“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV).
“Peace, peace, they say, when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 8:11 NIV).
The prophets foretold of a Messiah that would inaugurate a Kingdom of eternal peace. But where is this peace?
Most of the first century Jews did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. They didn’t see Christ as the “Sar Shalom” (Hebrew for “Prince of Peace”). They were looking for a Warrior King that would defeat Rome and restore the Davidic throne. They didn’t understand what it would cost to win real peace.
They also didn’t understand that their peace problem was really a sin problem. They thought they were right with God because of their religion and traditions, but their sin had made them enemies of God, as well as enemies of themselves and one another.
Before Christ could bring peace to the earth, He had to heal the hostility between humanity and God. This peace or shalom (peace, rest, favor, wholeness, blessing) could not be brought about by applying a “band-aid” over our condition. No, a radical surgery was needed, a heart surgery. We needed new hearts in order to live in true peace.
Christ came 2,000 years ago as the Suffering Servant, so that we could have:
- Peace with God.
- Peace within.
- Peace with others.
The prophet Isaiah described the price the Messiah would pay for this peace.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Today, our world and our very souls are filled with anxiety, worry, and warfare. We have no peace. We say “Peace, peace” to encourage ourselves, but our shallow and short-lived peace is not the shalom that Christ gives.
Receive the gift of God that was given “unto us.” Receive the Prince of Peace and know the shalom of your souls this Christmas.
And keep watching for His return. Because someday soon, the Prince of Peace will bring ultimate peace on earth.