GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 446

Peace On Earth

It’s Christmas

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. (Gal 4:4, NLT)

To many around the world they are celebrating Christmas, the day when tradition says Jesus was born. I know that the true meaning may be lost on the masses, but it is a day when we stop the busyness of our year to honor the time when God sent His only son to earth to live, die for our sins, resurrect, and ascend back to Heaven where ever intercedes for us. That’s a lot to honor, but not everyone does it. To many it is just another holiday or even just another day since their religion doesn’t see Jesus as anyone other than a good man and wise teacher, if that. For the Jews, they actually saw Jesus as the enemy and demanded that He be killed. But these Jewish leaders were not inherently evil but misguided. They are still looking for a the promised Messiah, one who would fulfill prophecies like this one:

For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder. These will be his royal titles: “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” “The Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6, TLB)

We know that Jesus was that messiah, but the Jews of His day and even those today are still praying for this verse to be fulfilled. For them, Christmas has yet to happen.

Prince Of Peace

That phrase just rolls off our tongues this time of year. It’s in endless songs about Christmas and it should be. It’s one of those titles that means pretty much what we think it means, Jesus will be the bringer of peace. To the Jews in the time of Jesus it also represented a time when they wouldn’t be ruled by the Romans so it had a political connotation, too. When His disciples and other followers saw all the miracles He performed they also had high hopes that this prophecy from Isaiah would happen as well. After being ruled by Egyptians, Babylonians, and now the Romans they really wanted the reigning version of the Messiah to show up and Jesus fit the bill. But the peace He brought wasn’t political, it was internal. To those in power, He was a threat, to those without power, He was a disappointment. He was royalty, but not one that would also rule over the world when He came this time. The first time, God came as the apostle John tells us:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14, NKJV)

Not only did He became a man, He first came as a newborn baby, something that many had a hard time grasping. How could an infant born to lowly parents bring peace?

Peace Is Personal

This is yet another hard concept to understand, but when Jews say shalom, some see it as a greeting as noted in an article from gotquestions.org:

Commonly translated as “peace” and used as both a greeting and farewell, shalom has rich meaning in Hebrew. “Peace” is an accurate translation of the term, but shalom implies more than lack of conflict. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, shalom means “completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.” It is translated “success” and used as part of an inspired blessing in 1 Chronicles 12:18. Shalom is applicable to an external peace between two entities—such as individuals or nations—and to an internal sense of peace within the individual.

However, the Bible also shows us that peace is also a person:

For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us… (Eph 2:14, AMPC)

Just as Jesus doesn’t only tell us the truth, He said He is the Truth. Truth is personal at its base level. And peace is also personal at its base level. When we pray for peace in our lives, we’re really asking for Jesus to be in our lives more. Interestingly though, we’re doing the same every day in this podcast when we do what we’re told in this verse:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. (Ps 122:6, KJV)

While we are wanting things to become more peaceful in the region by specifically asking for peace there, we’re also praying for Jesus to be the peace in the Jews lives. We’re literally asking for them to know Jesus as He becomes their messiah. This verse accomplishes many things at the same time. The Greek word for peace from Ephesians 2:14 is the corresponding word for shalom in the Old Testament. So when Paul tells us that Jesus brings peace he means knowing Jesus as messiah brings Him literally into the their world.

The Peace Of Jerusalem

While I’m making my point, I want to let us know that we still want things to settle down in the Middle East. Going back to the Greek word for peace, we read from a commentary on the word that it still points to the end of physical war:

In the Greco-Roman world, "eiréné" was commonly understood as the absence of war and conflict, a concept highly valued in a time of frequent military campaigns. However, the biblical concept of peace extends beyond mere absence of strife to encompass a holistic sense of well-being and fulfillment. In the Hebrew tradition, this aligns with the concept of "shalom," which includes completeness, soundness, and welfare. The New Testament writers, influenced by this rich Hebrew understanding, present "eiréné" as a divine gift, often linked to the work of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

As we continue to pray Psalm 122:6 over Israel and their current battles with terrorists from all sides, we also want to see peace in their individual lives. I’ve heard that almost three quarters of the Israel Defense Force are messianic Jews, but I can’t confirm that, but I do know that there are a large number as noted in a recent article on the subject. However, a great many leaders in Israel know prophecy from the Old Testament and are very aware of them in connection with the current war. As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem let us also add in that the Prince of Peace becomes a very real part of all those living in the region.