Twenty-seven hundred years ago, the prophet Isaiah predicted the coming of the Prince of Peace. The announcement of His birth was made by angels to the shepherds who watched their flocks by night. They said, “Peace on earth,” and “Good will to men.”
Sadly, Jerusalem, the “city of Peace,” rejected Him and has never known peace since. The Psalmist has requested that we pray for the peace of Jerusalem. She will never have peace, however, until Israel confesses her sin and repents of rejecting the Prince of Peace. That day will not come until the Lord returns and His feet stand on the Mount of Olives.
In the meantime, the gospel of peace goes out to both Jew and Gentile. To those who believe it, there comes peace with God; and to those who walk in the way of peace there comes the joy of knowing the God of Peace.
To those who are peacemakers comes the blessings of peace. To those who refuse to worry comes the joy of knowing the peace of God. Paul exhorts the Christians to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts because we have been called to peace. He taught that the bond of peace would enable us to keep the unity of the Spirit. He also assured us that the result of submitting to the control of the Holy Spirit would bring peace.
The Prince of Peace was born in the City of David. He died in the city of Peace. He will one day occupy the throne of David in the city of Peace: “He shall bear the glory, and shall…be a priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zech. 6:13).
The invitation to all of us is to walk the path of peace. In order for us to experience the peace of God, we must come not only to Bethlehem and gaze on the manger, we must also come to Jerusalem and kneel at the cross. Bethlehem is only five or six miles from Jerusalem. Yet that short trip is one of the longest in the world. It involves the exchange of our sins for the peace of God. Will you accept the good news of peace? Will you walk with me the path of peace?