Brian Hedges, Sr. Pastor
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14
Peace is a small word with great meaning and weight. Peace is easy to define. Words like tranquility, quiet, rest, etc. come to mind. Noah Webster defines peace as, “… a state of quiet or tranquillity; freedom from disturbance or agitation; applicable to society, to individuals, or to the temper of the mind.” In his 1828 dictionary, he gives seven additional definitions we would be acquainted with. One of the greatest and most quoted passages in the New Testament, is “Peace, be still,” from Mark 4:39. It is no accident that many associate the word Peace with Jesus Christ because Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). It was in the midst of a storm -- when Jesus’ disciples felt they were in jeopardy of drowning in the sea of Galilee -- that Jesus arose from a deep sleep and spoke brining peace to the raging storm.
Today it seems there are a myriad of storms raging all around us. Personal storms, work storms, relational storms, political storms, literal storms, the list goes on. We would like to think that these storms are unique to us, but they are not. Even the apostle Paul said, For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. (II Corinthians 7:5) Even Paul’s life was turbulent within and without. While our circumstances may be stormy at times, it is possible to have peace through Jesus Christ.
It was during the most turbulent times of Israel’s existence that many prophecies came forth of the messiah. There are many notable examples, but Isaiah 9:6 is one of the most common and widely quoted passages in the world.
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
When God gave Isaiah this prophecy, Israel was in a state of decline. Uzziah had entered the temple and was struck with leprosy and successive kings would lead Israel further and further away from the will of God until the advent of Hezekiah. In Isaiah’s lifetime, he would see the 10 tribes to the north taken into captivity, as well as the bulk of Judah and Benjamin. This happened as the Assyrian king, Sennacharib, expanded his kingdom across the Promised Land.
Isaiah would also be instrumental in seeing God deliver Jerusalem miraculously during the reign of Hezekiah. Isaiah had a front row seat to the many trials and storms that Israel faced within his lifetime, yet through each, the promises of God continually came to remind Judah that God was indeed on the throne and the Prince of Peace was on his way.
Jesus comes to earth
It was in turbulent times when Jesus came to this earth. Israel had a temple and a priesthood, but they didn’t have rule of their own city or nation. The pagan Roman government increasingly encroached on their autonomy and tensions were high. A king name Herod the Great brought a season of “peace” to this region but it was not because he was a man of peace. Herod was happy to indulge in the pagan practices of Rome. It was into this environment the Messiah came forth. This is why the king was so concerned about a Jewish seed that might threaten his rule as king of the Jews in the eyes of the Romans.
The promised Prince of Peace arrived, but most missed it. Today we celebrate the advent of Christ because of his eternal impact on Adam’s race, but at the time of Christ’s birth, only a small group of people really appreciated Messiah had come and was born of a woman just as Isaiah 7:4 prophesied.
All but the lowly shepherds missed the fact that Micah 5:2 was fulfilled. They, of course, could not miss it since angels broke through the darkness of night to proclaim it. The hopes of centuries of prophecy came to pass with little note to the world at large. We often see people place their faith in Christ as few take knowledge or note.
Like the advent of Christ at his first coming, few understand the impact of that soul that is born again. Not only is a person redeemed for all eternity, but by God’s grace, many souls after them will be impacted for all eternity because they continue in the faith as a disciple, sharing Christ with others.
When Christ redeems a soul, peace is one of the tangible attributes of the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Ghost (see Galatians 5:22). Do you have peace? If we know Christ as Lord and Savior, we not only have peace, we have the capacity to make peace through the word and ministry of reconciliation.
Promises of Scripture
Today, many are troubled on every side. Life continues to batter the soul with doubt and fear, yet for the child of God we need not look any further than the promises of scripture to remember that we have peace with God, therefore we have a peace that passes understanding when we stay our mind upon him (Philippians 4:7).
The peace we find through the Spirit of God is a manifestation of the Prince of Peace dwelling in our hearts. With the advent of Christmas season, I encourage those who know Jesus to be intentional to introduce people to the Prince of Peace. Like Jesus in the midst of the storm, God has saved you and left you hear to bring peace in the midst of a storm of doubt through the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
One of the simple ways you can help bring peace to a troubled world is to invite people to our Christmas Eve Service on Friday, Dec. 24. We will have invitation cards available at HBF with QR codes that you can use to start a conversation, share the gospel and keep the conversation going with those who God opens the door. You may also want to invite them to the upcoming Christmas series at HBF called “Peace on Earth.”
Through the month of December we will be studying “The Promise of Peace,” “The Person of Peace,” “The Problem of Peace” and “The Power of Peace.” You won’t want to miss the sermons or the opportunity to bring people who need to know the Prince of Peace personally.
What a great Christmas gift it would be to be able to give a lost soul the gift of eternal life through Christ this Christmas season! The world may not take note, but the scripture tells us there is joy in heaven over every sinner that repents (Luke 15:7). Peace is a small word, but it has great meaning to every soul who has made peace with God through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. My you and yours rest in the peace of God that comes through having a relationship with the Prince of Peace this holiday season.