Read: Matthew 2:1-18
His name shall be called . . . Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6)
The picture on social media caught my breath: an image of a child being pulled from rubble in a war-torn land. My heart broke as I realized the child was dead. It’s sometimes easy for me to forget, in the relatively peaceful land where I live, that wars rage all the time, all over the globe.
Even after the first Christmas, violence erupted and children died. The child Jesus inspired intense devotion, as the Magi traveled hundreds of miles just to bow before him. But the child Jesus also inspired intense persecution. In an effort to destroy his perceived rival, King Herod “gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem” (Matt. 2:16 NIV). What a sad fulfillment of the prophesied “weeping and great mourning” (v. 18 NIV). How could this be the way the world greeted the Prince of Peace? More than 2,000 years later, how can we still be facing the same sad lack of peace on earth?
During Advent, we look forward to our celebration of the infant Jesus. But we also look forward to the day when Christ will come again in glory. Some aspects of Jesus’s identity have not yet been fully realized on earth. When Jesus walked among us the first time, he came to offer peace to the hearts of individuals who trust in him. When he comes a second time, he will truly reign over the whole world as the Prince of Peace.
As you pray, ask God to bring an end to wars and to protect all who are in their path.
About the Author
Sarah Sanderson is the author of The Place We Make: Breaking the Legacy of Legalized Hate. She lives with her husband and their four teenage children in Oregon.
