For our Advent reflections this year we're looking at the titles Jesus is given in Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
This week's title for Jesus is probably one of his best known - Prince of Peace - but it doesn't necessarily mean what we think it does. The image we sometimes have is of Jesus being the most calm and peaceful person ever; someone who floats above life never getting phased by anything or anyone; the 'ideal man' of Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If' who treats triumph and disaster the same. You only have to read a couple of chapters of one of the Gospels to know that Jesus was fully human and experienced human emotions like anger, tiredness, grief and exasperation. So what then does the title Prince of Peace mean?
To the Israelites of Isaiah's day the title 'Prince' did not necessarily mean royalty, but was used of a military leader and so it links with the 'Mighty God' title to denote power and authority. Often in the Old Testament the title Prince is used of a national leader (Ezekiel 38) and even of a supernatural being who has responsibility for a nation (e.g. Daniel 10). But Jesus, even though he is the Jewish Messiah, is not a national leader or even a tribal God, he is the Prince of Peace.
For us, peace usually means the absence of war or conflict between nations or groups of people, but the Hebrew word 'shalom', which we usually translate as peace, is better translated wholeness. So Jesus, as Prince of Peace, is going to fight a battle to bring wholeness. When we looked at the title 'Mighty God' we thought about the battle that Jesus fought against the powers of evil, sin and death which he defeated by this death and resurrection. The consequence of that victory is that we who are sinners can be forgiven because he died to “redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14). Humanity was broken by Adam's disobedience but Jesus' obedience even to death and resurrection restores those who trust in him to wholeness. Thus we can, by the Holy Spirit be conformed to Christ's likeness.
Not only can we be restored as humans but more importantly as St Paul wrote “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Our relationship with God is restored and made whole again. And it is only by having that relationship restored, and by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, that reconciliation between people can be achieved. Only by recognising that we are all sinners; all equally in need of God's mercy; all unworthy recipients of God's grace; that we can truly forgive those who have sinned against us.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace and of the increase of his peace there will be no end (verse 7). We celebrate what he has achieved on the cross but look forward to his return when his eternal reign of peace will be over all the world. In the meantime, we are called to share this wonderful message: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7). Let's make the most of the opportunity that Christmas gives us to tell others the good news!
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