PEACE WHAT PEACE?

Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

What do you think of when someone says to you that Jesus is the Prince of Peace? That He was bringing Peace to earth? We hear all the time, “Peace on earth and goodwill towards men.” Maybe He was bringing Peace between men if we followed Him? Do all you believers out there get along with one another? I don’t think so.

Exactly what kind of Peace was Jesus talking about? When Jesus says in Luke 7:50, “Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” Or in Mark 5:34, “And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.” Was the peace that everything was now fixed? All was good? They were healed, but they still went home to their regular lives. It does not say that Jesus made them wealthy and blessed them.

During this time, to be loved and blessed by God was to be healthy, wealthy and wise, which is why Jesus spent so much time on money. What peace then? Sure happy for a while that you are healed, but then the real world sets back in, and you realize that bills need paid and you still live in the same house, or apartment, or no home at all. Does not sound so peaceful to me?

Let me tell you about a man I know and have read about named Jesus. I read that this “Peace” bringing man made a whip out of some cords and chased the money changers out of the temple, along with the sheep and oxen. He then poured the changer’s tables over and their money poured all over the ground. I figure this disrupted everything for at least the rest of the day and caused all kinds of strife and trouble. How does this bring Peace to earth?

Get this! Jesus has these real close friends that He calls His disciples and they follow Him everywhere listening to His teachings. One day Peter, one of the disciples, questions Jesus on what He says. Did not seem like such a bad statement. Jesus said He was going to die and Peter said such a thing should not happen. Then Jesus says to Peter, and I quote, “Get behind Me, Satan!” Did you get that? He calls Peter Satan for just saying that His mentor should not talk about His death. Peaceful talk? I don’t think so.

There were these people that would question Jesus, and they were not the nicest people, but maybe Jesus would show how to be “Peaceful.” How does Jesus respond to the Pharisees and Sadducees accusations? Let me quote Him again, because it is just so good and I would not do it justice by describing it, “Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?” All I can say is WOW! What kind of example of Peace is that? I am guessing they were not very happy after being called names and told they are bound for hell.

We forget many times about the Lion and always want the Lamb. Jesus was not tame and was not always “peaceful” while on earth. Many times He said and did things that offended many people to the point they wanted to kill Him and ultimately they did. What kind of peace was He talking about then? Why is He the Prince of Peace?

John 16:33 says, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

John 14:27-28, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.”

It is His peace in this World. Through Him we have peace eternally. Knowing that we are His and we will be with Him in Heaven and then on the new earth some day, that should give us an inward peace here in this world of chaos and sin. This world is perishing, but those of us who know Christ are going to know the true peace of Jesus either after we die or when we are raptured before tribulation.

If someone wants Peace there is only one true way and that is through Christ and there is no other way. That is why every other Religion is by works. Hindus have Yoga rituals, or worship rituals, and karma. Muslims have their 5 pillars of faith they must do and their good works, and on and on it goes with all other religions. Christianity is the only faith that offers Peace through a person by faith, Jesus Christ.

As you celebrate the birth of our Savior this Christmas, remember He is the Lion as well as the Lamb and the Peace He gives is through Him and not through this world.