In the midst of the chaos occurring all around the world, it’s difficult to even grasp what peace is actually meant to look like. Since sin entered the picture, we haven’t lived in a world of peace. We witness injustice and acts of terrorism frequently. Anxiety and panic disorders are prevalent on college campuses. You most likely have experienced first-hand or know someone who has been affected by war. Is peace even a tangible concept?
When we sing Christmas songs we often hear the word “peace” mentioned in carols. But why? The following passage gives a glimpse at what true peace embodies:
Isaiah 9:6-7
6 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.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Questions to Consider
1. What other words for peace are used to describe Jesus in this passage?
2. What does Jesus’ birth declare for humanity?
3. How does this passage speak to your heart in the midst of current chaos in our world?
Closing Reflection
Before Jesus entered this world, we were at war against evil and darkness. Through Jesus’ birth, God began to usher in his Kingdom- a place and state where all things are made right and whole. Jesus came to end the war; He came to bring peace unlike anything that mankind had ever seen.
Jesus came to give us true peace. Seemingly intangible world peace will one day reign and internal peace is available to us now. Peace is so much more than quiet, stillness or the absence of terror. The peace that Christians sing of is the peace that God grants for all of His children. It means that we are free from worry and can find eternal, loving comfort from our Heavenly Father. When we have the peace of God, how the world looks at us no longer matters so much because we know that God accepts and delights in us.
As Greeks, we get an amazing opportunity to share life with brothers and sisters who may have never even heard about the true meaning of peace. We get to display and explain a unique way of reacting to the tragic current events happening. We get to invite others into sharing their reality with Jesus.
I invite you to ponder first about how the Lord is inviting you to experience freedom from fear and worry. Secondly, I challenge you to consider ways in which you can share the power of peace from Jesus with your Greek organization.
