“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.“
Isaiah 9:6

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DECEMBER 16, 2024

“The Prince of Peace.” The word “peace” appears in the English Bible more than 400 times (KJV). But what does it mean?

The Hebrew word for peace is “shalom.” It’s a word that means much more than the absence of war or conflict, it means wholeness, restoration, and flourishing.

Its origin is from “shalam,” used by Moses in Exodus 21 and 22. Here, Moses instructs the people how to respond to theft, material loss, or injury. Moses explains that the one responsible is to make things right, to make things whole again, through some kind of payment or restitution.

The Jews reading Isaiah’s prophesy of the coming Messiah interpreted this future King as the one who would restore David’s Kingdom. He would usher in a time of political freedom, of peace and prosperity with God’s material blessings (Isaiah 9:6; Zechariah 9:10).

But God had a different and much greater purpose for the Messiah. The shalom the Messiah would bring was not primarily between nations or even between members of the same family, but restoration of the relationship between God and people. Jesus would make the required payment on our behalf and provide reconciliation to anyone who, through faith, would accept it.

Think of a boat with a hole in it. The boat is cast aside because it is unable to perform the tasks it had been created for. Think of a garment that has been torn apart, now used for rags. When carefully patched or sewn back together, these things can be restored to their original owners and to their original purpose.

Similarly, Adam and Eve’s sin, which every man, woman, and child are born with and all creation carries, has broken and ripped apart their beautiful, intimate relationship with God. Through sin, death entered the world and toil and grief replaced the comfort and joy of paradise.

Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, came to mend that relationship. He came to make whole what had been broken between God and humankind.

“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him”
John 3:16-17

Jesus did this by humbling Himself, by sacrificing His life as the punishment for our sin and by defeating the power of sin and death by rising from the dead.

 

Surely He took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered Him punished by God,
stricken by Him, and afflicted.
But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on Him,
and by His wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:4-6

 

“..the punishment that brought us peace was on Him and by His wounds we are healed.” He died so that we may have the same peace, the same shalom, He shares with His father in Heaven. By His wounds we can be restored. By His wounds we can find peace.

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation”
Romans 5:8-11

This Christmas, celebrate the birth of our Messiah, but also remember the gift of a restored relationship that God is offering to us through His son. (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:13-14; Colossians 1:20). Shalom!

Questions for reflection and discussion:

  • How has sin torn apart your relationship with God?
  • What prevents you from accepting the gift of peace and restoration that God offers through Jesus?
  • How would you describe to others what “Prince of Peace” means?

 

Church Reading Plan: Zechariah 3; John 6