Prince of Peace

The prophet Isaiah tells us of the promised Prince of Peace in this familiar verse.

For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace

On the throne of David and over his kingdom,

To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness

From then on and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of armies will accomplish this. – Isaiah 9:6-7

Jesus is our Prince of Peace, our Sar Shalom.

But what is shalom? Shalom carries so much more meaning than just peace. In that way, it’s like “aloha.”

Here are some definitions of aloha:

• both hello and goodbye (Makana Charters)
• used as a greeting or farewell (Merriam-Webster)
• hello, goodbye, love, compassion, peace, and understanding (Sweet Aloha Ice Cream)
• mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return–essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence (hawaii.edu)
• the presence of the breath of life (PBS)

In the same way, shalom is weighted with significance. Ann Spangler says this:

Shalom conveys not only a sense of tranquility but also of wholeness and completion. To enjoy shalom is to enjoy health, satisfaction, success, safety, well-being, and prosperity.

And where does this promised Shalom come from? From Jesus, of course. In Ephesians 2:14, Paul tells us this.

Jesus is our peace.

He became our peace by satisfying the debt we owed and offers us his peace, respite from the trials of this world. Of course, that peace is of eternal significance. But his peace is not just for the future. His peace is for every moment. Every problem. Every hardship or troubled relationship. We know his peace when we abide in him.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. – John 14:27

This year-long study is inspired by Ann Spangler’s Praying the Names of God for 52 Weeks.