We all want peace, don’t we?
As an enneagram 9, I truly long for peace- both internally, and between those around me. Yet, there are false peaces…
Week 2 of advent in the Christian tradition centers around peace. God promises peace many times in the Bible. But then there is the juxtaposition that Jesus presents, as He brings both peace AND division.
Let’s look at the peace part first.
A prophesy about Jesus in Isaiah says:
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Jesus is named the prince of peace, meaning that he rules over it. But Jesus doesn’t rule over peace by bringing a beauty pageant type of world unity. People don’t just suddenly start getting along.
Later, Isaiah talks about peace for the new nation God will build:
“Open the gates,
Isaiah 26:2-3
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.”
God’s peace is for those who are mindfully living for and trusting in Him.
When we come to the Christmas story, we see peace proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds at Christ’s birth:
“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.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
Luke 2:13-15
Peace here is for those on whom God’s favor rests. We know from other scripture passages that God’s favor rests on those who obey Him and trust in him.
Now let’s look at who isn’t promised peace:
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.’ Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”
Matthew 10:34-38 NIV
Jesus says there will NOT be peace between those who are following God and those who are not. Just think about the last time religious conversation came up with family members who held very different viewpoints. Was it a peaceful conversation?
This doesn’t mean that Christians can’t or shouldn’t go the extra mile to be peacemakers (blessed are the peacemakers, remember?). It means that it will be much harder to keep things pleasant and, in the grander scheme of things, there is not true peace between people whose core values are divergent. They can “act nice” but that is not the same thing (not that acting nice is bad).
The true peace that Christmas promises is for those who believe in Christ Jesus and follow his teachings. They get peace with God, which brings about other types of peace (inwardly and with others).
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1
When we come to the Christmas story, we can remember that Jesus brings peace with God, and that is something worth celebrating.
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