01/12/2026
I received this in an email from the GMC and thought it was worthy of sharing. Please take the time to read. "Prince of Peace
For a Child has been born for us, a Son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)
We have officially closed the Christmas Season and January 6th marks the beginning of Epiphany. This Season (which lasts from now until Ash Wednesday) is a journey through the unfolding revelation of who Jesus is and what he has done for us. During Epiphany, we reflect on the Manifestation of God’s Love in the birth of Jesus Christ, the invitation to the Gentile Magi to come and worship the Jewish King, the proclamation that Jesus is God’s Only Son at his baptism, the prophetic witness of Simeon and Anna at his presentation in the Temple, and culminating on the revelation of Jesus’ divinity at the Transfiguration. At Christmas, we proclaim that the Prince of Peace has come; during Epiphany, we ponder what that really means.
So, what does it mean? What are we really saying when we say that Jesus is “Prince of Peace,” that his birth heralds “Peace on earth, and good will toward all people?” Unfortunately, our language has become so narrow, our vernacular so reductive, that our words lack power and fail to evoke the imagination in any meaningful way. When we say “peace,” what we tend to mean is something like a cessation in hostility, a cease fire, a temporary lull in some conflict. If that’s all “peace” amounts to then Jesus has come for nothing more than to call a time out in the ongoing boxing match of human drama. If that is the limit of our scriptural imagination then it is no wonder modern Christians have been able to reduce the Gospel, the cosmic Good News of God’s power and saving grace, to nothing more than another social movement.
But, thanks be to God, the biblical definition of peace is so much more! Both the Hebrew, shálōm (שׁלום) and the Greek eírēnē (εἰρήνη) mean far more than the absence of war. They both mean wholeness and completeness, well-being and health, prosperity and safety, inner and outer tranquility, perfect accord and harmony. This is what Paul meant when he said, “The Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way” (2 Thess 3:16). It’s what Jesus meant when he said, “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)!
Yet, despite angelic proclamation, many people don’t experience “peace on earth and good will.” They don’t know the reality of shalom, of eirene, of God’s perfect peace. People live, right at this moment, disinherited from their birthright, dispossessed of the promise, disenfranchised from the blessing, and disaffiliated from God’s shalom. When we look at the state of broken humanity in this broken world, how do we have the audacity to say, “Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us?” But that’s the Gospel, isn’t it? That’s the Good News. At the center of the Christian message is a promise of uplifting the poor, releasing the captives, restoring the outcast, recovery of vision, and freedom for the oppressed. Yes, it’s a future promise, but it’s not just a future promise. It’s an imminent promise. The deposit that promise is now! Jesus is here, with us, in this moment! That’s what Emmanuel is. Jesus entered the human condition and, taking it all upon himself, exchanged our pain, sin, and brokenness for his own perfect Peace!
We indeed have a story to tell the nations!! Now, Go light your world.
