Series: Sermon on the Mount
Lesson: #6
Title: The Peacemakers
Scripture: Matthew 5: 9
Date: 7-5-2009
Place: Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, Princeton, NJ
Matthew 5: 9: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
I. HAPPY ARE THE PEACEMAKERS.
A sinner who does not have the Spirit of Christ knows nothing of peace. All men have sinned against God. The peace Adam had between he and God was broken. Instead of peace in Adam's heart, enmity entered. Until Christ is formed in a sinner, there is no peace. But those who have the Spirit of the Peacemaker dwelling within them are at peace with God and their brethren. It is by the Spirit of Christ that we are filled with the fruit of peace. Thereby, a believer is a peacemaker.
The Lord Jesus makes the believer a peacemaker by continually teaching us how he made peace.
A. Christ Jesus the Lord is the great Peacemaker.
Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7: Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
[our Melchesidec] Hebrews 7:2:…first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
B. Christ Jesus made peace through his death on the cross.
Colossians 3: 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20: And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Reconciliation had to be made because peace was breached in the fall of Adam--God's people were alienated--cut off--by wicked works. It is not reconciliation of God to men, God can not sin and offended not us. But of men to God; we transgressed against God; the justice of God was offended by our transgression of his righteous law. So satisfaction for the sins of God's elect had to be made to God in accordance with God's holiness. It pleased the Father that in Christ, the Son of God should all fullness dwell
C. God is the God of peace.
God knew what a state of hatred and rebellion his children would fall into in Adam. Before the world began the triune God held a council of peace. The triune God entered into a covenant of peace; the work of being a Peacemaker was given to the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ.
Zechariah 6:13: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
Therefore, his thoughts are thoughts of peace toward those he has everlastingly loved.
Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
So God the Father gave his Son to make peace through the blood of the cross.
Isaiah 53:5: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Colossians 3: 20: And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, he reconciled all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
No man could or can ever make the peace that Christ has made. He is Man made with the same nature which had sinned and because he knew no sin he was fit to offer himself the sacrifice in place of his people; He is God so he could draw nigh to his Father. Christ Jesus effectually reconciled God's elect to himself by his death on the cursed tree.
Galatians 3:13: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Colossians 3: 21: And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22: In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
He is the Peacemaker in the conscience, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding of natural men. If we have peace in our heart it is by his blood; if we have peace in this church it is by Christ the Peacemaker; if you are a peacemaker it is by Christ the Peacemaker working in you
John 14:27: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Matthew 5: 9: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called THE CHILDREN OF GOD.
All fullness--the glory of all God perfections are found in this way of making peace. By God's own Son, through the cross: the fullness of God's grace and mercy are seen; the fullness of God's wisdom, power, and faithfulness are manifest in Christ on the cross; the fullness of God's righteousness and holiness is manifest in Christ on the cross. In the God the Son, Christ Jesus, in his sacrifice, his sufferings, and his death, all the fullness of peacemaking is manifest. If you, believer, have a question about the best way to make peace between two parties all you have to do is look to Christ on the cross to see how the God of peace makes peace.
Philippians 2: 5: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him
Luke 22: 26: But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. 27: For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
Matthew 5: 9: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.