Deeper Reflection
On one view, the Prince of Peace is the ideal Davidic King who, by His military strength, establishes a safe socio-economic environment for His people.¹¹ By destroying the enemies of His people, the King brings about the blessings of peace, safety and prosperity for His people.¹²A more important aspect of the Prince of Peace is His character and reconciling work. The Lord Jesus Christ is a peaceable, peace-loving and peace-making King (Eph 2:11-22; Col 1:19-23). In the sacrifice of His own body and by His blood shed on the cross, Christ has reconciled sinners to God, as well as sinners to one another. Christ has broken down the dividing wall of hostility. He has removed separation and alienation. The Lord has killed hostility in order to establish peace. Therefore, there is no longer to be any hostility and separation between Jewish believers and Gentile believers. They are one body in Christ (Eph 2:14-16). They are fellow citizens of the same household of God, joined together as one holy temple in the Lord, and built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit (Eph 2:19-22).It must sadden the Lord Jesus to see so much hostility and violence between human beings and nations in our fallen world, when He has done all that was necessary for people everywhere to repent of their sins,receive forgiveness from God and live in peace with one another. As Jesus’ disciples, let us align our will to the Lord’s and seek the Holy Spirit’s empowerment to be peacemakers wherever God has placed us in our families, neighbourhoods, church communities, schools and workplaces.

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¹¹ NET Bible translation note. ¹² For example, see Psalm 72.