Perpetual Christmas Peace
Perpetual Christmas Peace December, 2020
“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).
Today it’s easy to find points of disagreement. I hope you agree! Seems almost from the moment we are born the conflict begins. We fight with parents, siblings, friends, co-workers, and even our church family. And who would say 2020 has brought us an abundance of peace on any level?
The latest meme encouraging families quarantining has a picture of the Torrance family from the movie The Shining - Jack, Wendy, and Danny. Mr. Torrance played by Jack Nicholson has that murderous, “Honey, I’m home grin” on his face. The meme reads: “This is the last family that had to be isolated alone for several months. But they will be just fine.” In our homes, actually, in so many aspects of society in 2020 it’s been more about “peacelessness” than peace.
What a wonderful reminder then from Isaiah of the gift you got on that first Christmas. The Mighty Seer of old proclaims over all the drama of life that the Christ of Christmas is “Prince of Peace.” Perhaps it’s better translated “Prince’s peace.” Only in Jesus, my friend, is there an exclusivity of peace found from God. You can’t order it off Amazon. No one can put it in your stocking. Jesus alone is God’s shalom to you and to me. How so? Here’s one of many ways.
The Christ-child removed the enmity between God and man! When Henry David Thoreau lay on his deathbed, his pious Aunt Louisa demanded to know if he had made peace with God. Thoreau replied, “To make peace with God is not necessary, I don’t believe we’ve ever quarreled.” Oh, we’ve quarreled with God, friends. We’ve scorned and betrayed him more than we even know. “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God,” (Romans 8:6).
So for Jesus to be the Prince of Peace he had to be the Suffering Servant. God put an end to the hostility between himself and sinful humanity at the cross when a sinless Christ became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. He thus made peace through the blood of his cross, peace between God and man, by dealing with our sin. Now by faith in Jesus as your Savior you are forgiven, cleansed, and saved. Merry Christmas!
How does it feel to know that your LORD and lover of your soul smiles on you? Here’s the word for this: PEACE. You have it in Christ and can always say, “It is well with my soul!” Finally, a focus of consensus we can all agree on.
