THE PEACE THAT SURPASSES

BY JORDAN MAYER

“For to us a child is born, to 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 9:6

Do you need some peace this Christmas season?

I find myself craving peace, perhaps more than usual. We are now two years into this global pandemic. Our country seems more divided than ever before. Right seems wrong and wrong seems right. Winter has arrived and with it comes colder weather, shorter days, and darker nights. For many people, the Christmas season is a mad dash to the finish line: decorating, buying, wrapping, traveling…surviving.

In more ways than one, our world is the very opposite of peace. It’s chaos and confusion. It’s pain and suffering. It’s darkness and despair. In a world such as ours, where is peace to be had and where is it to be found?

​So many thousands of years ago, the prophet Isaiah foretold of the birth of a child. One with many names, but one in particular that sparks hope: Prince of Peace.

The world’s idea of peace is a calm and quiet home, work-life balance, good health, positive relationships, or enough money in the bank. And yet, five minutes in this world reveals just how fragile that kind of peace is. A loved one passes away, a routine visit to the doctor reveals a life-threatening illness, your kids won’t talk to you, or you lose your job. A moment’s peace is about all that can be had, but even that is fleeting.

Jesus offers a better way. A peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7). A peace that allows us to lie down and sleep (Psalm 4:8). A peace in the midst of tribulation (John 16:33). A peace at all times and in every way (2 Thessalonians 3:16). A perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

Before we can experience this peace of God, we must first experience peace with God. Remember that the birth of Jesus was the birth of a Savior. The angel told Joseph, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). It is our sin that separates us from God, and yet it was God who came down to provide the Way for peace. Christ has done the work; we simply need to accept it by faith. Then we may join with Paul in declaring, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Peace with God ushers in the peace of God. The kind of peace that is in Jesus, himself (Ephesians 2:14). One that is not rooted in circumstances, but firmly fixed in spite of them. It’s found in the assurance that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38).

This Christmas season, don’t settle for the peace that the world offers. Find it in the Prince of Peace. Find it in Jesus.