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The story goes something like this: A person considering whether Yeshua (the Jewish way of saying Jesus) is the Messiah, asks his Rabbi, "Could it be that Messiah has come and that Yeshua is His name?" The Rabbi walks over to the window, looks around, shakes his head and with a sigh exclaims: “He can't be the true Messiah. There's still no peace. We know that when Messiah comes there will be peace everywhere.” Is it true that Messiah is to bring peace? And if Yeshua is the Messiah, then where's the peace? The Promise of Peace This is also the very desire of God, who in Aaron's blessing states, “May the Lord give you peace” (Numbers 6:26); the Psalmist writes “The Lord will bless His people with peace” (Psalm 29:11); and in the Prophets, Messiah is even called “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). In fact, when Messiah reigns peace will be His Kingdom's theme (Isaiah 2:1-4; 9:4-5, 7; Zechariah. 9:9-10; etc.). The universal peace of Messiah is based on everyone first having personal peace through a right relationship with God: "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You" (Isaiah 26:3). Thus when each person receives peace from God, then each one can share and live in that peace within their family, community, country and world. Peace is like having a million dollars to give to a friend: if you don't have it, of course, you can’t give it. The Rejection of
Peace 1) “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should be attracted to Him.” (Isaiah 53:2) For people attracted to externals, Messiah would be too ordinary looking. There was nothing about His appearance to command our attention. It was His internal character that made Him "stand out"- for those who were looking. 2) “He was a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Surely, He took upon Himself our griefs and sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God and afflicted by Him.” (Isaiah 53:3-4) For people desirous of comfort and convenience, this one suffered too much. How could one suffer so much at the hands of religious people and the government, and not be judged by God? In any case, no decent person wants to associate with someone who attracts trouble the way this “Messiah” did! But He suffered for our sins and not His own: “The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) 3) “He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before the shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7) He was too compliant, too passive. He wasn't exactly the “John Wayne” type of warrior King. Many wanted a Messiah who would come to vanquish the enemies of Israel and thus have a forced peace. His humility was despised and rejected, for He came not to protect His own life, but to be an offering for our sins: “the Lord makes His life a guilt offering.” (Isaiah 53:10) Now suppose I came to your house with a beautiful cake (my father always taught me not to visit empty handed), but as soon as you saw me you slammed the door in my face! Would you expect to get the cake? Of course not! Reject me, and you reject all that I bring with me. So, why isn't there “peace”? Reject the ‘Prince of Peace’ and you reject the very peace that He brings. The Provision of
Peace 1) peace with God, 2) peace of mind and heart, and 3) peace with one another: 1) “Therefore, since we're made right with God by faith, we have peace with God through Yeshua Hamashiach Adoneinu [our Lord Yeshua the Messiah].” (Romans 5:1). 2) “The peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Messiah Yeshua.” (Philippians 4:7) 3) “Messiah is our peace, who has made the two (Jews and Gentiles) one…one new person, thus making peace.” (Ephesians 2:14-15) The Scriptures also teach that one day our people, Israel, will acknowledge the Messiah and receive His salvation and peace “The stone which the builders rejected shall become the capstone!” (Psalms 118:22-26). In light of that event, we are commanded to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalms 122:6). In that day, peace will be worldwide, even as the Scriptures promised. An illustration of that coming day was seen in Israel: An Israeli soldier, who believes in Yeshua, was on patrol one night in Gaza. The others in his squad had him, the "believer", investigate a suspiciously parked van. The driver turned out to be a Palestinian pastor, a believer in Yeshua, visiting some of his congregants. To the amazement of the on-looking squad, here was an Israeli Jew and a Palestinian rejoicing in fellowship in the Gaza moonlight. Yeshua is Israel's hope for peace. Until that coming day, each one of us can right now have peace with God in our own hearts, and with each other by ‘trusting’ in Israel's Messiah Yeshua. “Trusting” the Lord begins by recognizing that the world's peace plans nor our own strategies for personal peace have not worked, nor will they work. Messiah Yeshua is God's way to have peace in your life and “peace on earth, goodwill to all people.”
For
more information please call or write:
Sam
Nadler
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