Jesus: “The Prince of Peace"
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders ; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
We are living at a time when the world longs for peace but there is NEVER a day when the news does not include exactly the opposite. Many are focused on the war against terrorism, on the constant conflict in the Middle East, our own economy and job crisis and recently, violence at home.
Last Sunday night, our president spoke to the country and to the grieving community at Newtown, CN, and I was pleased to hear him quote God’s Word several times and to mention God, but tragedy can dim the tidings of the angels to the shepherds in Luke 2:14 (KJV), “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” It seems almost impossible.to hear that message of peace, unless you can hear JESUS.
Jesus IS Peace.
Jesus told us that: "I have told you these things, so that In ME you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world’. (John 16:33) That’s why peace seems so elusive in the world in which we live. The world looks to conquer others in order to bring peace. Rulers are trying to gain boundaries, gather land, change economies or change people’s religions with the idea that, in doing so, they may acquire peace, when it is Jesus who IS Peace. When the world rejects Jesus, they reject PEACE.
The word "peace" in the Hebrew is that familiar word, "shalom". It is most often translated peace, but the idea is not just the absence of conflict, but also means “completeness or wellness”. It speaks about human friendship (we greet one another with “Shalom”) but most of the 25 times that Isaiah uses the word “peace”, it is about covenantal relationship and friendship with God. Listen to a few verses:
“LORD, You will establish peace for us, Since You have also performed for us all our works.” Isa. 26:13
“And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever . 18 Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation, And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places.” Isa 32:17-18 (Who works righteousness? Jesus. Our works result in death, not eternal quietness and confidence.
THIS verse appears twice in Isaiah: “"There is no peace for the wicked," says the LORD.” The wicked don’t have peace because they reject Jesus.
Jesus Offers Peace
Jesus said something similar in Luke 12:51: “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.” How does the Prince of Peace bring division? JESUS comes and offers a PEACE TREATY on God’s behalf to a sinful and fallen world that has been fighting against Holy, Loving and entirely JUST God but most reject His Treaty.
In Isaiah 9:6, Jesus’ “names” almost tell the complete story: Jesus comes as Wonderful, displaying all of God’s might works. He comes as Counselor, as the highest Divine legal representative of God. He offers counsel that is life-giving and life-changing. He demonstrates all of His claims as “Mighty God” but also demonstrates a perfect and selfless love, a Fatherly Love, by giving Himself as a peace offering.
Jesus OFFERS Peace, and His “Peace offering” is acceptable to God the Father, but rejected by most of the enemy. Ironically, those who WANT to accept Jesus’ peace offering now BECOME the enemy along with the Prince of Peace and the result is world spiritual warfare!
Romans 8:6 says: “For the mind set on the flesh (on the worldly) is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” There is this battle going on: some are going to fight to the death to get their own way, and some are going to accept Jesus’ Peace Offering and receive life and peace.
Jesus’ Peace is FAR MORE encompassing than the world’s because it offers peace with God! Romans 5:1-4 says: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand.”
We are DECLARED RIGHTEOUS by trusting (that’s what faith is), by trusting, in Jesus’ sacrifice, by accepting His peace offering, which God initiated and verified, and we are no longer at war with God.
We could state it another way, the person who knows PEACE WITH GOD is the one who HAS BEEN JUSTIFIED BY FAITH. That person has a new standing: He surrenders to God and becomes an enemy of sin because he is now at peace with God, standing humbly but confidently in the peaceful room of God’s Grace.
Galatians 4:4says: But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, (the Law was “if you sin, you die”) 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, (if WE sin, WE die) that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba ! Father!" God’s Spirit of True and Eternal peace rules in our hearts when we trust Jesus.
I think there is a real uniqueness about the word “peace” in the Greek. The word is “Eirene”, pronounced, “i-ray’-nay”. We get the word “serene” from that word, but you can almost hear the word “IRONY” in the pronunciation: “i-ray’-nay.”
It is more than IRONIC that Jesus, the PERFECT Prince of Peace makes it possible for sinful and fallen man to have a relationship with the Holy God by dying. Dying does not normally bring peace in this world, but He didn’t come to bring “world peace” on THIS earth.” He came to bring Personal Peace to those who would accept God’s Peace Treaty and His conditions: Repent (turn to Me) Trust Me, and Believe Me, Live for Me.
The Benefits of God’s Peace
When that happens in your life, The Prince of Peace Guarantees benefits to you which startNOW. The world’s prescription for problems is always to ESCAPE. Get rid of the problem. Friends, you are not always going to be able to escape trials. You are not all going to be healthy all the time or have all the pleasures or money that you think you should have. WE will ALL have to struggle at times, but God’s prescription is totally different than the world’s: GOD’S SOLUTION IS TO TRUST.
When we trust Him, we have peace in the middle of calamity and trials and even persecution, if need be, NOT because we always understand what is happening, but because we ALWAYS trust the God of Peace! We know, in the words of 2 Corinthians 4:17, that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
We know astounding “ peace of God, which transcends all understanding,” because we know the Ruler of that Peace. (Phil. 4:7) If you trust Jesus for Heaven, you will know Him here on earth, because His Kingdom comes to those hearts and lives who truly trust Him. If you really want to experience peace on earth, TRUST Him, because His peace on this earth comes personally to one person at a time.
The Prince of Peace Wins
There is no peace in the world now EXCEPT in the hearts of those who have received the Prince of Peace. That’s where PEACE on EARTH FLOURISHES. For us, the Prince of Peace WINS. Princes are usually waiting for a King to die, but the ruler of this world, the devil, has already been defeated. Jesus is already enthroned over all, but Satan has been given a short time as a “lame duck” ruler. But it will not always be like this. Jesus will ultimately take the throne of this world.
The same Jesus who was born in Bethlehem also AROSE from the dead to prove His victory over sin and death. He already ascended and reigns from His Heaven throne, which includes the Hearts of Believers who TRUST HIM on this Earth.
Paul speaks about Jesus’ SECOND COMING in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, when Jesus will place ALL OF HIS ENEMIES UNDER HIS FEET. It will be the absolute and eternal END of Sinful rule, “when Jesus hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all (other) rule and all authority and power.”
Don’t trust my words; Trust the Prince of Peace and HIS WORDS! In John 16: 28-33, the Prince said: I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father. "29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, "NOW you are speaking CLEARLY and without figures of speech.30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God." 31"You believe at last!" Jesus answered. ..
33 "I have told you these things, so that IN ME you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
And from John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
Short Points
The Prince of Peace:
1. IS peace.
2. Offers a peace treaty.
3. Guarantees benefits.
4. Wins.
