Prince of Peace: Peace through the Prince of Peace
Everything is set for the Prince of Peace’s arrival. The temple is rebuilt. The forerunner’s (John the Baptist) arrival has been put in motion. Now it's finally time for news about the Promised Savior.
When Elizabeth is 6 months pregnant with John, Mary is visited by an angel who announces the miraculous arrival of her son- the Son of God, Jesus.
Luke 1:31-33 | You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
So there’s no doubt, the angel uses the same language as Isaiah 9:6-7 where the Prince of Peace was promised. An angel visits Joseph, Mary’s fiancé, too, telling him—
Matthew 1:21 | And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Months pass and while Mary and Joseph are in Bethlehem for the census, the Prince of Peace is born.
Luke 2:7 | She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
The Heavens cannot be contained. An angel appears to announce the birth of the Prince of Peace to shepherds in the field and as soon as he proclaims the arrival of the Messiah (Promised Savior), he is joined by a an army of angels singing God’s praise —
Luke 2:14 | “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
The Prince of Peace, the reason we celebrate Christmas, was finally here.
The baby Prince of Peace would grow older and in wisdom (Luke 2:52) without ever choosing to sin (1st Peter 2:22). The absence of sin meant that Jesus didn’t deserve the death He died on the cross, making it possible for Him to lay down His life as the sacrifice for others (John 10:11, 1st John 3:16).
His death would create a way to have the promised peace- the peace we so desperately needed because of our state as enemies of God because of our sin.
Romans 5:10 | For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
Spiritual peace with God through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is made possible when we make Jesus Lord. Then we are declared “right” before God, as if we never sinned.
Romans 5:1 | Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Without the Prince of Peace, we would all still be hopeless because of our sin that separates us from Him.
By making Jesus Lord of our lives, we accept God’s gift of forgiveness through the Prince of Peace and are transferred from being God’s enemies to part of His family—
John 1:12 | But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
This week, you might receive different gifts as we celebrate Christmas, but remember the ultimate gift given to all who will receive it — salvation through Jesus. When you’ve accepted Jesus as Lord, the Prince of Peace gives you another gift—
John 14:27 | “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Do you have the peace only the Prince of Peace can give?
When the Israelites heard about the promised Prince of Peace, what kind of peace were they hoping for?
What kind of peace does Jesus actually give? Why is this important?
Why does sin make a person an enemy of God? Why is this a problem?
Are you God’s enemy or child? How do you know?