Unwrapping Christmas - Part 2

In a world filled with anxiety and division, the Christmas story offers profound hope through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Isaiah prophesied that this coming Messiah would bring shalom—not merely the absence of conflict, but complete wholeness, restoration, and flourishing where nothing is broken or missing. Jesus offers a peace fundamentally different from what the world provides. His peace doesn't depend on favorable circumstances or disappear when life becomes difficult. Instead, it's a supernatural wholeness that can actually increase during times of trouble, as described in Philippians as the peace that surpasses all understanding. The story of Jesus sleeping peacefully during a violent storm while his disciples panicked illustrates this perfectly—external storms don't have to create internal chaos when we're anchored in the Prince of Peace. True peace begins with being reconciled to God through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. The vertical beam represents our restored relationship with God, while the horizontal beam symbolizes reconciliation between people. This peace increases in our lives wherever we allow Jesus to rule and reign. Practically, this means not letting circumstances control our emotions, going to Jesus during storms, and becoming peacemakers who extend his peace to others, including working toward reconciliation in broken relationships.