7th December 2025

07/12/25 - 2nd Sunday in Advent 2025 – PEACE - Martin Mowat

Readings: John 11: 1-4, 17, 38-44. John 12:1-11

According to Canon J. John “Advent is something that the early church took very seriously indeed, the startling idea that, in the birth of Jesus, God came to Earth in person.

In fact, they took it so seriously that they calculated the date of the nativity, and used it do divide the whole of history into BC and AD. And precisely because the feast that became Christmas celebrated an event that was so utterly earth shattering, they believed that it was inappropriate that it should occur without some preparations.

They did not, it seems, feel that it was right that anyone should routinely walk into church, only to suddenly realise that the focus of the day’s worship was the biggest event in history. A commemoration of something as big as Christmas could not be allowed to just happen; people needed to prepare for it, and that is why we have Advent.” 

Our five candles represent Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, and most importantly, Christ. Last week we talked about HOPE, saying that it’s perhaps the one thing that people need more than anything else.  Today we’re going to look at PEACE, a similarly vital commodity.

PEACE. What a pertinent subject in a world that is probably more troubled than it has ever been!  

The Hebrew word we translate as peace, though, is “shalom” and the way “shalom” is used does not mean the absence of conflict. Instead, “shalom”, biblical peace, is the result of right relationships with God, with one another, and with creation. That’s what we say every Sunday when we share the peace. 

During his ministry Jesus healed all sorts of people, people who were blind from birth, people who were deaf, mute, paralysed, a woman who had been haemorrhaging for 12 years, and many, many more. On at least three occasions he raised people from the dead, two children, and, as we’ve just heard, in John chapter 11, his dear friend Lazarus. 

Then, in chapter 12, Lazarus’ sister Mary anointed Jesus with pure nard, a very expensive commodity, to the acute annoyance of Judas Iscariot, who was the disciples’ group treasurer. 

Meanwhile, because news of what had happened was unsurprisingly going viral, the Pharisees said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!’, and were scheming to get rid of BOTH Jesus AND Lazarus at the same time. 

That was the day before Palm Sunday, when, to make matters for the Pharisees EVEN worse, Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem by a huge crowd laying palm branches on the road in front of him, an act that was used in ancient cultures to honour royalty and victorious heroes. 

That crowd were going bananas, so much so that according to John some Greeks who were among those who went up to worship at the festival … came to Philip, …., with a request. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we would like to see Jesus.’  Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.  Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. 

Saying this, he predicted his death, which would be only five days later.

‘Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Jesus went on. “Father, save me from this hour”? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.  Father, glorify your name!’

Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

Five days later, as the disciples gathered for supper, Jesus washed their feet, talked about his death and predicted both Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial.

To comfort them, he spoke about the ways to the Father, and he promised them the Holy Spirit, and it was then, John chapter 14 verse 27, that he also promised them his peace. 

He told them the parable of the vine and the branches, told them that the world would hate them because of him, and explained the work of the Holy Spirit, promising them that their sorrow would turn to joy. Then he finished with these words ‘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.’

And then he prayed, - for himself, for his disciples, and for all believers, before being arrested. 

PEACE. Can you see that peace was a fundamental part of what Jesus came to give us. Peace with God. 

Last week I referred to Romans chapter 8 as being one of the most powerful in the Bible. Chapter 5 is perhaps it’s twin in that respect, and it starts by talking about both peace AND hope.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  It goes on in that vein.  

Paul was speaking to Christians.  But it begs the question for us here today, particularly those of us who might not yet count ourselves as Christians.  Do we, do you, have peace with God?  

We’re not talking about what’s happening in the news, in Washington, in Kiev, in Sudan, in Palestine, nor about what’s happening at home, or in your family, or even what’s going on in your brain. We’re talking about peace in your spirit. 

Do you have peace with God?

For unto us a child is born, prophesied Isaiah, unto us a son is given, and the government of the whole world will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of what? Prince of Peace. 

And then that most wonderful statement. And of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

Peace with God, a peace that will never end, is the fruit of a relationship with Jesus Christ. There is simply NO other way in the world, in the universe, to find it. Let’s be perfectly clear – NO other way.

And the beautiful thing about that is that he is already standing here, with his arms open, waiting for YOU, waiting to pour HIS love and HIS peace into YOUR heart.  

You don’t even have to deserve it. In fact, you can’t possibly deserve it, none of us can, and that’s called GRACE.