Prince of Peace
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 KJV
This is our last week looking at this passage in Isaiah. It has been such a blessing to focus on these different attributes of God. As we focus on the Prince of Peace, let’s look at the definitions of the words.
Prince: a son of a sovereign - or translated for us as believers - The Son of The Sovereign
Peace: a stress-free state of security and calmness that comes when there's no struggle, fighting or war; everything coexisting in perfect harmony and freedom from disturbance
The Hebrew word for peace is shalom and is often used to describe an appearance of calm or tranquility in a person, group or nation. The definitions work together to form 3 distinct ways that we can experience the Prince of Peace; peace with Christ, Peace in our hearts, and Peace with one another.
Peace with Christ
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 1: 19-20 NIV
God made peace. We don’t make peace with God. You can’t save yourself. This is the glory and heart of Christianity: God, substituting the Son of God, to bear the judgment of God on sinners like us. You can’t earn it. You can’t work for it. You can’t be good enough to get it. God in Christ at Christmas became man to do it for you. And he did it perfectly.
In our sinful state, we are enemies with God. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are restored to a relationship of peace with God (Romans 5:1). This is the deep, abiding peace between our hearts and our Creator that cannot be taken away (John 10:27–28) and the ultimate fulfillment of Christ’s work as “Prince of Peace.”
Jesus is called the Prince of Peace because He is our peace offering. He chose to go to the cross and offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins so that we could have peace with God. Jesus mended our broken relationship with God.
Peace in our Hearts
Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] 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 afraid. [Let My Perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]
John 14:27 Amp
As believers, “Shalom” is a gift from God. It is the byproduct of God’s righteousness. It is the blessing that comes when we are in a right relationship with God and our fellow man. Prince of Peace is not only beside you, but also inside you. The power that comes from the Holy Spirit can rise up within you and be at the ready on your fingertips and any given time. Peace is so powerful.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23
This verse in Galatians tells us that since we have the Holy Spirit within us, His power allows all this fruit to blossom. Peace can be present in every situation. We can give it and we can receive it. Our fruit is a gift to give away!
“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst out into song before you, and all the tress of the fields will clap their hands.”
Isaiah 55:12 KJV
What a beautiful picture that this verse from Isaiah frames for us. As we go out in joy, we are led in peace. Think about that; the Prince of Peace, holding your hand, leading you into such beautiful experiences of joy!
“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”
Mark 4:39 KJV
Jesus warned his disciples at tribulation was coming. as citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we no longer belong to this world. we are simply passing through this world on our way to our Eternal home. we experience trouble many times because the world hates the Light of Christ it sees Within us. Think about the times you may be anxious, frustrated or living in chaos. The world may seem to be spinning around at 100 miles per hour, and you just need a moment to sit and be still. The overwhelming peace that can comfort you during this time comes from the Holy Spirit within us. Peace in our hearts is knowing that our God is in control.
Peace with One Another
Have you ever made a decision and then felt the conviction of God's spirit that it just wasn't the right one? there was a conviction in your heart, and uneasiness, or lack of peace. God's spirit speaks to us primarily through the word of God and as we walk in the spirit he will guide us into truth. We need peace now more than ever. We yearn for Shalom.
God calls us to live with singleness of purpose with other believers, with humility, gentleness, and patience, being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3.) This unity and purpose would be impossible without the work of the holy spirit in us and the peace we have with God thanks to the sacrifice of His Son.
Our reconciling “Peace” is Jesus! He has made Jew and non-Jew one in Christ. By dying as our sacrifice, he has broken down every wall of prejudice that separated us and has now made us equal through our Union with christ. Ethnic hatred has been dissolved by the crucifixion of his precious body on the cross. The Legal code that stood condemning every one of us has now been repealed by his command. His Triune Essence has made peace between us by starting over - forming one new race of humanity, Jews and non-jews fused together in himself! Two have now become one, and we live restored to God and reconciled in the body of christ. Through his crucifixion, hatred died. For the Messiah has come to preach the sweet message of peace to you, the ones who were distant, and to those who are near. And now, because we are united to Christ, we both have equal and direct access in the realm of the Holy Spirit to come before the father!
Eph 2: 14-18 TPT
Ephesians reminds us that there is no longer Jew and Gentile. We are one united by the blood of Christ. We are to live in unity with one another. That is hard sometimes because we are all sinners and that old sin nature wants to rise up from time to time. But the beautiful thing is that God has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to do His will, not our own. And His will is for us to love our neighbor as ourselves, to die to self, and lift others up. Can you imagine what our communities would be like if more of us did that on a daily basis? Transformational!
The Prince of Peace for all Eternity
The promise for peace found in Isaiah will be brought to fruition through Jesus when he completes his kingdom. On that day we will experience the fullness of God's shalom. as it was in eden, there will be no more suffering and pain. we will experience the fullness of God's presence with us, as he intended from the very beginning of creation. and Jesus Will govern God's kingdom as the Prince of Peace.
This holiday season, let the words of Isaiah 9:6 penetrate deep within your heart. Meditate on this verse. Have you accepted God’s offering of peace (reconciliation) through the shed blood of Jesus? Do you feel the peace of God in your heart right now? Can you see His peace at work in your life and other relationships? Spend some time in prayer asking the Father to give you eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to feel His Peace, His Presence, His Passion this holiday season.
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the Eternal Covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with every good thing for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13: 20-21 NIV
