our place and fulfilled the laws which we have broken; He could not have carried our sins; He could not have completed the commandments on our behalf. If He had not been a human baby as well as a human man, He could not have died in our stead upon Calvary’s cruel cross. Thank God He was a true man.
But Jesus was also true God. For only a man who was God could have stilled a storm with a word; healed a leper at a distance; dispatched a demon from a possessed soul and raised up a boy, a girl, a friend, from the dead and restored them to their grief-filled families. Only the Son of God could have forgiven His enemies and, three days after He was placed into a borrowed tomb, break the bonds of death and open the road to life which would be walked by all who believe on Him as Savior. Rejoice that He is true God, Prince of Peace and Power. As the powerful conqueror, His blood-bought forgiveness bestows peace upon troubled hearts and guilty consciences and provides comfort for those who sit at a sick-bed or must walk away from a newly filled cemetery plot. Look into the manger and see the Prince of Peace and Power. Look and you will see a power unlike any other this world has ever seen.
Those words, I know, call for an explanation. Once there was a little girl whose parents had had a miserable marriage. They had reached that point in time where they agreed on nothing and had nothing in common other than their shared affection for their child. One day, as the little girl played in the street, she was struck by a bus. Seriously injured, she was raced to the hospital where doctors, after thorough examination, told the frightened parents there was nothing medical science could do to help her. Time was limited and they should make the most of the moments they had.
Quietly they entered their daughter’s room. Quietly they moved to opposite sides of her death bed. Quietly they stood, watching the end of their dreams, their hopes, their marriage, any hope of their tomorrows being spent together. As they stood in silence, the girl’s eyes fluttered, opened, and observed the tears of her parents. Slowly, she drew one arm from under the sheet, and held it out to her father. Daddy took her hand. Just as slowly she brought out her other hand and extended it to her mother. With a final effort, she drew together the hands of her parents and placed them into each other.
You may write the end of that story as you wish. I will tell you, that little girl, in a very human way, shows us what Jesus did as our Prince of Peace and Power. Our Lord Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem, the Christ of the cross, the Savior of the empty tomb was beaten, rejected, spit upon, mocked, and whipped, and crucified. By His death, with nail-pierced hands He reached out and took the hand of sinful, hateful humanity and placed it into the hand of His loving Father.
With His victorious death cry: “It is finished,” Jesus was able, was powerful enough, to do what no man or woman has ever been able to do. That day, to the world Jesus appeared a weak, miserable, dying man. But to those of us who have known Him, who have seen the strength of His love and the perfect power which three-days later defeated death itself, there is the profound knowledge that we are standing before the greatest power this world has ever seen or will ever see. In Jesus we have a Divine Savior who has the strength to break down the barrier of sin; to restore the broken relationship between Creator and sinner; to reunite us with our Father in heaven.
The power to bring peace – that is what John the Baptizer knew was coming in the person of Jesus. That’s why, when the executioner told John to kneel before the sword, he did so without fear. He had faith in the Prince of Peace and Power. When Stephen, the first Christian martyr, saw the stones winging through the air, he remained faithful. Stephen knew the Prince of Peace and Power. The same could be said of Peter when he was crucified in Rome. And do not think, not for a moment, that these people follow a Prince who has been made frail and feeble by the passing of time. If you believe that, come with me to a Christian funeral and watch. Tears will be shed, but there is hope. Come to the prison cell of a man who lives there without possibility of parole. Talk to him and he will tell you how Jesus has freed him from his past and has given him hope for the future. Come with me to countries where Christians are persecuted, where churches are burned and lives are threatened. These souls stay strong because they know Jesus Christ as Savior; they worship the Prince of Peace and Power.
Years ago, I met a woman whose husband had just died. His illness had been prolonged, his nights filled with pain and suffering. By his wish, his wife had cared for him at home. At the funeral, I told her how much I admired her and asked, “How did you do it?” She told me this: her neighbors, all members of her church, had kept their lights burning during her husband’s illness. As she kept her lonely vigil, when she looked out her front or back windows, she saw their lights. It was their way of saying, “We’re by your side, even if you can’t see us.” She told me, “I knew they were there and I was strengthened from those lights. It kept me going.” Might I suggest, this Christmas, that when you look into the manger you might see not just a baby, but the Savior, the Light of the world. Look into the manger and see the baby whose light can keep you going. Look into the manger and see the Prince of Peace and Power. To that end, if we can help you see the Savior more clearly, please, call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for December 7, 2008
Topic: Was Mary Aware?ANNOUNCER: Was Mary aware of Jesus’ mission and that it would involve a cross? Pastor Ken Klaus responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer.
