Sheldonville Baptist Church
December 21, 2025

      • Luke 2:25–32NKJV

  • O Come O Come Emmanuel
  • Joy to the World!
  • Angels We Have Heard on High
  • Silent Night (Stille Nacht)
  • It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
  • O Holy Night
  • O Little Town Of Bethlehem
  • Arise Shine
  • Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
  • Isaiah 9:6 NKJV
    6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
    When we think about Jesus as the Prince of Peace, there are two questions that the title might prompt:
    What is peace?
    What does an administration of peace look like?

    The Definition of Peace

    Peace Understood

    Peace is most easily understood as harmonious relationship. While any relationship could be harmonious, since Jesus is God, the implication is that it is our relationship with God that is in harmony through Jesus.

    Peace Experienced

    There are two primary—but related—ways we experience peace.

    Peace with God

    Peace with God is what happens when we place our faith in the finished work of Christ. We go from being an enemy of God to being a child of God.

    Peace of God

    Peace of God is what happens when the peace we have with God overflows into our other relationships, bringing peace to them.

    The Administration of Peace

    In Isaiah, Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. Prince is an administrative title: He is the ruler of peace. His Rule directly impacts our experience

    He Lives to Make Intercession, Hebrews 7:24-8:2

    This is the peace with God that produces the peace with God.
    Hebrews 7:24–8:2 NKJV
    24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever. 1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

    The textual focus: Jesus’ Priesthood

    He is OUR High Priest
    He is a perfect High Priest
    He is a heavenly High Priest

    The administrative focus, verse 25

    He saves to the uttermost
    “save” communicates the idea to heal of disease
    “uttermost” communicates the extent of healing
    He always intercedes
    He intercedes with the Father on our behalf
    He intercedes with us on the Father’s behalf
    It is only when we come to God through Jesus that we obtain peace with God. It is also only through Jesus that we maintain peace with God. Apart from Him, we cannot obtain peace with God. And even if we could obtain it, we could not maintain it on our own. Peace with God comes only through Jesus.
    That is good news for us—great news, even—but it is bad news for the rest of the world. Though people may sing about being reconciled to God at Christmas time, they do not experience it and cannot truly understand it. That is where we enter the administration of the Prince of Peace.

    We Live to Make Reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

    This is the peace of God that is based on having peace with God.
    2 Corinthians 5:17–21 NKJV
    17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

    Violate a rule

    What is the rule about therefor? When you see the word therefor, you have to find out what it’s there for. I am going to violate that rule this morning for the sake of time. But I’m going to call attention to it so you can check it out later for yourself.

    The contextual focus: peace with God

    We are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ
    God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself
    Jesus became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him

    The administrative focus: the ministry or service of reconciliation

    This service flows from Jesus’ reconciliation that we experienced
    This service flows to others who have not yet experienced reconciliation with God through Jesus
    God committed this ministry to us (verse 19)
    God made us ambassadors for Christ (verse 20)
    God entrusted us with the word of reconciliation (verse 20)
    God pleads with the world through us (verse 20)
    We beg on Christ’s behalf (verse 20)
    We reconcile of God’s behalf (verse 20)
    This service completes Jesus’ service: He secured the peace with God and offers the peace of God (verse 21)
    Conclusion
    When we sing Hark the Herald Angels Sing and we get to the line that mentions God and sinners reconciled, we need to remember that really is the whole point of Christmas. Jesus was born so that He could die in our place and for our sins. As the Prince of Peace, He secured the peace with God we need and then offers the peace of God to us. When we accept His peace, He commissions us to take that peace and offer it to others who need it. Yes, many will reject it. But that didn’t stop Him from securing it, so it shouldn’t stop us from sharing it this Christmas season and every season.

      • Isaiah 9:6NKJV

      • Hebrews 7:24–8:2NKJV

      • 2 Corinthians 5:17–21NKJV

Sheldonville Baptist Church
information@sheldonvillebaptist.org
(508) 384-2397
http://sheldonvillebaptist.org
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