The peace that Isaiah envisions is not a ceasefire, not a truce, but a total reordering of human life around the presence of God.

And again, Christians recognize this in Christ. He is the one who makes peace — not by force, not by intimidation, but through reconciliation. He is the one who stretches out his arms on the cross to draw all people to himself. He is the one who rises from the grave still bearing the wounds of love, not the weapons of war.

Isaiah’s vision is not sentimental. It is revolutionary. And it calls us, in this Advent season, to walk in the light of the Lord — to be agents of peace in a world that still clings to its swords.

This means the peace we are called to isn’t abstract. It’s practical. It looks like softening a hardened heart. Offering forgiveness where resentment has taken root. Choosing patience in the checkout line. Making room for the person who frustrates us. Turning away from the instinct to escalate. Seeing the image of God in the person who disagrees with us.

These are the small, daily ways we begin to beat swords into plowshares in our own lives. These are the ways God’s peace becomes visible during this season when the world is rushing and frantic and fearful.

On this first Sunday of Advent, Isaiah invites us to lift our eyes. To see the world not only as it is, but as God promises it will be. To believe that the new creation is not merely a future hope but a present reality that Christ has already begun.

The decorations we start to see in these early December days can lull us into thinking that Advent is simply about preparing for a holiday. But Isaiah’s words won’t let us shrink the season down to sentiment or a family celebration. Advent calls us to prepare for nothing less than the inbreaking of God’s reign — in us, through us, and ultimately for the world, the whole world.

You can view the sermon directly at this link.