‘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, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, PRINCE OF PEACE’, Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6. Although this Name for Jesus appears at the end of this beautiful description of Him in the Old Testament, it was among the first words spoken by the heavenly host of angels at His birth: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth PEACE, goodwill toward men’, Luke chapter 2 verse 14. Indeed, it provides an apt summary for all that had gone before and all that was to come.
The other descriptions that are given to Him in the verse bear testimony to the fact that He can rightly bear the title, PRINCE OF PEACE! The characteristics suggested by His names indicate that He was the only One who could bring perfect and lasting peace to the world. Where Christ rules, there must always be PEACE!
Many of the Old Testament prophets predicted the PEACE that Christ would bring:
- ‘The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak PEACE to the nations: His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth’, Zechariah chapter 9 verse 10.
- ‘For now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this One shall be PEACE’, Micah chapter 5 verse 4-5.
During the three years of His earthly ministry, Jesus brought PEACE to a multitude of people, e.g. a man with an unclean spirit, a man possessed by a demon, a woman with a blood condition, a stormy sea and troubled disciples. On a personal note, He has made it possible for each one of us to find PEACE: Paul says:
- ‘He came and preached PEACE to you which were far off, and to those that were near’, Ephesians chapter 2 verse 17.
- ‘the PEACE of God, which passes all understanding’ Philippians chapter 4 verse 7, and
- ‘having made PEACE through the blood of His cross’, Colossians chapter 1 verse 20.
Do you enjoy such PEACE?