BEYOND CHRISTMAS TRUCE

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we will return to Isaiah's prophecy about Christ's coming and focus on what it means to see Jesus as Prince of Peace. When we look at the state of the world and often the state of our own troubled souls, we can be left thinking that this peace is entirely elusive. The kind of peace Christ's promised coming offers is represented in Hebrew using the word "Shalom," which has been defined as "the webbing together of God, humans and all creation in justice, fulfillment and delight." (C. Plantinga) In Isaiah 9:3-5, we get a picture of what this peace will look like. While ultimate fulfillment will come at Christ's second coming, His first coming means the reality of peace has broken in now.