Something about Christmas invokes a longing for peace; the carols we sing, the candlelight, the ambiance. This shouldn’t surprise us. The connection of peace with Christmas goes back to the very first Christmas. The angels appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus, and they concluded their announcement with the words, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14 NIV).
Actually, the connection between Christmas and peace goes back even further in that the prophecies that foretold the coming of the Savior have the theme of peace woven throughout them. Isaiah 8 speaks of the distress of God’s people being under the hand of Assyria. Chapter 9 prophesies the coming of a Messiah. “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. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end” (Isa. 9:6-7a).
These past two years we have experienced in numerous ways the absence of peace in our broken world. Sadly, the turmoil and strife have even found their way into our families and churches. Like the world around us, we ache with longing for peace. Where we go astray is when we seek peace in the same way and through the same means as the world seeks it. The world sees peace as primarily external: the absence of opposition and the existence of good fortune. The means employed by the world to obtain its definition of peace are all too often antithetical to the lifestyle of a sincere follower of Jesus.
The Prince of Peace offers something different. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Through the unexpected means of laying down his life for us, Jesus brought true peace, deep peace, lasting peace to anyone who will receive it.
What does the peace that Jesus offers look like? The word “peace” appears over 400 times in Scripture. In the Old Testament, the word shalom is used. According to Strong’s Concordance, shalom conveys a wide range of nuances: fulfillment, completion, maturity, soundness, wholeness, harmony, tranquility, security, well-being, welfare, friendship, agreement, success, and prosperity. The New Testament use of the word peace remains firmly based in the Hebrew traditions of shalom. So when Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you,” he was saying a lot!
As great an attempt as it is, Strong’s list of descriptive words can’t fully convey the depths of the peace that is ours in Jesus. As the apostle Paul said, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). One way God’s peace transcends our understanding is that his peace is not dependent on external circumstances.
In 1873, Horatio Spafford and his wife decided to take their four daughters to England for school. Just before the boat was to leave, Horatio got called away on business. He sent his wife and daughters ahead, intending to follow them on the next boat. In the middle of the ocean, the ship that Horatio’s family was on collided with another ship and sank to the bottom taking most of its passengers to their death. Mrs. Spafford was rescued, but all four girls were lost in the sea. Mrs. Spafford sent a telegram to her husband, “Saved, alone.
As Horatio traveled to England to be with his wife, sorrow and sadness weighed heavily on him. But God did not abandon him, nor did he abandon God. The bright light of God’s peace shone through the clouds of darkness and despair, and Horatio Spafford penned the words to the song “It Is Well With My Soul.”
“When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.”
This Christmas seek the peace of God that transcends all understanding. It is his gift to you!
