I know I’m probably not supposed to pick favorites when it comes to the names of Jesus. But I just love the name “Prince of Peace.”
When I say it these days, I just feel like I’m exhaling the trouble and anxiety of my life and allowing my heart to be pointed to a humble King who graciously promises the gift of peace, not in some far-off future, but right now in this very moment — in this very Christmas season. You know, the song “Hold Me Jesus” by the late Rich Mullins always moves me. In it he sings about shaking like a leaf, prayerfully appealing to God to be his Prince of Peace.
I wonder if you relate to that sentiment like I can. Has the world left you shaking like a leaf this past year? The great beauty of the Christmas story is not found in the circumstances surrounding His birth; it is found in Him, the Savior who has overcome this troubled world!
Jesus Is the Prince of Peace
Christmas celebrates the coming of a Savior who the apostle Paul tells us delivers on His promise of peace: “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
So the peace Jesus offers is found not in a moment or in a location or in a special circumstance, but in our relationship with Him — in coming home to Him. Despite the stress, anxiety, and worry our world seems to ramp up around the Christmas holidays, the coming of Jesus on that first Christmas was a story aiming us toward the Source of all peace — one that passes all understanding.
The good news of the first Christmas is that directly into the chaos of human history and human experiences, a Prince of Peace was born. God sent His only Son to offer a peace that transcends whatever is happening in your life, in the busyness of this holiday season, and in the greater world all around us. It is a peace that transcends our circumstances.
Peace that passes all understanding requires that we open our hearts, take a deep breath, step back, stop what we’re doing, and acknowledge who Jesus is and what He can do. That’s right, it means we trust Him to provide it. You see, the peace we long for is as simple as leaning on the truth of Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Embracing peace means letting go of our searching, striving, and achieving and making a spiritual trust fall into the arms of a Savior.
Coming Home to Peace by Trusting Jesus
What if we really embraced the truth that peace is not something we have to go and find? Peace is not confined to a certain location, vacation, or vocation.
I love how the apostle Paul explains, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12–13).
The secret of being content is found in trusting in Jesus. It is in Him that peace resides. We will not find peace in the things we buy, in our status, our relationships, or our financial security. We cannot find it in where we go or what we do. We can only find it in Him. That is why it seems to be so rare in today’s world — even during the Christmas season.
Be Still and Know
What if we set down our search for peace and simply learn to be still and trust the Prince of Peace residing in our hearts? The reality is that we can sleep in heavenly peace because our Savior has arrived. We can be still and know that Emmanuel has come. God is with us in this very moment. We don’t have to search for an escape from reality in order to find that elusive moment of peace because Jesus stepped into our reality to offer us a peace that will never leave us.
We can know peace because our sins are forgiven. We can know peace because death is not something we have to fear anymore. We have peace because we can trust that Jesus walks alongside us. You can be still knowing that Jesus brings peace to you wherever you are — whether that is on your way to the office party, standing in a crazy line at the mall, working to get your church ready for a Christmas Eve service, or going in for your next cancer treatment. He is waiting for you to be still and trust Him with every territory of your heart.
The peace that passes all understanding is as present in our hearts as it was in the manger that first Christmas. When we take a moment to turn our eyes toward the Source of peace rather than trying to find it on our own, peace finds us. “Be still” in Psalm 46 is a reminder that we don’t need to stress, strive, go, do, or perform in order to receive the favor of God. We only need to look toward the manger and open our hearts to Him.
And when our hearts come home to peace in Christ, something supernatural happens: we become peace providers for others. Jesus, in His mission statement sermon, says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Jesus is calling us to share this peace, this shalom, that He provides for us with the world.
Share the Peace
I love the idea that peace on earth begins with God bringing peace into our hearts. It reminds me of a song that has become part of the hymnals in many denominations called “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”
I read that Jill Miller, who co-wrote the song, actually wrote it while coming out of a terrible time in her life. In a failed attempt at suicide, she came face-to-face with God’s unconditional love. She explains, “I had an eternal moment of truth, in which I knew I was loved, and I knew I was here for a purpose.”
Peace that passes all understanding is truly found in the unconditional love of Jesus. Finding that kind of peace is good news that must be shouted from the rooftops, sung in carols, written on cards, and across wrapping paper . . . but most of all, it must be shared with our family, our neighborhood, and the world.
Adapted from Come Home for Christmas by Matthew West.
Matthew West, in his trademark creative and engaging style, leads readers to experience Christmas through the eyes of a child and to come home to greater joy, hope, peace, and belonging found only in Jesus.
This special book, which springs out of Matthew’s love for Christmas, reminds us that the story of Christmas calls readers back to the heart (or the home) of what it means to be loved by God. Each chapter will include a specific Bible reading about the Christmas story, and the book will include small group discussion questions and an Advent challenge.
Matthew West is a five-time GRAMMY® nominee, a multiple ASCAP Christian Music Songwriter/Artist of the Year winner and a 2018 Dove Award Songwriter of the Year (Artist) recipient. Westis the author ofGive This Christmas Away,The StoryOfYour Life,Forgiveness,Today Is Day Oneand his latest,Hello, My Name Is,The God Who Stays,andCome Home for Christmas.He is also passionate about providing hope and healing through the power of prayer and story.
