In Amy
Grant’s Christmas carol for our day and time, she says that all she needs is a
silent night with peace and quiet in the midst of all the chaos and noise of
the season. It only takes one night of pre-Black Friday shopping or a day of
fighting the lingering crowds and traffic on Black Friday for all of us to
recognize the validity of her wish. Here in the United States where the
commercial side of Christmas has become a national pastime and an economic
salvation, the thought of a time filled with peace and quiet is nearly a
fantasy.
Regardless
of what else was going on in the Roman Empire at the time, Christians chose to
celebrate the birth of their Savior, the Divine Child, in the latter days of
December. Little about the story in Luke 2 lends itself to this date, but
lacking any other tradition with substantial support, December 25 is perhaps as
good a date as any to mark the miraculous interruption of human history by the
birth of a Child that was fully God and fully man.
The Bible is
filled with titles for this God-man, one of the most explanatory being
Emmanuel, “God with us”. Because of our rebellion against God’s plan for
mankind, he saw we would never be good enough to match his standards. So he
came to us to meet those standards for us. Leave it to a loving and
compassionate God to complete the plan his creation could not.
In a world
known more for its cruelty than its acts of kindness, more for its hatred than
its love, more for its conflict than its peace, we need to stop and consider
one of the titles of this Savior-Child, this Christ Child, was Prince of Peace.
The prophet Isaiah shares this word from God,
Isa 9:6 A child is born to us! A son is given to us! And he will be
our ruler. He will be called, "Wonderful Counselor," "Mighty
God," "Eternal Father," "Prince of Peace."
That last
one has been the most significant for me through the years. It pairs up well
with the New Testament title for the Savior, the Good Shepherd. The other three
titles in the prophecy of Isaiah carry their own unique sense of power and
majesty. The role of a prince may also entail power, but this title combines the
idea of power with the quality of peace. This is no prince noted for his use of
war and violence.
The Hebrew
word used in this title for the Prince of Peace is shalom, a term with which
many are familiar as a greeting or farewell address. There is the sense of
peace as we understand it in this title. It is also much more.
There is the
force of completeness, of wholeness, and of wellness. The sense of peace this
Prince will bring affects the total person. In this peace a person is at peace
with the inner soul. The person is at peace with outer circumstances. The
person knows a contentment which is independent of material and physical needs.
In the last hours
he spent with his disciples, Jesus gave them a precious gift, peace. The gospel
writer John records,
Joh 14:27 "Peace is what I
leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the
world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.
This gift was not something to be earned by man, created by man, or
demanded by man. It was a gift given by God to those who had surrendered their
conflict and warfare to the Prince. In the same vein as the Hebrew shalom, the
Greek eirene meant a total peace and contentment regardless of surrounding
circumstances.
The Prince of Peace, Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, was born that
man in conflict with God and himself would have the opportunity to know peace,
deep peace, healing peace. Christmas is all about peace between God and man.
