He Shall Be Their Peace
He Shall Be Their Peace
Peace seems to be a hot commodity today and often comes at a high price as many search for inner peace through a variety of outlets – whether it be some sort of addiction or some other fleeting moment that never truly satisfies (addiction can go beyond drugs and alcohol… tv, shopping, pornography, etc.). No doubt we live in a troubled world. American Politics (regardless of political leaning) and Culture are constantly on a collision course and the so-called “Mainstream Christianity” in America continues to move away from traditional orthodoxy. We need no further evidence of the fact that we live in a crazy, messed up, sin-sick world.
Not only is there what’s happening out there, but we also deal with our own set of issues. We have our own concerns for self, family, and for friends. We may be dealing with money issues, work problems, family divide, relationship issues, health related issues, or a whole host of other problems. Even in our own struggles against sin and temptation, it can leave us feeling that constant struggle and restlessness. Simply put, it just seems as though peace is simply too hard to find AND if you do find it, we’re often afraid about how long it might last.
Augustine was spot on when he described our restless souls. He said, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.” — Augustine of Hippo
Friends, in the midst of a world that often feels anything but peaceful, the message of Christmas remains unchanged: a Savior has been born who is Himself our peace.
Seven centuries before the manger in Bethlehem, the prophet Micah stood amid national crisis and spiritual unfaithfulness to declare a word of astonishing hope. Surrounded by the threat of Assyrian invasion and the moral failure of God’s people, Micah was given a vision of a coming Ruler who would arise from the small village of Bethlehem—One whose origin is from ancient days, who would shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, and who would Himself be their peace. Take a look at Micah chapter 5…
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for meone who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5 And he shall be their peace. – Micah 5:2-5
The promise is striking in its simplicity and profound in its implication: He shall be their peace.
Not merely a bringer of peace. Not simply a giver of peace. He Himself—Jesus the Messiah—is our peace. I love what Spurgeon said in his sermon on The Incarnation and Birth of Christ. He said, “In Christ alone God came down as low as He could possibly come, and in Christ alone He gives us a peace as deep as the depths to which He came.” — Charles Spurgeon, “The Incarnation and Birth of Christ”
The Context of the Promise
Micah ministered during a turbulent period in Judah’s history. Under unfaithful kings, the nation had drifted into idolatry and injustice. Yet even as judgment loomed, God refused to leave His people without hope. Through Micah, He announced that a day was coming when a child would be born in Bethlehem, a Ruler from of old who would stand and shepherd His people—and amid the continuing conflict and uncertainty, this coming King would be the very embodiment of their peace.
Seven hundred years later, that promise was fulfilled. In the humility of a stable, under the shadow of Roman occupation, the eternal Son of God entered human history. The angels’ announcement to the shepherds was not a wish for future tranquility but a declaration of present reality: “On earth peace among those with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14).
The Nature of Christ’s Peace
The peace Christ offers is markedly different from what the world pursues:
1.It Transcends Circumstances
True peace is not the absence of difficulty but the presence of Christ in the midst of difficulty. As our Lord Himself warned, “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). Yet in the same breath He declared, “Take heart; I have overcome the world.” The classic commentator, Matthew Henry said, “Peace is a such a precious jewel that would give anything for it but truth. But Jesus is the truth, and Jesus is our peace.” Friends, the peace of Christmas is not destroyed by hardship; it sustains us through it.
2. It Surpasses Understanding
The Apostle Paul describes this peace as that “which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). It enables believers to face profound loss, uncertainty, or suffering with a settled confidence that defies human explanation. Such peace is not natural to us—it is the supernatural fruit of Christ’s indwelling presence. Commentator F.B. Meyer said, “This peace can exist in the midst of discord; it is independent of outward circumstances and is secured by the presence of and inward Christ.” I like that!
3. It Is Continually Available
Before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27). This is not a temporary gift dependent on mood or circumstance, but a lasting provision rooted in Christ’s finished work and sustained by the Holy Spirit. Beloved theologian and pastor, Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, “Christ’s peace is not the peace of quietness or the peace of indifference. It is the peace of conquest and the peace of conscious rightness toward God” (Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Sermon on the Mount).
Application: Living in the Peace of Christ
1.Acknowledge Your Need
Honestly bring before the Lord the specific anxieties, conflicts, or burdens that are robbing you of peace. Name them in prayer—He already knows them, and naming them is the first step in releasing them.
2. Rest in the Gospel Daily
Remind yourself each morning of the objective truth of Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” No circumstance can undo this reconciliation.
3. Replace Anxiety with Prayer and Thanksgiving
Follow the clear pathway of Philippians 4:6-7: present your requests to God with thanksgiving, and the peace of God will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
4. Fix Your Mind on Christ
In moments of rising fear or unrest, turn your attention deliberately to Him. Meditate on His promises, sing hymns of His faithfulness, and recall that the One who stilled the storm still speaks “Peace, be still” to His people.
5.Receive Him as Lord and Peace
If you have never bowed your heart to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, the invitation stands today. The Prince of Peace is not distant—He draws near to all who call upon Him in truth.
A Concluding Exhortation
The message Micah delivered to a troubled nation remains the message of Christmas to a troubled world: the promised Ruler has come. The Child born in Bethlehem is the eternal King who has conquered sin and death, whoever lives to intercede for His people, and who this very moment offers Himself as your peace.
This Advent, set aside the fleeting pursuits that promise tranquility yet fail to deliver. Look again to the manger, to the cross, and to the empty tomb—and find in Jesus Christ the peace that the world cannot give and circumstances cannot take away.
He has come. He is here. He shall be their peace. He shall be your peace.
“The Prince of Peace did not come to bring a truce with this world; He came to bring us the peace of reconciliation with God, and then to send us out as makers of peace in a world at war with its Maker.” — John Piper
May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all this Christmas and always.
You Are Loved,
Pastor Pusch
