Our theme for this year’s Advent series is Hark the Glad sound the Savior comes! Today we hear how he comes as the Prince of Peace. As I was Talking to Pastor Bentz about which lesson I wanted. I jumped at the opportunity to preach how Jesus is the Prince of Peace. But then a very dangerous thought popped into my head as I let this lesson soak in, “Is Jesus really the Prince of Peace?”
The peace that everyone craves seems to be so illusive, right? Just think about all that happened in the Twin Cities area this past year with the protesting that turned into violence. I read that at least 1,500 business in the greater Twin Cities area were damaged because of it. Think about the damage that riots caused all over the states and it has left people with a sense of fear for lack of safety. Think about all the violence that we hear about from the news. Think about all the violence that not only goes on in America but the rest of the world. Is Jesus really the Prince of Peace?
When Isaiah prophecies about this child he says that “the government will be on his shoulders.” One would think that if the government will be on his shoulders, he would be ruling over everything. There then would be no more need for wars. There would only be peace. But when we look at history when we look at the present we realize that is not case. I mean in Matthew, Jesus says concerning the end times that there will be wars, rumors of wars, discord, and strife (Mt 24:4-7). As long as sin is present in the world and there will always be strife amongst the nations.
Oh well… if the prophesied child did not come to bring peace by ending wars, then surely he came to bring us peace in our relationships with others here on earth. But as we approach Christmas we realize that is not the case. Many of us know how difficult spending time with family can be during the holidays right? You know the drama of someone not getting along with someone else. Where do you sit them? How do you change/avoid those hot button topics so everyone stays happy. But we sin against one another, it just creates broken relationships, confrontations, and drama. So much for having true peace among our family.
Jesus even went a step further and said he did not come to bring peace. Jesus himself said in Mt 10:34-36, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” Jesus is not speaking of the effect the gospel message can have. One person believes the gospel and another person is offended by the gospel and thus creates rifts in the family. It seems that Jesus here did not bring peace but division.
Should Jesus’ name really be called prince of peace? I mean the peace that humanity has longed for throughout the ages will never be attained as long as we live in this earth. As long as sin remains in this world, people will sin against one another. Nations will rise up against nations. People’s sin cause divisions among family and friends. Even just being a Christian may cause divisions among families. So can Jesus’ name really be called Prince of Peace?
The answer is Yes and No. No in the sense that Jesus does bring about a kind of peace that world wants. But yes in the sense he gives us an even greater peace, a peace that the world does not understand. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.”
During the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, the nation of Assyria was rising to power. They destroyed and ransacked the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their sin. The Assyrian’s left death and destruction wherever they went. The nation of Judah, the southern kingdom knew of wars, and rumor of wars. Does that sound familiar? It is similar to us isn’t it? Instead of pointing to a peace that would end war here on earth he points ahead to a peace that a child wold bring. A peace that is better than anything we could imagine. The people of Judah looked forward to this peace and we look back on that peace.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.” This advent season, we eagerly await the celebration of Christmas where this child is born. “The government will be on his shoulders” is not a reference to the fact that Jesus would be an earthly ruler but rather it is a reference to his sovereignty, how he has the authority to rule. God became man and that child who was born is Jesus. Jesus has full authority over heaven and earth, he has the authority and the power to give us true peace.
Jesus came and offered us a different kind of peace. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (Jn 14:27). His peace is tied into the work of redemption. The very nature of our sin put us at tension with God. A holy and a just God cannot stand sin in his presence. It’s like sin puts us at war with God. But Jesus is the Prince of peace. He satisfied the wrath of God for your sins, for my sins, for the sins of the entire world. He offered himself as the sacrifice of payment for our sins. “For to us a Child is Born to us a son is given, his name will be called Prince of Peace.”
We are at peace with God through Jesus, and that peace transcends all understanding. We long for the wrong kind of peace if we ONLY desire that the death and destruction of war to cease, or if we ONLY desire peace among our relationships with others. Those are great things to pray for, to want, and to even strive for. But Jesus came to do something greater. The Prince of Peace has restored the peace that we have with God. We want peace among our relationships. We want peace in the world around us. But so long as there is sin, we will not have that kind of peace until we are called home to heaven. When we look at those things, we can appreciate all the more the peace that we have with God. Peace in knowing that our sins are forgiven. Peace in knowing that eternal life is ours
God had promised the people during Isaiah’s time that a child would be born and his name would be called Prince of Peace. God was faithful to his promise and stood behind his Word and we celebrate that every Christmas. In the midst of wars, and rumor of wars, in the midst of strife in your relationships and family God keeps his Word to you. In the midst of such turmoils we, as Christians, have a peace that words can’t really understand. We have a peace in knowing that we are forgiven, a peace in knowing “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and his his named will be called prince of peace.”