December 21
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. … Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.
–Luke 2:11,14
It’s hard to imagine a time when peace did not exist. But when we look back on that first Christmas, it was a time in history that was filled with despair. The peace that God created in the Garden of Eden had been broken.
But then, at long last, the Savior of the world arrived. The One who would change everything. The Prince of Peace.
The Greek word used in the New Testament for peace is eirene (pronounced “i-ray-nay”), meaning quietness, rest, completeness.
Is there anything more peaceful than the flawless perfection of a newborn? Is there a more wondrous way that God could have introduced peace back into the world than through a
brand new baby?
There are many places where we can find a sense of peace… I can find it in a good cup of coffee in the quiet of the morning, or while staring out into the crashing waves of the ocean. But the biblical concept of eirene, or peace, is much deeper than that. It indicates inner satisfaction, contentment and true human flourishing… when things are as God intended. There is only one source of this type of peace the Bible speaks of… It’s the one that Mary marveled in on that first Christmas night.
–Luke 2:11,14
It’s hard to imagine a time when peace did not exist. But when we look back on that first Christmas, it was a time in history that was filled with despair. The peace that God created in the Garden of Eden had been broken.
But then, at long last, the Savior of the world arrived. The One who would change everything. The Prince of Peace.
The Greek word used in the New Testament for peace is eirene (pronounced “i-ray-nay”), meaning quietness, rest, completeness.
Is there anything more peaceful than the flawless perfection of a newborn? Is there a more wondrous way that God could have introduced peace back into the world than through a
brand new baby?
There are many places where we can find a sense of peace… I can find it in a good cup of coffee in the quiet of the morning, or while staring out into the crashing waves of the ocean. But the biblical concept of eirene, or peace, is much deeper than that. It indicates inner satisfaction, contentment and true human flourishing… when things are as God intended. There is only one source of this type of peace the Bible speaks of… It’s the one that Mary marveled in on that first Christmas night.
There is only one source of this type of peace the Bible speaks of
Luke 2:15-18 describes the shepherds coming to see the miraculous child the angels told them about. Then they went to spread the good news! But Mary? She sat in awe of her newborn son.
“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them
in her heart,” we read in Luke 2:19.
As the world moved about, Mary took the time to delight in the fulfillment of God’s promise to her nine months before. I imagine that, in that moment, all her worry, pain and anxiety were swept away by the peace that lay snuggled in her arms. She soaked it all in, sitting still in the wonder that was before her.
This verse about Mary makes her very relatable. She was simply a new mom, with all the same fears, hopes, anticipation and excitement that we all experience when becoming parents.
Like Mary, I had a child at Christmastime. And I can still remember the perfect peace I felt when I looked into my newborn daughter's eyes. I knew she was God’s gift to me, and I could see His reflection in her innocent little soul.
But it didn't take long for the chaos of life to take its hold and take away that perfect peace. Because we live in a broken world, peace isn't always easy to come by... The struggles of life can overwhelm us.
This Christmas season, you may be struggling to find peace. Maybe you’re longing for something in your life, something you’re sure will bring you happiness. But I encourage you today to remember that there is only One who can provide complete peace…
Mary may have been an ordinary woman, like you and me, but the child who laid in her arms that first Christmas night was an extraordinary being, unlike any before or after Him. Because Mary’s child was also her Savior… our Savior! He came to offer us all peace and hope in this broken world. He is the Prince of Peace! And if we place our faith in Him, whether our earthly desires come to pass or not, we will find ourselves with a kind of inner peace that makes no earthly sense.
Will you let Him be your source of peace?
“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them
in her heart,” we read in Luke 2:19.
As the world moved about, Mary took the time to delight in the fulfillment of God’s promise to her nine months before. I imagine that, in that moment, all her worry, pain and anxiety were swept away by the peace that lay snuggled in her arms. She soaked it all in, sitting still in the wonder that was before her.
This verse about Mary makes her very relatable. She was simply a new mom, with all the same fears, hopes, anticipation and excitement that we all experience when becoming parents.
Like Mary, I had a child at Christmastime. And I can still remember the perfect peace I felt when I looked into my newborn daughter's eyes. I knew she was God’s gift to me, and I could see His reflection in her innocent little soul.
But it didn't take long for the chaos of life to take its hold and take away that perfect peace. Because we live in a broken world, peace isn't always easy to come by... The struggles of life can overwhelm us.
This Christmas season, you may be struggling to find peace. Maybe you’re longing for something in your life, something you’re sure will bring you happiness. But I encourage you today to remember that there is only One who can provide complete peace…
Mary may have been an ordinary woman, like you and me, but the child who laid in her arms that first Christmas night was an extraordinary being, unlike any before or after Him. Because Mary’s child was also her Savior… our Savior! He came to offer us all peace and hope in this broken world. He is the Prince of Peace! And if we place our faith in Him, whether our earthly desires come to pass or not, we will find ourselves with a kind of inner peace that makes no earthly sense.
Will you let Him be your source of peace?
Peace // Prince of Peace | Melissa Parker
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