Some seven hundred years before the Word was made flesh and dwelt among men (John 1:14), the prophet Isaiah described the coming Messiah as "the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Our Lord Jesus lived a life of peace, taught men how to have peace, provided the means for peace via His death, and established a kingdom of peace. He gave His followers a peace that is far above any pseudo-peace that the world has to offer. He told His apostles, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you" (John 14:27).

Man’s need for peace is undeniable. Hatred, violence, murder, and war have far too often filled the pages of man’s history. Today, the number of suicides is increasing worldwide, as more and more people want to "escape" their emptiness or turmoil-filled lives. What is it that people are lacking in their life? Answer: The Prince of Peace!

The daily news is dominated by events which show what happens when men live without the Christ. The bombings, destructive rioting, and shooting sprees that we hear or read about on almost a daily basis don’t shock us as much as they once did, because they have become so common place. Regardless of how psychologists, economists, or politicians analyze these and other forms of bizarre behavior, in those cases where violence and wrongdoing are involved, God’s book has this to say: "Their feet run to evil … the way of peace they know not" (Isaiah 59:7,8). Men and women of our day know no peace because they walk not with the Prince of Peace.

Is it possible for men to have peace with the God of heaven? The Bible declares that Jesus "made peace through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:20). The Savior came to bring true and lasting peace, reconciling men to God through His death (Romans 5:10). To be reconciled to God means to have peace with Him. Through Jesus’ blood the sin that separated us from the Father has been washed away. Yes, God offers us peace with Him through Jesus. However, we must remember that this peace is conditional. Only when men walk in harmony with God’s will can this peace be achieved and maintained.

Another type of peace that we enjoy through the Prince of Peace is peace with our fellow man. Before Jesus came to this earth the Jews and Gentiles were bitter enemies. But look at what Jesus did: "For he is our peace, who hath made both [Jew and Gentile, rdc] one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us … for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace" (Ephesians 2:14,15). In the Christ Jew and Gentile, people of all races, from all classes and walks of life, are brought together as one family. In Him "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). Men can argue and conduct endless conferences to discuss the means of achieving world peace, but the simple truth is this: the only way to obtain and maintain peace between men is through the Prince of Peace and His gospel of peace. Only when men submit themselves to and follow Jesus the Messiah can there be any hope for genuine peace.

A third kind of peace which Jesus offers is peace with self, the peace that one can have in his own heart. This is "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding," (Philippians 4:7), and which peace we are to allow to "rule" in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). Let it be clear to all that this feeling of peace must be based on one’s right relationship with the Lord. In other words, the proper order is: first, be reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus and obedience to His will, then the "inner" peace follows.

How much are you and I doing to tell others about Jesus’ gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15)? How serious are we about helping the world to know the peace that only Jesus can provide? If we really want peace for our families, our country, and the world, then let us be enthusiastic about teaching the message of the Prince of Peace!

-- Roger D. Campbell