Apples of Gold

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! Isaiah 9:6-7

Peace is something that we could all benefit from in our stressful lifestyle. As followers of Jesus we have a yearning for the day when the fairness and justice of the Prince of Peace rule over us without end. For now we watch and wait, trusting a God who holds a 100% accuracy rating:

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1

While we know an inexhaustible peace is coming, the question before us is did Jesus’ birth bring peace? Well, the answer is yes and no. When King Herod heard that the king had been born he was “deeply disturbed”. He called the wise men into a private meeting and encouraged them to search carefully. 

“And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” Matthew 2:8

Herod’s plan was not worship but rather something much more nefarious. Dreams abounded as both the wise men and Joseph were warned that Herod was attempting to hunt Jesus down and kill him. 

Herod was furious when he realized that he wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. Matthew 2:16 

The estimated death toll has an extremely wide range, from 6 or 7 all the way to 144,000. The senseless massacre devastated families and communities.

Listen to Jesus’ own words a couple of decades later:

Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household! If you love father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. Matthew 10:34-38

The birth of Jesus certainly set off a chain reaction of controversy and debate. The tumultuous waves hit the religious society of the time like an overwhelming tsunami, hitting quickly and leaving little in its path unchanged: The sword of division striking sharply, distinguishing between those who embrace Jesus as Savior and Lord and those who refuse him. 

So the birth of Jesus did not immediately bring peace. It did however, open a doorway that leads to peace for those who choose to step through it. Peace is not only the absence of conflict but also, and perhaps more importantly, peace is a state of tranquility and contentment. 

Political, religious and familial conflicts abound. The peace that Jesus will bring in that arena will arrive with the fulfillment of prophecy and until then their absence is unexpected. The inner peace that comes from surrendering completely to a loving, all-powerful, merciful God is however a direct result of the birth of Jesus. In that sense his birth brought peace. 

As Jesus was preparing his disciples for his return to Heaven, he encouraged them with these words:

But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative-that is, the Holy Spirit-he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:26-27

True peace is not available by making a treaty with a hostile country, or pretending that embracing the Word of God doesn’t create a division with those who oppose it. Jesus title, Prince of Peace, reminds us that God alone can give us that gift or peace of mind and heart. Peace is available regardless of the circumstances we are walking through, because it is gifted to those who choose to trust God in the best of times and the worst of times. It allows us to push through times of doubt and confusion, pain and fear, even times of abundance and joy at a steady pace with our eyes on the one who is actually in control of it all. Peace comes when we understand that the God we serve is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives. Peace comes when we realize we don’t have to like our circumstances in order to flourish. 

I’m thankful that, for the follower of Jesus, His Birth Brought Peace!