The Prince Of Peace
or unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
You don’t have to look too hard or long to know that we do not live in a world of peace. But Jesus, the Prince of peace, brings peace into our lives, and He does so by lifting us up. Yes, as the Psalmist said – “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings”. This world’s version of peace seems to be that of the oppressing of many for the peace of a few. But not so with Jesus; He never oppressed anyone. The Word of God says that Jesus was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Jesus was oppressed and afflicted that we might be set at liberty and have true peace.
Jesus brought us up by going under that He might lift us up. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, has no need to oppress the many that a few might have peace because – the government shall be upon His shoulder. Jesus doesn’t bring peace into our lives by placing us under His feet. He lifts us up and places us upon His shoulder. He doesn’t smash us under His feet, He carries us on His shoulder.
Are there any enemies that Jesus must subdue that we might have peace? Will He put these enemies under His feet? Yes, He will. 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 says – “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death”. As sinners, God no longer sees us as His enemies because, even while we were yet His enemies, Christ died for us. Jesus sees death as His and our greatest enemy because death is the greatest enemy. For this reason, Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a perfect, sinless life, was crucified, buried and arose 1701 Lancaster (432) 263-5517 1005 Lamesa Hwy. (432) 517-4368 1506 E. 4th St. (432) 264-5000 www.howardcollege.edu (432) 263-1162 from the dead on the third day that He might defeat death. And now, as the Prince of peace, Jesus reigns in us by giving us life. And this government is not under His feet, but upon His shoulder. This is what Christmas is all about.