Prince of Peace

Last night at our group Bible study we were studying the Christmas story. We were blessed as we slowed and eagerly studied how God‘s perfect plan provided us with our Savior, Jesus Christ. It’s amazing to think about how Jesus humbled Himself to be our Prince of Peace. His entrance into this world seemed meager as He was laid in a feeding trough and wrapped in strips of cloth. This would mark Jesus’ life: the seemingly upside-downness of how He came to save. He came as a king without a crown, as a conquerer without an army and as the Perfect One who was punished. He lived life without a place to lay His head, He knew hunger and exhaustion and He was despised and rejected. These are things we wouldn’t associate with a Prince or King.

Yet look at His birth announcement:

“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ”Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2)

Glory (doxa): praise, honor, worship

Highest (hypsistos): Supreme God, highest heavens

Peace (eirene): rest, quietness, the way that leads to salvation

*Greek words in parenthesis

Praise, honor and worship to the Supreme God in the highest heavens. The Way that leads to salvation has come!! Hallelujah!

The word peace:

In the Greek culture and thought of the world of the New Testament times the word “peace” (eirene in Greek) denoted the antithesis of war, the condition resulting from a cessation of war, and the state of law and order that yields blessings and prosperity.1 Hence, “peace” belonged basically to the political realm, and was lived and enjoyed as a political reality (government was then the agent of peace, through the exercise of law and government political and military powers).

Although written in the Greek language, the New Testament does not use the word “peace” (eirene) only in its common meaning in the Greek world. New Testament “peace” (eirene) reflects rather a much more comprehensive concept, a concept that is not Greek in its nature but Hebrew, translating the all-important and encompassive Jewish idea of shalom.

The word “peace” (eirene) in the New Testament occurs 91 times. For sure, peace as the opposite of war is one of the meanings in these occurrences (as in Luke 14:32 and Acts 12:20). However, faithful to the concept of shalom, the basic concept of “peace” in the New Testament is that of “wholeness”—a “wholeness” in all dimensions of life, implying in tranquility, safety, well-being, welfare, health, contentment, success, comfort, integrity, harmony with God and His laws, etc. Such a kind of peace is in direct relationship with the work of God in a man’s life and in his world. (shalomic.org)

Jesus was the promised Savior, but He did not come to overthrow Roman rule and bring a new state of law and order. He didn’t come to just make people’s lives easier here on earth, He came to bring freedom, healing and peace to the hearts of people.

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace,...and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father." (Ephesian 2:14-17)

We were far away from God, separated from Him by our depravity and utterly incapable of mending our relationship with Him. God is perfectly holy and just. He could not look on our sin and allow it to go unpunished. We desperately needed a savior! Out of God's great love for mankind, He gave us Jesus. This is why the angels sang out the birth announcement of our Savior! Hope has come, Emmanuel, God with us! Jesus has come to bring peace to men! Jesus lived perfectly, exemplifying a life surrendered in humble obedience to God and He willingly died on the cross, receiving the punishment we deserved for our sins. When we rest our faith in Him, He becomes our Prince of Peace, mending our relationship with God.

Jesus said:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:27)

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

Prince (sar): the leader, ruler, commander

Peace (shalowm): whole, healthy, sound

*Hebrew words in parenthesis

Jesus told us that the peace He gives transcends earthly circumstances. Nothing and no one on earth can be our source of peace. Jesus, alone, is the Ruler and Commander that makes His people healthy and whole.

So what does this mean for us?

The seemingly upside-downiness of Jesus' life on earth and our life in Jesus:

As followers of Jesus and because we live in a fallen world, we will experience trials. We will walk through dark and dire situations. If God gave us Jesus, the Prince of peace then why? It seems upside down. Shouldn't our lives be suffering and pain free with the Prince of peace ruling in our hearts? The answer is no. Yes, God can and does bring peace to our lives circumstantially as we turn from our selfish, sinful choices and obey His Word, but this doesn't mean we will never experience hardship. In fact, God often uses difficult situations to produce His character in our lives, making us whole and into the person He created us to be.

God’s ultimate reason for giving us the Prince of Peace was because we needed our deepest and greatest sickness to be healed. Sin wreaked havoc in our hearts, minds and lives and we desperately needed to be made whole.

Look at this beautiful picture described in the Word of God:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

This tree bears fruit in the time of drought. It does not fear when heat comes. Why? because its roots go down deep into the stream. It has a constant supply of water. It doesn't make sense at surface level that during the time of drought the tree's leaves would still be green and it would continue to bear fruit. Peering deeper we understand why. This is what the Prince of Peace does in our hearts. In times of "drought" and "heat", He is our constant supply of peace. He is the steady stream supplying the refreshing and necessary nourishment we need to grow in health and wholeness.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:7-9)

Paul and Timothy are encouraging the Philippian church to pray in anxiety-producing times. To who? The God of Peace. No request is insignificant. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

The peace God gives doesn't make sense,

like the tree (leaves and fruit in drought) and Jesus’ life on earth (king without a crown, conqueror without an army, Perfect One punished) but it is real and powerful!

Guard (phroureo) means to watch in advance, to hem in and protect. Our Prince of Peace stands watch over our hearts and minds. He hems them in with His love, quietness and rest as He mends them, bringing wholeness and healing to what was rent by sin. This is cause for rejoicing! We don't need to wait until our lives are free from difficulty, pain and suffering to have peace. We don't need circumstances to be perfect before we are healed and made whole. No, Jesus is our Prince of Peace and He stands guard over our hearts and minds. This world is not the commander or ruler of peace, Jesus is!!

During this Christmas season as we sing about Jesus’ birth, we can slow down and remember what our Savior accomplished. He came to us, revealing what we couldn’t see. Through simple, child-like faith He helped us peer past the surface into the beauty and wonder of God‘s perfect plan. Jesus is the Peace the souls of men can’t find anywhere else. No matter our earthly circumstances, we have the Prince of Peace.

Hark the herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled" Joyful, all ye nations rise Join the triumph of the skies With the angelic host proclaim: "Christ is born in Bethlehem" Hark! The herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings Ris'n with healing in His wings Mild He lays His glory by Born that man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth Hark! The herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!"