It’s that time of year of the holiday season, where the religious world likes to reflect and focus on the birth of Jesus Christ. The time of year where Christmas plays and concerts are being performed, highlighting the birth of the Jesus Christ. It’s the time of year where the religious world likes to focus on Peace, and the Prince of Peace. You will hear people quoting Isaiah 9:6 which states, “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”. The problem is that the world is seeking Peace, but is confused about it and therefore rejects the Peace that is being offered. The word Peace can be found over 400 times in the bible. It’s amazing that the word and concept of Peace are used so frequently in the bible, yet people are confused about the peace that God offers. The Hebrew word for Peace is the word shalom which means, a sense of well-being and harmony, completeness and wholeness; tranquility even in the midst of trials and sufferings. We can find this in Isaiah 54:10, “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but My steadfast love shall not depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you”. Therefore if Jesus is the Prince of Peace and God wants to have Peace with mankind, we have to ask the questions, What kind of Peace does God offer, how do we attain this Peace and who sets the conditions of this peace? We first established in Isaiah 9:6, and also in Luke 1:79 that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. However, what kind of Peace is he offering? Many in the world today think of Jesus as a spiritual hippie that was sin accepting, lovie-dovie, and was not a controversial person. Yet when you study the bible you will find that controversy followed Him and He was in constant conflict with the religious leaders during His time on earth. So how can Jesus be the Prince of Peace and yet be in the center of conflict and controversy? Let’s read what Jesus tells His disciple about His Peace, in 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”. Jesus brought a different Peace from what the world can give or try to obtain. Jesus further clarifies, “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law” (Luke 12:51-53). You may ask yourself how Jesus can be the Prince of Peace and yet bring Peace on earth? The paradox is resolved when we consider what group of people Jesus brought to peace. Brethren the peace that Jesus brings is not peace on earth, but peace between mankind and God. You see mankind has been at war or enmity with God since the fall of Adam and Eve. If you think about it this is the longest war known to man. The world and Satan have been fighting a war that they can’t win. “And the God of Peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen”, Romans 16:20. However, God in His love and mercy for mankind sent a peace offering in Jesus Christ. Our peace with God is solely based on our obedience to the gospel. When we obey the Gospel, we are accepting the terms of peace that God is offering. It’s then when God forgives us and justify us to make us right in His sight. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our LORD Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. You see God wants us to have peace with Him. Unfortunately, the world is seeking peace with God on their own terms. We only can have peace on God’s terms. He is the offended party, He is the Sovereign, and so He must take the lead. It is the right of God, not man, to declare the terms of peace and to declare the existence of peace. The religious leaders in the world today are falsely convincing people that they have peace with God based on man-made terms. When we look in the Old Testament we can find a similar situation in Jeremiah 6:14. “They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace”. Here we see God comparing the false prophets to physicians who told their suffering patients with a fatal disease that they were in full health. God not only brings peace between Himself and man, but He also brings peace between all who have obeyed His gospel. As fellow soldiers in Christ we have peace with one another. No matter what race, ethnicity, color or gender. God has brought us all together in peace forming His own spiritual United Nations. Paul illustrates this in Ephesians 2:14-18, “For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit”. We manifest peace because of the peace given to us by God. We are reconciled with God, no longer in conflict, no longer in guilt, no longer in sin. This holiday season share the “Good News” with everyone. That God loves them, he wants them to stop searching for the World’s peace, and accept His peace that only He can offer. God desires that all men obey His Gospel. This happens when you surrender your life to Jesus Christ, and learn to be obedient in all things that God commands us to do. The start of this obedience is to accept the fact that Jesus Christ died upon the cross for your sins Acts 8:37. Recognizing your sins have separated you from God Isaiah 59:2, you must repent of your sins Acts 2:38 and determine to not sin anymore 1 John 2:1. You should also confess before others Matthew 10:32 your faith in Christ, and your allegiance to Him. Then you are ready for baptism which washes away your sins Acts 22:16. Now that you have become a Christian, your next command is to grow and mature yourself to be a faithful child of God in your whole life from now on II Peter 3:18; Revelation 2:10.
