Jesus Is Our Peace

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

I think one of the most peaceful moments I have experienced was sitting out in the woods watching the sun set. It was during hunting season and I walked a few miles out on a ridge and sat down. I was supposed to be watching for elk but was taken by the setting sun, the stillness in the air, and the absolute peace I felt. In that moment I had no responsibilities, no burdens, and no phone ringing (there was no service). It was peaceful. The only problem – it wasn’t sustainable. I had to walk back to camp, I had to drive back home, and I had to engage in life. Peace is amazing and would be even more amazing if we could have it all the time.

Those kinds of peaceful moments are wonderful and we all need to experience them regularly. But, when we talk about Jesus being our Prince of Peace those are not the moments He died to give us. He actually came to give us so much more than that. The peace Jesus came to give is sustainable – it is eternal. 

But, before we can experience this sustainable peace we first must confront the things that steal our peace. In Matthew Jesus said he didn’t not come to bring peace, but division. Now, that sounds contradictory to what Isaiah said doesn’t it? The Prince of Peace wasn’t going against His mission, He was telling us that what He brought isn’t going to be easy to receive. It isn’t going to be an escape from reality, but a new reality. It is going to require confrontation. The promised result, however, being deep and abiding peace. 

Jesus came to give peace through confrontation. He confronted the sin in the world. He confronted the religious leaders. He confronted the broken and the lost. Jesus’ public ministry wasn’t about trying to get everyone to agree. It was about showing everyone the way to ultimate peace. 

If you want peace today then start by seeking Jesus. Expect some conviction and some challenge. It isn’t a bad thing, don’t resist it. Through that challenge comes repentance and through repentance comes forgiveness. It is in forgiveness we can find real, lasting, peace.

​Pastor Matt