Let's consider the subjects of war and peace--no, I'm not referring to a rather lengthy novel by Leo Tolstoy; I'm talking about real war, and about real peace. Even from the beginning of time, it seems that man has been embroiled in some kind of conflict. Both individually and nationally, there have been battles and skirmishes; and in fact, wars continue to be waged, in which life and death struggles take place both day and night, even in the midst of cease-fire agreements and peace talks. Some fight for liberty, some for territory; some even say they fight for God; yet whatever the reason, the fact is that men, women, and children of all nationalities have died, and continue to die in the bloody violence of warfare, all over the globe.
This being the case, for many years as well, it seems that some have looked forward to a time of peace--world peace--a peace such as might be described by Isa 2:4: "...they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war."
In fact, it is prophesied that the Messiah would bring peace. In a passage of Isaiah that is definitely messianic (because the Gospel of Matthew 4:15,16 declares it to have been fulfilled in Jesus) we read that, "...a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa 9:6)
But although Jesus is the Prince of Peace, it is obvious that His coming did not bring peace among the nations. The past 2000 years have been filled with war and bloodshed. As much as some would like for it to be, God never promised world peace, here on this physical Earth.
Of course, that doesn't mean that God is unconcerned with the lack of peace on earth, or that we should be. Paul, in 1 Tim 2:1-4 urged, "...that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." By requesting that prayers be made for those in authority that we might live in peace, he was recognizing that there were, and in fact would be, periods of unrest--and if anyone would know that, surely it would be Paul: in 2 Corinthians 11, he enumerated how he had been "beaten times without number, often in danger of death." Paul led anything but a tranquil life. Yes, the Messiah came to bring peace--but it's not world peace.
Actually, we aren't promised peace among each other, much less among nations; individuals will often be at odds with one another. Paul wrote in Rom 14:19, that we are to "...pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another." As Christians, we should seek peace among the brethren, and as we read in Rom 16:17, we are to keep our "eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them." There would be those that wouldn't try to keep the peace, but rather had a habit of causing discord; and from them, we are to turn away.
In fact, we are to try to be at peace with everyone, Christian or not. Again, in the book of Romans, this time 12:18, we read, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." We are to do all that we personally can to be at peace with others; yet not all men will want to be at peace with us--and, of course, Jesus was aware of that. When He initially sent out the twelve on what is called the "limited commission," Jesus warned them to "...beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles." (Mt 10:17-18)
You see, Jesus didn't come to bring that physical peace that so many look for in the world. He continued in v34-36, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD." It's not that God wants men to fight amongst themselves, or that He wants to divide families; rather, that is simply a result of truth. Truth, like a lantern, exposes sin and darkness; but few people want to have the light of truth shine on them. So, in v21,22 Jesus told his disciples that, "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name..." So, the Messiah didn't come to bring peace among individuals, either.
It looks as though Jesus the Messiah would really bring unrest, rather than peace! So, how is it that He could be called "Prince of Peace"? Peace--real peace--can only come through Jesus Christ. What kind of peace is this?
Read with me in Rom 5:8 and following: "...God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." You see, being a sinner puts you at odds with God; you are separated from Him--in fact, you make yourself his enemy. And so, He continues, "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." The word "reconcile" means, "to restore friendship or harmony"--and that is exactly what happens when one becomes a Christian. For that reason, Paul says in verse 1, "having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"
That peace--the peace that Messiah would bring--wasn't a physical peace among the nations; as long as there are nations of men, there will be war among men and nations. But even now, in this world of war and unrest, we can have a real and lasting peace--peace with God. Again, we read in Col 1:19-23, "...it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him [i.e. Christ], and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister."
The fact is that only a Christian can have that true peace, because that true peace is found only in Christ. When we become a Christian, we are reconciled to God--we go from being the enemy of the God of Heaven, to being his friend. Jesus came to bring us peace with God.
The story is told of two famous painters that were each asked to create a painting that illustrated the idea of peace. The first painted a beautiful evening scene, in which log-cabin, nestled in a quiet forest, looked out across a lake that was still as glass. The sun, a huge red ball low on the horizon, was lending the last of its rays to a family of deer feeding nearby. Everything about the painting spoke of serenity.
The second painting could not have been more different; it was a wild and turbulent scene, taking in all the raging emotion of a storm on the Atlantic coast. The sea was throwing all of its might against a rocky seacoast, hurling itself in an effort to destroy anything that might have dared to brave those mighty waves. Yet, in the center of the blast, in the cleft of a huge rock, sheltered from the wrath of the storm stood a small bird, calm and unmoved, sheltered from all danger.
You see, people seek the peace of the first painting: a kind of utopia, with no troubles, no responsibilities, no fighting; but God simply hasn't promised that kind of peace in this world. But there is an even greater peace that He offers, one that He Himself desires for us--which is to be at peace with Him. And if we take His offer, and we come to be His child, we can have the peace illustrated so vividly by the second painting--one that was described in Phil 4:6,7: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." If we are a trusting child of God, all those storms that rage without--all the troubles, responsibilities, and fighting round about us--none of it can move us, for we're sheltered in the arms of an almighty and all-loving God.
