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. Isaiah 9:6-7.
When God created the first humans, God gave them freedom of choice. A forbidden fruit tree provided their first choice: obediently refrain or disobediently eat. The choice they made is history.
Before they disobeyed God, they enjoyed a fulfilling relationship with each other, and had an uninterrupted relationship with God. After choosing to go their own way, the humans began to see the effects of their choice: blaming one another for their failure, disruption of a peaceful relationship with God, and eventual violence within the human race.
God’s original intention for his creation was blown up and a rescue plan was set in motion that would reset the Creation design. Peace was the hallmark of the plan, and Jesus, the peacemaker, was the one who would bring the plan to fruition.
Isaiah prophesied of the work that Jesus would do and even called the rescuer “Prince of Peace.” It’s not surprising that Jesus would bless or congratulate those who lived with this attitude when he said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall see God.” Throughout Jesus’ life he modeled peacemaking when he:
- Rebuked Peter for drawing his sword, Matthew 26:51-52
- Transcended cultural boundaries with the woman at the well, John 4:4-30.
- Rid the Gerasene Demoniac of his demons and gave him peace, Mark 5:1-20.
- Refused to escalate the conflict with Pilate, John 18:33-37.
A peacemaking spirit is evident to observers. They know it when they see it.
Prayer:
O God, we know that peacemaking is an all-in effort to foster the unity and peace that existed when you created us. Please help us to follow Jesus’ example of peacemaking so that others may see you in us wherever we go. Amen.