Webster says that the word 'prince means, “the one of highest rank,” . “the sovereign.” How true this is of Christ. He is the only One who can bestow peace. It is His special gift to the hearts of all those who place their lives in His care and keeping. We can have peace now, not needing to wait for the years to come. It’s strange, isn’t it, that all wars even tually end at the peace table. Too bad that they couldn’t be averted though the peace table, before a shot is ever fired. But, suffice it to say, there is no person living today who will see the world free from the blood stain of war and destruction. As someone has well said, “Is it any wonder, with all of the high taxes, war debts, and peace failures, that a baby cries when he comes into the world?” Men cry “peace, peace, peace,” and yet there is no peace. But, amid all the fears and frustrations of men, comes the voice of God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, “My peace I give unto you.” There is no cost involved with this spiritual leg acy ; it is a free gift, our rightful in heritance, when we by faith accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour from sin. What is it that robs the world and men individually of peace? It is sin, basically and continually, sin in the human heart. Sin causes frustra tion, jealousy, hatred and lust; and when brought to fruition, peace is never attained. That is why when the sin question has been settled in your heart, you have that peace which God so yearns and waits to give unto you. Do you recall the hymn the angels sang in the long ago when they her alded the coming of the Saviour? It was fitting, for it spoke His ma jestic n am e : “Peace.” “Peace on earth, good will toward men.” The Lord Jesus Christ procured peace for us when He paid the penalty of our sins on Calvary’s cross. Without Him, we would still be without redemption, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 18
We also see that Christ maintains peace for us. He is ever seated at the right hand of God the Father, ever making intercession for us. For the Christian, there is the privilege of coming to confess his sins, to have the joy of salvation, to know the in dwelling peace of God. “Worry about nothing, and pray about everything,” is the scriptural prescription of Phi- lippians. “But in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanks giving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God “shall fortify your hearts and minds through Jesus C h ris t our Lord.” The same peace which God enjoys, you see, is what is promised to be set as a fort, a garrison, around our hearts and souls. There is an impressive s ta tu e which guards the entrance to a mu tual seaport between Chile and Ar gentina. At the end of 70 years of war, these twb countries realized the futility of bloodshed and lust for pow er. The statue of Christ was erected at the hilltops, three and a half miles above the sea. The image, 26 feet tall, stands on a forty-foot pedestal. It has this impressive inscription on the base: “Sooner shall all these mountains crumble to dust than that Argentines and Chileans break the peace which at the feet of Christ, the Eedeemer, they have sworn to main tain.” This is the peace which the Lord Jesus alone can bring; how fit ting then that His name should be called, “The Prince of Peace!” Long before Isaiah, under the in spiration of the Holy Spirit, spoke these words, Jacob referred to the Son of God as Shiloh, the Peacemak er, who could come out of Judah. And He did. He made peace, the Bible tells us, peace with God for man, “through the blood of His cross.” Before His coming, man was at enmity with God. Man has always failed to meas ure up to the holy standards of God’s righteousness could be fulfilled, by ordaining a perfect sacrifice to take
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