Prince of Peace
by Joel Singleton
Digital and Church Partnerships Coordinator, CBN Europe
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Peace can be quite an elusive topic to discuss as it can mean so many different things to so many different people.
Today, Joel looks at the word peace and, more specifically, our Prince of Peace. Read on to discover what peace is, who our Prince of Peace is and what His peace plan is.
What is peace?
The definitions of Biblical peace (shalom in Hebrew and eirene in Greek) have great depth. They’re not simply a sense of calmness (though it is that) nor only united in mind and purpose (though it’s also that) but wholeness.
You see, peace, whilst being the absence of war, chaos and conflict, is also active in bringing about wholeness and completeness.
Our Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, is the embodiment of wholeness and completeness. In Him, we’re made whole and complete. Our mind, heart, body, and soul. He is the beginning from whom peace will spread into a chaotic world through His Spirit-filled disciples.
The mystery of God’s will has been revealed to us and it is to bring all things in heaven and on earth in unity under Christ; under our Prince of wholeness and completeness (Ephesians 1:9-10).
Our Prince of Peace
Ever since Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, our hearts have been fractured and the world was plunged into chaos.
The world isn’t calm, it isn’t united in mind and purpose, and it’s certainly not whole and complete. We feel the effects of this chaos every day in our lives. The need to get ahead, to be at the front, to have success, to be noticed, to strive at making our own individual worlds as peaceful as possible.
It’s a race to destruction.
One that the devil is a master in convincing us to run. But he only wants to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).
In Jesus there’s no deceit. He’s upfront about what He’s here to do and He’s here to bring abundant life.
In giving us His Spirit, He gave us the same power that raised Him from the dead (Romans 8:11)! He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:3). And He has transferred us from the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13).
The chaos that came as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s decision is countered by the peace that comes through Jesus. In Him is the active renewal of peace on earth! We celebrate it’s arrival through Him at Christmas, see it in the life He lived here on earth and experience it because of His resurrection from the dead. He gives us a new heart through the Holy Spirit and ushers in peace through our lives. We look forward to the day where there will be no tears, pain, crying or death (Revelation 21:4). That day will come in and through Jesus. The Prince of Peace will soon have all things in heaven and earth united under Him. And you, His Church, are part of the plan.
His Peace Plan
It is both an unimaginable honour, and immense challenge. We represent the Prince of Peace on earth.
His Church is His plan to continue spreading abundant life and peace amongst the chaos.
In giving us His Spirit, He gave us the same power that raised Him from the dead (Romans 8:11)! He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:3). And He has transferred us from the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13).
We’ve got a mission to proclaim that the Prince of Peace has come to bring wholeness to our chaos, and we’ve got what we need to do it. It’s not easy, but we have One who has shown us the way, walks alongside us, and goes before us.
So, the next time you hear the title Prince of Peace, I pray your mind and heart will be flooded with adoration and awe at the beauty of who Jesus is, what He did, and our certain future of wholeness and completeness, of peace.
