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Peace on Earth Made Possible Now

  

In many Christian traditions, peace is the focus of the second week of Advent. As we reflect on this prompt, we may think of Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and look forward to the day when He’ll make peace our permanent state of existence. No conflict. No worry. No confusion. No frustration. No anger. No heartbreak. No pain.

But peace is more than something to look forward to. It’s also something we can learn to practice now. Throughout His life on this earth, Jesus showed the way. We learn that way by studying the Gospels. Through our determination, with the help of God’s Spirit, our practice of peace can help make this world more harmonious now.

This is true because Jesus is our peace. Ephesians 2:14 tells us this. In the passage containing this statement, Paul is addressing hostility between Jews and Gentiles. He says that Jesus reconciled, that is, made peace between, the two groups through His death on the cross (v. 16) and that through Jesus, all people, not one group or another, now have access to the Father (v. 18). Jesus taught peace. Jesus lived peace. Now Jesus lives in us, enabling us to carry His peace into every situation.

According to Romans 15:4-6, it is our focus on Christ that unifies us as His people. In these verses, Paul describes a progression:

  • The Bible teaches us about the endurance of those who came before us. They did not have it easy, but they kept following God.
  • As we follow in their footsteps, persevering no matter what, we discover hope. Our hope is in the promises of God that we know He will keep. Our hope is in Jesus Christ.
  • Shared hope helps us develop a Christ-like attitude toward each other. We’re all serving Christ together. All sincere believers are striving to live His way, enduring by the encouragement of God’s Word.
  • This Christ-like attitude toward one another brings us together to praise God. One unified voice. Harmonic peace.
  • We begin to experience life as it is in heaven here on earth (Matthew 6:9), God’s will being done as we wait for heaven.

In Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge had to look at his past to understand its upcoming impact on his future before he could find the motivation, that is, the sincere desire, to live right: to treat people with loving kindness, compassion, and equity. In doing so, Scrooge found peace.

Similarly, at Christmas, we look at the Baby who came to give us a future in heaven. As we come to understand that Baby is now and forevermore will be our king, we find the motivation, the sincere desire, to live God’s way. Without Baby Jesus, we’re no better off than Dickens’ Jacob Marley.

Jesus is our king. He is not our future king. He is our king now. As we rely on His Spirit to direct us, He will bring our thoughts and actions into harmony both with God and with each other. By focusing on Him, we will experience His peace.

* * *

“The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.” –Isaiah 11:6, NIV

* * *

Photo by Phil Robson on Unsplash

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