Unto Us a Child is Born - Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace

Adam and Eve knew only peace in Eden - Genesis 2

In the beginning, Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with God and all creation. Genesis 2:25 tells us that they were both naked and they were not ashamed. Indeed, Adam and Eve knew perfect peace in the presence of God, with one another and with the world around them.

But, after the fall, when sin entered into the world, it brought with it shame and sorrow, pain and problems, toil and troubles, chaos and confusion. So that from the very beginning of history all people everywhere have suffered and their search for peace has been futile (Genesis 3, Romans 8:19-22).



The Fall of Adam and Eve in Eden - Genesis 3

Peace - Each of us long for it. A world that is free from disturbances. A world that is free from strife and oppressive thoughts, emotions and behavior. A world without suffering and pain. A world where people can live in harmony with one another. A world filled with serenity and tranquility.

Since the beginning of recorded history humankind has sought to produce peace through human efforts. Politicians have pledged peace, but it has not come. Governments have attempted to impose peace, but it has not materialized. Wall Street has even attempted to buy peace, but it cannot be purchased. Instead, our world is filled with lawlessness, poverty, hunger and war, and there is no end in sight to these things.



Lawlessness



Poverty and Hunger



War

So, it should not surprise us that the great hope of mankind is that someday peace will come. The good news is that day was promised long ago in the Bible. It spoke of a Messiah who would come and bring peace. Some 700 years before He came the prophet Isaiah prophesied regarding his coming when he said,

Isaiah 9:6 (New King James Version)

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.



For unto us a child is born... the Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

As Christians, we understand that Isaiah's prophecy pertained to Jesus Christ our Lord, the Prince of Peace. However, some of those who have not accepted Christ say that he could not have been the Messiah because there is no peace in the world. That since his birth over 2,000 years ago all things remain the same, nothing has changed (2 Peter 3:4).

However, what the world does not understand is that there can be no peace until a person makes peace with God. For, from the time of the fall, all men have been alienated from God and at enmity with God (Romans 5:10, Romans 8:7, Colossians 1:21). There has been a great rift in our relationship with God. God asks us to do things His way, but, just like Adam and Eve, we want to do things our way, and then we wonder why we have no peace. Our ways fall utterly short of perfection, but God is perfect in every way, and His ways bring peace.

Yet, interestingly, Jesus Christ did not come to bring peace to the earth. He himself said, "Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division (Luke 12:51).

Now, if this seems confusing to you then you need to understand that Christ did NOT come to bring peace to the earth… but to people of this world that would believe in Him. He came to restore our relationships to God, so that we could find peace with God (Colossians 1:19-20). That peace comes when we understand who Jesus is and we place our faith in Him. That is why the Apostle Paul tells us, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).

The problem that so many Christians have, however, is that they sometimes think that because they believe in Jesus Christ that they should not have any problems in this world. But, nothing can be further from the truth.

In John 16:33 Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

You see, Jesus promised us that we were going to have problems in this world. However, he also promised that "in Him" we could have peace. In other words, if we wanted to experience the peace that He promised we needed to stay in relationship with Him. He also encouraged us to be happy and to maintain a positive attitude, to "be of good cheer". Why? Because He had overcome the world. In other words, nothing in this world could separate us from the peace with God we could find through Christ (Romans 8:31-39).

In John 14:27, Jesus also told us, "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."

Jesus offers us a peace that is out of this world. That is because nothing in this world can give us an enduring and lasting peace. Nothing in this world can restore us to God and give us peace with God. When we have a healthy relationship restored with God, we discover a peace with Him, ourselves and the world around us. We discover an abiding peace, that no matter what happens to us or in the world around us it cannot be taken away. Only Christ Jesus can give us this kind of peace and once we understand this then we have nothing to fear.



Jesus promised peace - but what kind?

We need to remember that sin separates us from God and when we are separated from God we cannot find peace. We also need to remember that sin cannot go unpunished. A price is always paid as a consequence of sin. And a price must always be paid to correct sin.

Part of the consequence of sin is the separation we experience from God. So, if this separation is to be corrected then a price has to be paid. Jesus, the Son of God, paid the price by living a perfectly sinless life, yet, allowing himself to be punished upon the cross by imperfect sinful men. He paid the price for our sins. This was the only way that sinners could ever find peace with God.

The prophet Isaiah understood this over 700 years prior to the birth of Christ when he prophesied about the Prince of Peace and said, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).



Jesus paid the price - He was wounded for our transgressions.

Isaiah understood that our peace would only come when the Prince of Peace was wounded and bruised for our sins. He knew that the only way to bring healing to the broken relationship between people and God would be through the punishment the Holy One would endure upon the cross.

When we fully understand this, then we cannot help but come to the Prince of Peace. We come to Him as repentant sinners, knowing that it is only His sacrifice upon the cross that gives us peace with God. And then, we can be encouraged by the words of the Apostle Paul who told us, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7)