The Prophecy of Christ | Prince of Peace

There is a song I love — it’s not a Christmas song, but it’s one I cling to amid my anxious moments.

“Is it true there’s no room in this house for an anxious heart? Does that mean I have to leave, go, and find another place to start? Does it mean You’re kind enough to save me? Does it mean You’re good enough to change me? When the fear sets in, and I don’t know what to do. You’re the Prince of Peace, and my heart belongs to You.” — No Room for An Anxious Heart by Chris Renzema.

For most of my life, I have struggled with anxiety and panic attacks. Growing up in the church, I always felt ashamed for dealing with these things because I felt there was a stigma that if you struggled with anxiety or worry, then you didn’t trust God enough. When I would open up about my struggles with anxiety, I was always told to just pray about it more. And if I were still struggling, that must mean I hadn’t been praying. No matter how hard I tried, it felt like I couldn’t shake this anxiety that followed me everywhere I went.

I haven’t been ‘“cured” of my anxiety. I still struggle with it, and that’s okay. I know God will take care of me through these hardships. I know my heart belongs to Christ — the Prince of Peace — and when I seek His face, He will help me through the waves. And He will do the same for you.

Through the years, I’ve pondered the question, “How is Jesus our Prince of Peace?” So, I would like to explore that for a few moments today.

1️⃣ He restores our relationships.

Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah calls Jesus the Prince of Peace. He was the one to come that would reconcile our relationship with God. After the fall, humanity was put at odds with God, facing separation from Him. With Jesus’ birth on earth, He was the one sent to be the propitiation for our sins, our Savior, dying on the cross for the sins of the world. And through His death and resurrection, we have the opportunity to place our faith and trust in Him, reestablishing our relationship with God. As one of the most well-known verses states,

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16

Through our relationship with the Prince of Peace, He also calls us to be peacemakers.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” — Matthew 5:9

As children of the Prince of Peace, we carry His peace with us so we can be peacemakers who go out into this world and shine the light and love of Jesus.

We also are given the ability to bring peace to broken relationships. We have a natural desire to sin; that’s why we are in such desperate need of Jesus; in our sinful tendencies, we may hurt others along the way. If we are in Christ, we should aim to be peacemakers, restoring the brokenness in our relationships even when it’s hard. Our peace is restored through the gift of eternal life, allowing us to love like Jesus. A step to repairing broken relationships is loving well, as Jesus loves us.

2️⃣ He settles the war within us.

We were made in God’s image; He knit us together in our mother’s womb. God created each of us intimately and intricately. He knows us better than we know ourselves. We are born with a desire to be saved and loved — fully. And before knowing that perfect love of God, we will be longing and searching for something to satisfy us and fill that void in our hearts.

“For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” — Psalm 107:9

When Jesus Christ becomes Lord of our lives, He settles that war of longing — the war against ourselves that chooses sin, shame, and doubt, deteriorating our self-image. Jesus brings peace to our inner turmoil. We will still fight sin and temptations when we are in a relationship with Jesus, but when we fix our gaze on Him and ask for His strength, Christ is quick to be right beside us, cleansing us from our sins and filling us with peace.

3️⃣ He is our true source of peace.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33

Jesus was straightforward. His word says we wouldn’t have it easy on earth. We would still fight sin and experience pain, loss, and discouraging moments. But He gives us the gift of His Spirit to be right there with us in every moment. He is truly the only pure and real source of peace we will know on earth, peace that isn’t temporary or fleeting but steadfast.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” — John 14:27

Jesus, our Prince of Peace, is present with us through the Holy Spirit. We can lean on Him to be our strength and comfort in times of worry. He is kind enough to save us and will change us from the inside out. He is the King of our hearts; we belong to Him. We don’t have to run away when facing hardship or anxiety; we can run to Him. He came to be our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

I pray you can experience the comfort of our Prince of Peace. I hope you have the courage to run to Jesus with everything and let Him in.

I encourage you to rest on this quote as we venture through this Christmas season. And I pray that the celebration of the incarnation of Christ fills you with renewed hope and joy this year.

“Once in our world, a stable had something bigger in it than our whole world.” — C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle.