Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Without Jesus there is no peace; those who know Jesus have peace. He alone is the giver of peace. What is the peace He gives?
The Hebrew word for peace is “shalom,” and it forms the basis of the New Testament message of peace as well. The term appears more than 200 times in the Old Testament. Basically it means calmness, quietness, freedom from anxiety, tranquility. The root meaning of shalom is “to be whole.” Shalom describes a “state of being at ease.” It pictures a condition in which people “feel at ease or comfortable with each other.” Shalom may suggest either a personal, internal peace in the heart of an individual or an external peace between people or nation. Shalom is personal, spiritual, and inward. It give us inward tranquility and harmony. It is a peace that gives us victory no matter how hard our personal lives become or how difficult the circumstances are that we face. Shalom “puts our minds at ease,” despite the stress, anxiety, tension, pressures, or worries that may come our way.
It becomes clear throughout the New Testament, especially in the letters of Paul, that Jesus is the source and giver of shalom, of peace.
The Prince of Peace grants both inward and external peace. His peace is personal and collective. It is for us as individual children of God and for His world. His peace gives us victory over personal anxiety and stress and also liberates our world from the ravages and rages of war.
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