Every year during Advent churches around the world read the prophecy of Isaiah found in Isaiah 9:6. “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.”
The second week of Advent looks at peace, and this is the second passage in the Bible that refers to God as the God of peace. In interactions with Gideon we hear the name of God as Yahweh Peace and here, the Prince of Peace. Yahweh Peace will send the promised Prince of Peace.
The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom. I am sure that is not an unfamiliar term to you. Shalom. Peace be with you. I learned through research that in the Jewish understanding there is a point at which you have so much ‘shalom’ that it spills out from you and overflows onto or in peace to others. Shalom is a prayer, a blessing, a deep desire and a benediction. But more so, it is connection with God. Jesus is the Prince of Peace because He came and gave His life to restore our broken relationship to God.
Isaiah lived in the time of 740 BC which means this prophecy was foretold approximately 700 years BEFORE Jesus was born. “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.” The birth of Christ or the Messiah, given by God, ruler, counselor (Holy Spirit), mighty God, everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. Wow! Given 700 years earlier and yet the promise is completely fulfilled. You can read about its fulfillment in Matthew 1: 20,21 and Luke 1: 30-33. Yahweh Shalom sent the promised Prince of Peace. I AM peace sent the promised Prince of Peace.
God is God and we are not. He knew from the very beginning when sin first entered the world that the solution would be provided through Jesus Christ. There would be a Prince of Peace to reconcile us to God. He gave this first prophecy regarding the coming and saving grace of the Messiah “…and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers, he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.“ (Genesis 3:15)
God Himself came to the Earth as a baby, lived a perfect life and died on the cross as the payment or penalty for our sins. He died, was buried and was raised 3 days later according to the Scriptures. His sacrifice was one for all. Jesus Christ is the only reason we can truly live in peace with God. Jesus Christ was prophesized to come and is called the Prince of Peace because through His work on the cross, He restores every broken relationship. God the Father brings peace to His whole family through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus our Messiah, the Anointed One, who is truly now our Prince of Peace. A peace that reconciles the world and its Creator. The Prince of Peace who counted the cost and walked to the cross, securing peace between man and God to all who would receive it.
Advent brings hope and advent brings peace. As we go through this second week of reflection and expectation looking toward Christmas let us be reminded that we have peace with God because of our Prince of Peace.
2 Corinthians 5:18,19 “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.”
Our song for today is Prince of Peace by Hillsong UNITED