KLAUS: Hi, Mark. So, what is before us today?
ANNOUNCER: It’s a topic that is going to call for speculation and conjecture on your part.
KLAUS: I love conjecture – as long as people understand that’s what it is.
ANNOUNCER: OK. Well, three questions, actually: Did Mary know Jesus would die on the cross? Did she think Jesus was going to be an earthly king? And what did she think when the angel said Jesus’ kingdom would have no end?
KLAUS: When you talk conjecture, my friend, you really talk conjecture.
ANNOUNCER: One other thing I should mention: I get from the tone of the questions that our listener empathizes with Mary. Did Mary have the burden of knowing in advance all that her son would someday suffer on our behalf?
KLAUS: This is kind of related to one of our earlier discussions.
ANNOUNCER: So what do you think? Did Mary think Jesus was going to be an earthly ruler who would establish an earthly political kingdom? Most of the people at that time, including the disciples, thought that was what the Messiah was supposed to do.
KLAUS: And you can understand why they might believe that. Jesus was called the “Son of David.” David was a military hero. He ushered in the golden age of Israel’s history.
ANNOUNCER: Along with that, isn’t there some kind of theory that Judas betrayed Jesus in order to force His hand – to force Him to perform miraculous works to help bring about this kingdom?
KLAUS: Well, there is that theory. But there isn’t any proof of that theory, at least as far as I can tell. The question is, “Did Mary know?” There’s little question that Mary was a most exceptional person. Think of what Simeon said to her when the baby Jesus was presented in the temple. From the Gospel according to St. Luke, Simeon said, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” And here’s the important part -“And a sword will pierce your own soul, too” (Luke 2:34-35). Mary would have had some idea that Jesus’ life was not going to proceed the way a mother might hope. Along with that, she was undoubtedly aware of the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the suffering servant and she would have had a far more accurate idea of Jesus’ future course than many other people did.
ANNOUNCER: So, in that sense, she might have known that her Son, although He was innocent, would be beaten, whipped, and crucified for us; and that He would suffer all this without complaint.
KLAUS: Yes, exactly. I think Mary had a pretty good idea, although she might not have known all the particulars. By that I mean she wouldn’t have known how old Jesus would be when He died; or that Judas betrayed Him; Pilate and the nation’s religious rulers would be involved.
ANNOUNCER: OK. Anything else you could add?
KLAUS: One thing. It is an argument from silence, so that makes it a weak one. But none of the Gospel writers record Mary being surprised at what happens to Jesus. She is there at the foot of the cross, she goes to the Savior’s grave on Resurrection Sunday. If this had all been a surprise, it’s difficult to believe she might have acted the way she did. Still, she was a woman of faith and she kept faithful to her commitment made at the annunciation, when she said, “Let it be to me as the Lord wishes.”
ANNOUNCER: I’m wondering if we’ve really answered all this part about the earthly kingdom? Mary knew Jesus would die – but is it possible she still thought perhaps His death would somehow free them from Roman rule and lead to the establishment of a new nation?
KLAUS: OK. I see what you’re saying. In other words, might Jesus have been a martyr in the cause that led to a new earthly state?
ANNOUNCER: I realize there’s nothing in the Bible that says that one way or the another.
KLAUS: That’s true. We are, as you said at the beginning, really involved with conjecture. I’m trying to remember if there is anything that implies she might have felt that way. And, quite frankly, nothing comes to mind.
MARK: How about in the words of her song, the Magnificat? Anything there?
KLAUS: I thought about that. She talks about bringing down rulers from their thrones and lifting up the humble. She speaks of filling the hungry with good things and sending away the rich with empty hands. But those lines can be interpreted both literally or figuratively. They certainly aren’t definitive.
ANNOUNCER: Anything else?
KLAUS: You know, Mark, there are a number of times when the Bible speaks about Mary keeping and pondering things in her heart. I have to believe that Mary was a woman of faith who was willing to endure whatever the Lord asked of her. But I don’t think He gave her any kind of Divine direction as to exactly what would happen. I think she had to live her life as we do – in faith, believing that the Lord knows what is best, even if we don’t always understand.
ANNOUNCER: This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selection for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“The Angel Gabriel” arranged by Henry Gerike. From Gentle Stranger by the Concordia Seminary Chorus (© 2004 Concordia Seminary Chorus)
“Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her” by Heinrich Scheidemann. From A Year of Grace by Craig Cramer (© 2003 Dulcian Productions)
“On Christmas Night” by John Leavitt. From On Christmas Night by John Leavitt and the Mid-America Symphonic Ensemble (© 2006 John Leavitt/ASCAP)