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 9:5-7)

I’ve been a believer in the Christ of Christmas for as many years as I can remember. And some of you know just how long that is! And for as long as I have been a believer I have asked questions. You’d think by now I’d have figured it all out ~ but I haven’t. The longer I believe, the more I study, write, speak and even teach, the more questions I seem to have. But the good news is God is OK with that. His Word even invites our questions. “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. (Isaiah 1:18)

And reason I do. And doubt I do. Even as I was thinking about the joy and fun of Christmas arriving again I wondered aloud, “God, you promised us Peace on Earth, but where is it?” There is no peace in this world. Today, as 2012 draws to a close, it’s easy for us to have the same doubts and discouragement that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow expressed way back in 1864. His famous poem became the beloved Christmas carol, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day:

And in despair I bowed my head
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said,
‘For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.’

Since ancient times, nations have been fighting nations. People continue to kill each other in the streets for money or drugs, power or ‘turf.’ And sadly, there is little peace even within the four walls of our homes. Marriages fail; adult siblings quarrel, hold grudges and don’t speak to each other for years, sometimes decades.

Peace? What peace?

And yet my struggle, and perhaps yours, is that Jesus promised us peace. When He was sharing His last meal on earth with His closest friends, He made them this promise: “Peace I leave 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.” (John 14:27)  And again at that same dinner, Jesus tells the twelve, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Trouble ~ ah yes ~ Jesus did warn us of that didn’t He?

In the years leading up to His ‘Last Supper’, when Jesus was sending His disciples out to preach the good news of the Gospel, He told them “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 ~ a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’” (Matthew 10:34-36)  Another time, when Jesus was teaching a large crowd, turning to His disciples He spoke directly to them saying, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:51-53)

And yet, in His famous ‘sermon on the mount’, Jesus tells His followers: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) Why does Jesus seem to contradict himself? Why does He say He will give us His own peace, bless the peacemakers, and yet turn around and tell us He came to bring division? The answer to that question may help us understand how we can have turmoil all around us ~ in our families, our workplaces, our cities, our countries, and yes even in our church ~ and still joyfully celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace!

The truth is Jesus came to give us peace with God ~ not with each other. His peace comes from the freedom and security we find when our sins are forgiven and our relationship with the Father is restored. It’s the kind of peace you feel after you’ve worked through a terrible fight with your spouse and your marriage is once again, finally, at peace. Relational peace with the God of creation ~ the kind of peace and unity with God that Christ himself experiences ~ is what He offers to us.

But it’s even more than that. It’s also the peace of knowing that no matter what happens in our lives, the God who loves us is working. He knows our name. He knows our needs and has a plan for using our good times and bad to make us exactly who He wants us to be. It’s the kind of peace a child feels when he or she is cradled in his mother’s arms as a fierce storm swirls outside the window ~ the peace of complete, unconditional, unchanging love.

Having that kind of peace with God does not, however, magically create peace between men. As a matter of fact, it truly does divide us. Throughout history and even today, wars are fought because of religious differences. Families are split when one person chooses to follow Jesus and family members don’t understand. Sometimes, parents even disown their own children because they have left the family’s traditional faith to follow Jesus. Oh yes, the words of Jesus are all too true! He does often bring a ‘sword’.

So why then do we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace? Because peace with God is everything! Our own personal peace with the God who created us is what enables us to endure anything and everything this war-torn, evil world can throw at us. In the midst of the chaos that will fill this world until the day Jesus finally returns to bring complete peace, we each, individually, are promised the gift of the “peace that passes understanding.” (Philippians 4:7) This is the kind of peace that only the Prince of Peace can bring. This is the peace we celebrate at Christmas. It’s the peace we can choose, the peace we can own, the peace we can spread to others as we enjoy a completely unbroken relationship with the God of Gods, Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

Christ’s peace, the Christmas gift Jesus offers to each one of us, is why after his timeless cry of despair ~ “There is no peace on earth” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem goes on to say:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep
‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.’

Wrong will fail. The story is not over yet. God’s peace will prevail in the end. But until that day, even though we see hate, turmoil and brokenness all around us, we have the promise and the reality of Peace on Earth right here in our own hearts and lives, thanks to the Christ of Christmas. Jesus bridged the great divide between His perfect Father and sinful man. He is the gift of Christmas ~ the Peace of Christmas!

I pray that this year, He is your peace!

A Merry and Blessed Christmas to you all!

We’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on the Peace of Christmas!