Advent December 24

December 24

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts by troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

In Isaiah 9:6 Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace. We often think of peace as the absence of war and hostility, but it is much more than that. The Hebrew word translated into peace is shalom. In Hebrew, shalom means “to be safe in mind, body or estate.” It refers to an inward completeness or wholeness. When you say Shalom to someone in Israel, you are saying to them, “May you be full of wellbeing.” The Aaronic blessing is common among Hebrews to this day when they are leaving someone and describes this concept well. “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:23-26

In order to experience this completeness or wholeness we must first have peace with God. Sin separates us from a holy and righteous God, and it is only through a mediator that we are able to be reconciled to Him so that we can have true peace. As the Prince of Peace, Jesus is able to bring us into right relationship with God. By restoring this relationship, Jesus gives us the hope and assurance that we will spend eternity in His presence free from evil, sin and death.

When our relationship with God is restored, we are able to experience love, joy and peace that spreads to other areas of our lives. Sin destroys relationships, but peace in our lives and hearts allows us to restore relationships with friends and loved ones that have become estranged because of betrayal, hurt or misunderstandings. This process can be difficult and take time, but God desires peace in all of our relationships.

This peace is not just available to us in our relationships. Jesus offers us an overarching sense of wellbeing in every area of our lives. It has nothing to do with our circumstances. Whether we are experiencing good times or great difficulty we can have shalom. This sense of wellbeing and wholeness is not dependent on happiness and prosperity. This kind of peace comes from an abiding faith in our Savior. He has promised that He will be with us and He will never leave us or forsake us. He has promised that He will provide for all of our needs. He has promised to protect us and keep us safe. We have no need to worry because we are well cared for. Like a child in his mother’s arms, we can rest. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” This peace cannot not really be explained or understood, but it can be experienced as we learn to trust Jesus.