The Lord of Peace
A Sermon on 2 Thessalonians 2:16
Originally preached Dec. 24, 1961
Scripture
16Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
Sermon Description
To open his sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reads the writings of Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:16. Within that passage, Paul reminds the reader to hold fast to teaching and press into Christ, who has given peace. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks a question: does the Christian know this peace? For peace seems to be the opposite reaction to this world. Many people are restless and fearful. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that this is because people are at war with God and themselves. They cannot have peace because they do not have God, and their conscience will always be full because they cannot reconcile themselves. But the Christian should not feel the same way. He or she is given a relief from the fear of the world through the blood of Christ. Jesus is the mediator between God and man. He speaks on behalf of the Christian, giving and dispensing peace as He pleases, for He is the Prince of Peace. How does Jesus administer this peace? Dr. Lloyd-Jones tells us. Christ never leaves. He is always with us. At our moment of need, we can lean into Him and receive His peace, and this glorious gift is for all those who call on His name.
Sermon Breakdown
- The world is characterized by restlessness, trouble, insecurity and fear which are the opposite of peace. The cause of this lack of peace is sin.
- Sin disrupted the original peace and perfection in the Garden of Eden. It led to fear, quarreling, fighting against creation and disease. This is the state of the world today.
- The Lord Jesus Christ is called the Lord of Peace. He possesses perfect peace in his own nature. He came to bring us peace which was lost due to sin. He came as the mediator and reconciler to make peace between God and man.
- He purchased the right to be the Lord of Peace through his perfect life of obedience and sacrificial death. He satisfied God's wrath and law. God gave him the gift of peace to give to us.
- The peace Christ gives is different from the world's peace. The world's peace is false, superficial, temporary and depends on circumstances. Christ's peace is deep, solid, durable and independent of circumstances.
- Christ's peace starts with giving us peace with God through forgiveness of sins. This leads to peace within ourselves and with others. We can have this peace always through Christ's presence and promises.
- This peace is offered to all, even those who are "afar off" in sin. If we cry out to God, the traffic of Jacob's ladder will shine between us and the cross, and Christ will give us His peace.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About the Peace of Christ?
What does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones mean by "the Lord of Peace" in his sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, "the Lord of Peace" is one of the most wonderful designations applied to Christ. This title means several things: first, Christ possesses perfect peace in His own nature, demonstrating remarkable tranquility and calmness throughout His earthly life even amid trouble. Second, His whole purpose in coming into the world was to bring peace which had been lost through sin. Third, and most importantly, He controls peace - He is the "master, the supreme master" who alone possesses peace and has the right to dispense it to others. As Lloyd-Jones explains, "He and he alone is able to give us peace. The world can't find it. He and he alone can give it. He is the Lord of peace."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the difference between Christ's peace and the world's peace?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws a clear distinction between Christ's peace and the world's peace based on Jesus' words, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." The world's peace is false, superficial, temporary, and entirely dependent on favorable circumstances. Lloyd-Jones calls it "hollow," "empty," "vague," and "transient." In contrast, Christ's peace is "solid" and "deep," based on something durable - being right with God. This peace remains regardless of external circumstances. As Lloyd-Jones explains, "Here is a peace that is entirely independent of circumstances. Whatever your position, always in always, wherever you are, whatever's happening to you, anything you like to imagine, you can still have it, and you can still enjoy it."
According to the sermon, why does humanity lack peace?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones attributes humanity's lack of peace to one fundamental cause: sin. He explains that God created a perfect world with perfect peace, but "Man, in his folly, listened to the tempter and he rebelled against God. He lifted himself up in pride and he fell. And he brought all this trouble upon himself." This original sin led to immediate consequences: fear of God, conflict between humans, and struggle with creation. This sin-caused estrangement operates at multiple levels - humanity is at enmity with God, with itself (conscience), and with others. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes, "There's only one explanation. That's why the world is as it is at this moment. That's why we are individually as we are. It's all due to this thing which is called sin."
How did Christ become the "Lord of Peace" according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ became the Lord of Peace through His perfect life and sacrificial death. First, Christ left heaven's peace and entered our troubled world. Second, He took on human nature to be our representative. Third, He rendered perfect obedience to God's law, never sinning. Finally and crucially, He bore the punishment for our sins through His death on the cross. Lloyd-Jones quotes Colossians 1:20: "having made peace through the blood of his cross." Through these means, Christ "purchased the lordship of peace by his spotless, perfect life of obedience, by his sacrificial, atoning death, by the blood of his cross, he has purchased the right to become the Lord of peace." This gives Him the authority to dispense peace to all who believe in Him.
What are the different dimensions of peace that Christ gives according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three interconnected dimensions of peace that Christ gives:
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Peace with God - This is the foundational peace that comes from being reconciled to God through Christ's death. "Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God."
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Peace within oneself - Knowing we are forgiven and secure in Christ gives inner peace. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus."
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Peace with others - Seeing others through Christ's eyes transforms relationships. "I look at men and women now in a new way and I see that they're all like I was."
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this peace is available "always and by all means" - under all circumstances and conditions, at all times and in all ways, as Christ promised, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
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Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.