Incredible Peace

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6

4:30 a.m. Christmas morning and the house is still, the only sounds - the occasional hum of the furnace and the gentle click of the keys as I type this devotion. Outside it is clear and cool; the half moon still seems so bright. It is calm and peaceful. I like early mornings for just that reason, they are peaceful. Early mornings are good for thinking, and this Christmas morning it’s a good time for thinking about why we celebrate Christmas.

What was it like in Bethlehem 2000 years ago when God stepped into time and the history of mankind as a baby born in a stable? This child, this son - who the prophet Isaiah said would be called among other things the Prince of Peace. It would be hard to say whether or not the city filled to capacity because of the census was calm and peaceful. But stables can be peaceful places and I suspect that this particular one was very peaceful following the birth of God’s Son. 

Before Jesus went to the cross he told his disciples “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you…” (John 14:27). A special kind of peace is a gift given by the One called the Prince of Peace. Paul tells the Philippian church: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). 

This peace that transcends our understanding is the kind of peace experienced on battlefields where Christmas truces stand. This kind of peace can be experienced in the midst cancer battles and the other storms of life. This kind of peace filled a lowly Bethlehem stable as a child lay sleeping in a manger. This kind of peace was given to us from a Roman cross and made permanent by an empty tomb.

As you celebrate Christmas may you experience - awe inspiring joy, the light of God’s love, the incredible hope He brings and the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Merry Christmas!

A Prayer
Father, what an incredible gift Christmas is. Thank you for your Son and the joy, love, hope and peace He gives us. May we be filled to overflowing today and every day so that we can share your gifts with those around us. In the name of Jesus who is the best gift giver and the greatest gift, Amen.