"Peace" | December 14, 2025 | Ps Christina Lowery

There's something deeply comforting about Christmas carols. When we sing "Silent Night, Holy Night" or "O Little Town of Bethlehem," we close our eyes and envision peaceful scenes - quiet starlight, gentle shepherds, a serene manger. We sing about sleeping in heavenly peace, about calm and tranquil nights. These images stir something in our souls, awakening a longing for the peace we desperately crave.

But here's the tension: for many of us, the word "peace" sits heavy on our hearts. We sing about it, we long for it, we imagine it - but we don't feel it. Our lives look nothing like those peaceful Christmas scenes. Instead, we're running frantically from one obligation to another. Our minds race with anxiety. Our relationships are marked by dysfunction rather than harmony. And the world around us seems to be in a constant state of upheaval.

So where is this peace we keep singing about?

Peace Born in Chaos

The prophet Isaiah spoke of a coming king who would be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Beautiful words. Hopeful words. But here's what we often miss: Isaiah didn't write these words while sipping hot cocoa in a cozy cabin. He received this prophecy from God during a time of national crisis for Israel - a time of political fear, military threats, and societal breakdown. Peace was nowhere in sight.

Seven hundred years later, when this prophecy was finally fulfilled and Jesus was born, not much had changed. The world Jesus entered was anything but calm. Roman oppression. Political unrest. Heavy taxation. Violent leadership. In fact, King Herod was so threatened by the possibility of a rival king that he ordered the murder of all baby boys two years old and under in Bethlehem.

This is the world the Prince of Peace was born into.

And let's not romanticize the birth itself. Jesus wasn't born in the world's finest hospital with the best medical care. He was born in the middle of the night in a dirty animal stable, likely in a feeding trough that smelled like manure. Meanwhile, his parents were far from home, vulnerable, and without the support of family.

This wasn't a peaceful scene. It was chaos.

And yet, into this chaos, heaven sent its armies - not to wage war, but to declare with authority: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

Notice the military language. The scripture says a "vast host" - literally translated as "God's military company" - filled the sky. These weren't delicate, glittery angels gently fluttering about. These were heaven's enforcers, its warriors, showing up to proclaim that peace had arrived with the full weight and authority of heaven behind it.

The Prince of Peace Doesn't Wait for Calm

Here's the revolutionary truth: the Prince of Peace doesn't enter into the calm. He enters into the chaos.

Jesus didn't wait for things to get better. He didn't wait for Mary to find a clean birthing room. He didn't wait for political stability or social order. He came right into the mess - the mess of poverty, the mess of oppression, the mess of a dark and dying world.

If you find yourself in your own mess right now - and your mess might look completely different from anyone else's - you are in exactly the place that Jesus is not afraid to enter. He is not intimidated by your chaos. He doesn't need you to clean up your act first. He doesn't require you to get your circumstances under control before he shows up.

He is willing to come into your chaos right now, right in the middle of your mess.

Peacemaking vs. Peacekeeping

Many of us think we're pursuing peace when we're actually just trying to keep the peace. There's a critical difference.

Peacekeeping tries to manage the environment. It works hard to keep everyone happy and maintain calm on the surface. Peacekeeping depends entirely on our performance - if we can just say the right thing, do the right thing, smooth everything over, then maybe we can finally feel peace.

But here's the honest truth: peacekeeping is exhausting. Why? Because it depends on us to hold everything together. And that kind of peace is fragile. It can fall apart in an instant.

The peace Jesus brings works completely differently. Biblical peace doesn't come from managing chaos - it comes from meeting Jesus in the middle of it. Peace is not something you perform your way into. It's something you receive because God has come near you.

Peace comes from His presence, not from our performance.

Peace Is Power, Not Passivity

When Jesus appeared to His terrified disciples after His resurrection, they were locked behind closed doors, scared for their lives, confused, and grieving. Jesus didn't wait for them to feel brave or figure things out. He simply came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."

The peace Jesus brings isn't just comforting - it's active. It doesn't just soothe hearts; it confronts fear. The presence of Jesus doesn't sit quietly in a room; it changes the environment.

Remember when Jesus was sleeping in a boat during a fierce storm? The disciples were panicking, convinced they were about to drown. They woke Jesus, shouting, "Don't you care that we're going to drown?" Jesus stood up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, "Silence! Be still!" And immediately the wind stopped and there was a great calm.

In the middle of the storm, Jesus didn't whisper or withdraw. He stood up and spoke with authority. And chaos bowed to His voice.

The authority of Jesus isn't only seen when He stops the storm - it's also seen in the storms we survive because He is with us. Sometimes He calms the storm. Sometimes He calms His child instead. And often, we're formed more deeply when we can say we survived the storm because He was with us.

Peace Is a Person

Here's the most important truth: peace is not a feeling. Peace is a person, and His name is Jesus.

In the Old Testament, the word for peace is "shalom," which means wholeness, completeness, nothing missing, nothing broken. In the New Testament, the word is "eirene," which means reconciliation, restoration, hostility removed.

Combining these, we could define biblical peace as: the presence of God coming near to make whole what's been broken, to reconcile what's been divided, and to restore our lives into right relationship with Him.

Ephesians 2:14 says it plainly: "For Christ Himself is our peace."

When we long for peace, we're longing for Him. Peace isn't something Jesus hands us like a gift. When we pray for peace, He responds, "Here I am. I am your peace. I am your wholeness. I am your reconciliation."

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Seasons change. Emotions fluctuate. Circumstances shift. But Jesus never changes. If peace is a person, then your peace isn't tied to your emotional state or your circumstances. It's anchored in the unchanging presence of Jesus.

Behold Your Peace

The invitation today isn't to work harder to feel calm or to finally get your circumstances under control. The invitation is to behold the Prince of Peace who has drawn near to you.

Peace is not found in the absence of chaos. It's found in the presence of Jesus.

Maybe the storm is still raging around you. The diagnosis hasn't changed. The relationship is still broken. The anxiety still shows up when you wake up. But here's the good news: Jesus is not waiting on the other side of your storm. He is standing with you right now in the middle of it.

He is Emmanuel - God with us.

He doesn't just enter into the calm. He enters into the chaos. And when He comes, He doesn't just bring a feeling. He brings Himself.

And He is here today, wanting to step into your chaos, to be your peace, to make you whole again.