by Ryan Mayberry
Synopsis: "For 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).
Centuries before Jesus walked on this earth, it was prophesied that He would be the "Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6). This is echoed in Luke 2:13-14, which says, "And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.'"
Christ's coming signified the coming of peace to this world. What is the peace that is described in these verses? Are we to view it as an earthly peace or a heavenly peace? The answer is clearly the latter. Otherwise, how would we ever accept that Christ is the "Prince of Peace" when He Himself said, "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matt. 10:34)? The peace that Christ brought to us is a heavenly peace. Whenever Jesus came to this world, wars did not magically cease. Swords were not sheathed and put away. Armies did not disband and disappear. Rather, mankind was given a chance to be with Christ in a place where every tear is wiped away—a place with no death, mourning, crying, or pain (Rev. 21:4). We were given a chance for eternal peace. This is a peace between man and God. John 16:33 states, "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." We will not necessarily have a life of peace on this earth; there will be toils and tribulations that we must face. With Christ, however, we can overcome this world and live forever in peace with Him. The world views the peace of Christ as something that unites sinners and saints and makes it to where they can all work together in harmony.
Is everyone guaranteed this perfect peace? No, they are not. It requires us to work to obtain it. Everyone who seeks after God will have this peace. We see a qualifier in the New American Standard version of Luke 12:14, which reads, "Peace among men with whom He is pleased." The New International Version states, "Peace to those on whom his favor rests." In all of these renditions, it is clear that action is required. We see in Romans 5:1 that we must render obedience by faith to Jesus before we can access this peace that He has promised. "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Whenever there is sin in our lives, there is an absence of peace. There is a gulf fixed between us and God if we choose to allow sin to remain in our lives. "Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God" (Isa. 59:2). The world views the peace of Christ as something that is automatically bestowed on all, regardless of their actions. Such is not the case. We see from the Holy Scriptures that it is dependent on the way we live our lives.
So, we've looked at some of the misconceptions regarding Jesus being the Prince of Peace, but what about the multitude of errors concerning His birth? Many different misconceptions exist regarding the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let's look at a few of them.
The world celebrates the birth of Christ on December 25th, but as Albert Barnes states, "It is very unlikely that Jesus was born on December 25, or even during the winter season, for, 'There were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night' (Luke 2:8). During the winter months, it is cold, and especially in the high and mountainous regions about Bethlehem. Shepherds were not in the habit of spending the night in the open at this time of year" (Barnes Notes on Luke 2:8). In fact, it was not until centuries after Christ's death that it was affirmed that December 25th was the day of his birth. "December 25th was first declared to be the birthday of Christ by Liberius, bishop of Rome in AD 354" (World Book Encyclopedia, 3:1425).
This is just one of the misconceptions regarding Christ's birth. Another mistaken idea is the idea that three wise men visited Christ on the night of His birth. First, how many wise men were there? Was it three? We don't actually know. There is no mention of the number of wise men. We do know one fact, though. It is very likely that the wise men came to visit several weeks, if not months, after the birth of Jesus. Matthew tells us that, when they found Jesus, they went "into the house" (Matt. 2:1-11). There is no mention of the manger. "They came to Jerusalem after Jesus had been presented in the temple, and taken back to Bethlehem, and, therefore, when the infant Jesus was more than forty days old. They must have come at least forty days before the death of Herod, for he spent the last forty days of his life at Jericho and the baths of Callirrhoe; the wise men found him still at Jerusalem. Jesus must, therefore, have been at least 80 days old when Herod died" (McGarvey 27-28).
So with all of these misconceptions, on what should we truly focus? The significance of Christ's birth is given relevance through His sacrificial death. The birth of Christ is not the source of our salvation; it is not what truly brings peace into this world; rather, the death of Christ is what gives us a chance to go to heaven (Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 2:9). We have a opportunity for eternal peace with God our Father, thanks to the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Only in Heaven will we dwell with our Eternal Father and the Prince of Peace.
McGarvey, J.W. The Fourfold Gospel. Bowling Green, KY: Guardian of Truth Foundation, 2009.
Barnes, Albert. Notes on the New Testament: Explanatory and Practical. Vol. 2. Luke and John. London: Blackie and Son, 1884.
Author Bio: Ryan is an adjuster at Farmers Insurance in the Houston, TX area. He and his wife, Emilee, attend at Adoue Street Church of Christ in Alvin, TX. He can be reached at ryanmayberry@live.com
