| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “The awesome reality of the presence of God” Our Bible verse for today: “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us … He will be named … Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Jesus is the Prince of Peace” More than seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus Isaiah told us that once He came, He would be known as “The Prince of Peace”. Well, He came, He lived, He died, He arose from the grave, He ascended back into heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit in His place, and it has been two thousand years since all that happened. And … peace? Seriously? Look around. Remember Ukraine. What happened? Did Isaiah get it wrong? Was Jesus stretching the truth a bit when He claimed in John 16:33, “I have overcome the world.”? We’ve had seemingly endless wars in the two thousand years since the birth of Christ. Where’s the peace He came to bring? If we go back to John 16:33 and read the entire passage we find that Jesus actually said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” At other times He even warned us that we would hear of wars and rumors of wars. Okay, so we will have trouble, and there will be wars and rumors of wars. Evidently Jesus being “The Prince of Peace” means something other than peace on earth in terms of the end of violence and hostility. The Hebrew word that Isaiah used for “peace” is actually “Shalom”. It’s a beautiful word that includes concepts like health, well-being, harmony, and blessings in this life. But in a deeper sense it also speaks of internal wholeness, spiritual wellness, and a heart that is steady, stable, and at peace with God and others. “Shalom” has much more to do with the internal condition of the person’s heart than the external circumstances of the person’s world. When we speak “Shalom” upon a person as a word of blessing we certainly are wishing them the material blessings of God in their life. But more than that, we’re calling for internal peace of mind and heart for them. And that brings us much closer to what it means for Jesus to be “The Prince of Peace”. We’ll continue our thinking about this tomorrow. For now, I wish you the “Shalom” of Jesus – in the fullest meaning of the word. God bless, Pastor Jim |
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