Today’s world is full of violence. War and
genocide are commonplace. Drug cartels fight one another and shoot it out with
government agencies who are trying to stop the sale of illicit drugs. Street
gangs rob innocent people at gunpoint and kill rival gang members who intrude
into their territory. Domestic violence is rampant as husbands and wives abuse
and even kill one another.
Nearly every day, suicide bombers blow
themselves up in market places, subways, and other public places killing
innocent people. Parents turn their children into human bombs thinking they are
sending them to paradise. Elaborate plans are devised for blowing up airplanes,
bridges, and tall buildings. Governments often try to cover up what is
happening so that good people will not object.
During the Middle Ages, “Christian” crusaders
killed innocent people in the name of Christ, but that was not in keeping with
the nature of Jesus. True Christians do not go to war to change people’s
religion. It was wrong in the Middle Ages, and it is still wrong.
Are you sick and tired of violence? Do you
yearn for peace and tranquility? Would you like to relax and enjoy the company
of your family and friends without fear? Have you had your fill of hating and
being hated? If so, there is good news for you. God has a plan for restoring
peace to you and the world.
God Wants Peace
Through the ages, human beings have yearned for
peace. Politicians have promised peace. Anti-war demonstrators have tried to
impose peace. But peace does not come through human effort. Peace comes from
God.
In the beginning, God created a peaceful
environment for Adam and Eve. There was harmony in the Garden of Eden. Adam and
Eve were at peace with God, with each other, and with the animals.
Then sin entered the picture and ruined
everything. By disobeying God, Adam and Eve traded their peace for chaos,
shame, and sorrow. The Bible is a history of God’s efforts to restore peace to
the human race.
Aaron, the high priest and older brother of
Moses, said to the Israelites, “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make
his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face
toward you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).
The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “I know the
thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for
welfare and peace and not for evil” (Jeremiah 29:11, Amplified Bible).
God wants to be at peace with us, and He wants
us to be at peace with others. So He has developed a plan that leads to a peace
that is unshakable–a peace that keeps us calm and unruffled during the most
violent storms of life.
Isaiah Foresees the
Prince of Peace
About 700 B.C., Isaiah wrote, “For to us a
child is born, to us a son is given, . . . And he will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
This prophecy pointed forward to Jesus. Jesus
is the Prince of Peace.
The night Jesus was born, angels appeared to
shepherds in a field saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace
to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). The birth of Jesus brought glory
to God and peace to those who are right with God.
Jesus, the Prince of
Peace
The best way to evaluate a religion is to
examine the life and teachings of its founder. Let us look at the peaceful
nature of Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus came into the world, not to condemn it,
but to save it (John 3:17). Jesus did not behead people and dump their bodies
into trenches. His kingdom was not of this world, and his followers did not
fight to prevent his arrest by the Jews (John 18:36). When soldiers arrested
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter drew his sword and cut off the right
ear of Malcus, the high priest’s servant. Jesus rebuked Peter saying, “Put your
sword away!” (John 18:11).
Jesus never ordered people to be killed if they
blasphemed his name. He never made slaves of prisoners taken in battle. In fact,
Jesus never fought in a military battle. He was the Prince of Peace.
Jesus did not have numerous wives. He did not
marry at all. Mary, Martha, and Mary Magdalene were close friends, but His
relationship with them was spiritual, not physical. As a single man, Jesus was
able to give full attention to doing the will of God.
Jesus did not coerce people into believing in
him. At one point, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed Him
(John 6:66). But he did not call them infidels and have them killed. He simply
let them go. Jesus was the Prince of Peace.
Near the end of his life, Jesus passed through
Samaria on his way to Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead to prepare the way
for him in a Samaritan village; but the people there did not welcome Him. When
James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down
from heaven to destroy them?” (Luke 9:54). Jesus rebuked James and John and
went on to another village (Luke 9:56). Accepting Jesus was voluntary. He was
the Prince of Peace.
Jesus taught his followers to forgive those who
sinned against them (Luke 11:4). He did not teach them to take vengeance on
people who dishonored them, their family, or their religion. He did not
retaliate when he was abused. He did not order the death of his enemies.
Instead, he prayed, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). Jesus was the Prince
of Peace.
Terrorism, fighting, and killing in the name of God is inconsistent with the character of Jesus. Jesus never led a raid. He never killed anyone. Instead, He said, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39). “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” (Matthew 5:41). “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7). “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).
Jesus was a spiritual leader, not a military
leader. If all human beings would follow the example and teachings of Jesus,
people would beat their swords into plow shares and their spears into pruning
hooks (Isaiah 2:4). They would stop fighting each other and start fighting
Satan.
The apostle Paul said, “For though we live in
the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are
not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to
demolish strongholds. We abolish arguments and every pretension that sets
itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to
make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
Peace with God
The apostle Paul writes, “we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Paul explains, “God
demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us” (Romans 5:8). By sacrificing his life on the cross, Jesus
reconciled us with God.
Paul continues, “For if, when we were God’s
enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more,
having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life” (Romans 5:10). The
term “reconciled” means that we are now on friendly terms with God. God has
reconciled us to himself through Christ “by making peace through his blood,
shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:19-20). Jesus died in order to restore peace
between us and God.
Peace with Others
Jesus also gives us peace with others. He
removes racism, prejudice, and hostility. He died to make peace between Jews
and non-Jews. He reconciled “both of them to God through the cross, by which he
put to death their hostility” (Ephesians 2:14-16).
Jesus is our peace. He preached peace to Jews
and non-Jews alike and reconciled us to God and to each other. When we follow Him,
there is peace in the world. Jesus would say to us, “If it is possible, as far
as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). “Make every
effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy” (Hebrews 12:14). “Let the
peace of Christ rule in your hearts . . . since you were called to peace”
(Colossians 3:15).
That’s what Peter meant when he said to
Cornelius, the Roman centurion, and his household, “I now realize how true it
is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear
him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of
Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of
all” (Acts 10:34-36).
The Peace of God
Life is not easy. Neither is it fair. Through
no fault of our own, life often caves in on us. A loved one dies of cancer. We
lose our job and thus our source of income. Our family is hungry. Our baby is
stillborn and is buried in a cemetery. The bank forecloses on our property. Our
son is killed on the battlefield.
Life is full of trouble. Having the peace of
God does not mean that we don’t experience pain. It means that God gives us
peace in the midst of pain. Jesus makes that possible. He carries us through
difficult times. As Paul said, “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present
your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:5b-7).
The inner peace that we receive when we put our
trust in God defies explanation. Unbelievers simply cannot understand it. This inner
peace guards our hearts and minds from despair.
Jesus says to us, “Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). Jesus invites us to come to Him for relief. The yoke
he places upon us does not bring bondage. It brings peace.
Conclusion
We are engaged in a cosmic battle with the
forces of evil, but we do not wage war as the world does. We fight with
spiritual weapons. These spiritual weapons enable us to defeat the deceptive
arguments of Satan, and they lead the world to peace and harmony.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is calling us
to peace, not to terrorism, death, and destruction.
The question is, “Will we follow the Prince of
Peace?” The choice is ours, and so are the consequences.
