His Name shall be called the Prince of Peace

I said earlier that this verse (Isaiah 9:6), contains a reference to Christ's second coming. In the Hebrew Scriptures, there are two pictures of the coming Messiah. The first is that of the suffering servant (Isaiah 53 for example), the second the conquering Messiah (“You are My Son .... I will give You the nations for Your inheritance ... You shall break them with a rod of iron” Psalm 2:7-9). The two advents together are “to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness” (Daniel 9:24). In the coming Kingdom there will be peace, even to the lion lying down with the lamb (see Isaiah 11:6). In the Hebrew Scriptures, the two advents are often seen together and, without 20/20 hindsight are difficult to separate. It is clear that “Unto us a child is born, is talking about His first advent. But we see it is also about His second in the earlier part of the verse where “the government shall be upon His shoulders, ” and in context (verse 7) “Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end.”

To confirm that this latter description is not about His fist coming (if it's not already obvious) we could quote “They dress the wound of my people lightly saying 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace.” It feels very much like a description of here and now! But at the start of His ministry, Jesus announced “The Kingdom is at hand” (Mark 1:15). He is saying that the Kingdom is both here, and not yet here,  in it's fullness. The Prince of peace comes to bring peace,  peace with God (Romans 5:1), and the peace of God (Philippians 4:7). It starts with those of us who know Him. We receive the peace of God when we come to Him in full surrender (Matthew 11:28, 29; John 14:27). And it is intended to spread from us like yeast “through the whole lump (Matthew 13:13). The peace we carry is part of the fruit of the indwelling Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and when we fully live it, it is infectious. Have you ever seen the Lord work through Your peace to bring peace to another as without speech  you simply sat with them them, perhaps  holding their hand?

But will this peace ever infiltrate the whole World? Well no, the wheat and the weeds will grow together until the harvest (Matthew 13:30). In the meantime we are to be Ambassadors of the Prince of peace imploring others on Christ’s behalf, to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20), imploring them to receive both peace with God, and the peace of God. And as we pass from the old year to the new, let us renew our confidence in Him receiving His hope and peace and joy and love morning by morning through out the coming year.

Father I want to thank You that You have made our lives significant, in that as we fully engage in the type of discipleship we have been discussing, we actually hasten the day of the Lord (2 Peter 3:11, 12). Lord Jesus, teach us to be lovers of Your appearing (2 Timothy 4:8). Equip us Lord with zeal according to knowledge, and spend us Lord, like a penny in Your pocket that we may bring You honour and glory and praise in the coming year in Your precious and Holy Name we pray Amen