Prince of Peace
Before preparing to write this study, I (Britton) didn’t really understand what it meant for the Messiah to be the “Prince of Peace.” It was a bit of an abstract concept for me. Maybe that’s because we don’t have princes in America. Or maybe it’s because we have so few examples of peace.
As I did some research, I learned that the Hebrew word translated “Prince” could also refer to a guardian or governor. I also learned more about the Hebrew word translated “peace” – shalom. Shalom is a state of existence in which everything is as it should be; where absolutely everything is functioning according to the design God intended when He first created it.
Through Isaiah, God makes the astounding promise that the Messiah will be our Prince of Peace. Put another way, He is the promised Guardian of Shalom in our lives and the world. He is the righteous Governor who promises to someday use his power to return our broken world to its original design.
I have seen so many marches, heard so many cries for peace, especially in this often-tumultuous year. Yet I think that while many of these cries are well-intentioned, they still fall short. For in order to have true peace, true shalom, I must yield to the authority of God; I must surrender to the Prince.
At first glance, “surrendering to the Prince of Peace” may seem like a sugary-sweet Christian concept. But what happens when the Prince and I disagree? What happens when His idea of shalom isn’t the same as mine? I can easily imagine what my own idea of shalom would look like – a world without conflict, where everyone is happy all the time. Yet my imagination is limited by my humanity; I can only understand so much, fathom so much. God has no such limitations. Only He fully understands what is necessary to establish true Peace.
Often, I find that what I think of as “peace” is actually my idea of comfort masquerading as something good. Yet God doesn’t call us to comfort; He calls us to faith. He calls us to serve in the work of the Prince by cultivating true shalom in our lives and community. Doing the Prince’s work will not always be comfortable, happy, or conflict-free. It will often involve admitting our faults, embracing the uncomfortable realities of life, and encouraging others in the midst of struggle.
The work is hard. The work is long. But it is eternal.
Prince of Peace, please reveal opportunities for us to cultivate shalom in our communities. Help us to see past our own desires for earthly comfort so that we may more clearly see Your vision for true shalom.
Questions for Reflection:
- How might your personal definition of peace differ from the definition of true, biblical shalom?
- What is an area of your life in which you see a need for biblical peace?
- What might be an opportunity you have to cultivate peace in your community?
- Who is someone you have seen model the cultivation of peace? How might you encourage or partner with this person?
