If there’s one thing that can feel elusive at any time of the year, it’s peace. Somehow the holidays seem to make it worse. There’s so much pressure to see every person you like (and some you don’t) in a one-month span, take the perfect family photos, decorate the perfect tree, eat all the perfect cookies, get the perfect gifts, and it becomes a lot. Pretty soon having “peace” feels like an unattainable goal. Maybe try again in January?
Yet the life of Jesus was marked by peace. His whole life. Beginning to end. Before and after. That’s the kind of life I want to have.
One of my favorite Scriptures is Isaiah 9|6. This verse promises a day when the Messiah would be born and tells us what He will be like:
“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|6
The promised Messiah, Jesus, would be Prince of Peace. He wouldn’t just have peace. He would be the Prince of Peace. Before Jesus ever walked the earth or was a twinkle in anyone’s eye, He was declared to be the Prince of Peace.
When the time finally came, when Jesus was finally born, this is what the angels declared:
“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’”
Luke 2|13-14
Jesus arrives. Peace has come. He is here.
The holidays shouldn’t steal our peace. Christmas should be a celebration of the arrival of peace!
So how did we get here? How did we become a people who scurry around, scattered and frazzled, and lacking the peace we desperately crave? And how do we get back? How do we become people who are ruled by the Prince of Peace?
How did we get here? We stopped looking to Jesus every step of the way. We started making our own plans based on our own priorities. We let the things of life, big and small, distract us from the Prince of Peace.
How do we get back? We can minimize stress by reading articles and listening to podcasts to help us manage our expectations, set boundaries, and find a system to manage the holiday bustle. Unfortunately, minimizing stress isn’t the same as peace.
For true peace, there is only one path. It can’t be bypassed, skirted, or done halfway. We need Jesus. This is the Gospel. We needed a savior and Jesus came. He was promised. He was born. He lived. He died and rose again. By admitting our need for a Savior and accepting His free gift of forgiveness, we can be reconciled to God. Through our reconciliation with God, we have access to the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus was getting ready to ascend back to the Father, He promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come:
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 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|25-17
Like the prophecy about Jesus, we read in Isaiah, this promise of the Holy Spirit shows that when God is with us, we will have peace. The disciples needed to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, to wait for the arrival of that peace.
We don’t have to wait. You can have access to peace today. True peace comes from full trust in Jesus and from being full of the Holy Spirit. As we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will experience peace, no matter what the world throws at us. Through the holiday season and beyond, we will be people of peace because we know the Prince of Peace and He gives us His peace.
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You can learn more about our beliefs and visit our video library to explore more topics like this one. You can also check out our events page to find out what fun new things we’re doing this season.
