Isaiah's Peace Vision Fulfilled in Christ
Daily Scripture
Isaiah 9:6, Ephesians 2:13-18
Isaiah 9
6 A child is born to us, a son is given to us,
and authority will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Ephesians 2
13 But now, thanks to Christ Jesus, you who once were so far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us. 15 He canceled the detailed rules of the Law so that he could create one new person out of the two groups, making peace. 16 He reconciled them both as one body to God by the cross, which ended the hostility to God.
17 When he came, he announced the good news of peace to you who were far away from God and to those who were near. 18 We both have access to the Father through Christ by the one Spirit.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
In the apostle Paul’s world, high barriers divided Gentiles and Jews. Paul himself had once lived out that bias fiercely (cf Galatians 1:13-14). There was even a physical wall in Jerusalem’s Temple, warning Gentiles that crossing it meant death. “Interpretations of purity laws excluded Gentiles from the court of Israel (for Jewish men) and even the court of women (for Jewish women).” *
When Paul wrote “Christ is our peace,” he evoked his knowledge of Isaiah’s prophetic visions. “Jesus is the Prince of Peace Isaiah foretold because Jesus made Jew and Gentile one, breaking down their dividing wall of hostility and reconciling them.” ** What seemed impossible, the baby born in Bethlehem did—reconcile enemies, break down ancient barriers, and create peace not through force but through self-giving love. In verse 17, Paul used language from Isaiah 57:19, applying ‘near’ and ‘far’ to spiritual and ethnic differences as well as the geographic distances Isaiah originally had in mind.
- The angry young Hebrew Pharisee Saul approved of stoning the Gentile Christian Stephen (Acts 7:54-8:1). Yet that same man became the apostle Paul, who wrote, “Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group.” What changed him?” Do you see a difference between peace as a human effort based on “splitting the difference” and weighing interests, versus peace based on who Jesus is and who you are in him? Is one more lasting than the other?
- All systems of belief—including Christianity—tend to attract some people who nurture feelings of hatred and grievance. Some may even call for violence against people with different beliefs. How can you differentiate those in any group who seek to build walls from those who wish to tear down walls and create more goodwill, peace, and cooperation? What attitudes and actions show that you have committed your life to the “one body” (Ephesians 2:16) Jesus came to create?
Prayer
A daily reminder from Pastor Hamilton: Our hope is that tonight or tomorrow morning, continuing through Christmas, each of you will, either in the morning or at night, take the time to write down three things you are thankful for. You might write these in the form of a thank you letter to God or simply write down a journal entry.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you showed us the better way of peace. You reached out to people who snubbed you and asked God to forgive the soldiers who crucified you. Help me to live into the power of your love. Amen.
GPS Insights
Jen Lucas
Rev. Jennifer Lucas, who serves as the New Church Start Pastor for Resurrection Mason, an affiliate location of Resurrection, a United Methodist Church led by Pastor Adam Hamilton, wrote today's Insights. Her passion is helping people discover hope, deepen their faith, and walk a life shaped by Jesus. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and public relations and a Master of Divinity. She served as the District Superintendent of the Great Miami River District (2022–2024), where she supported and encouraged more than 140 churches. Jenn enjoys life with her husband, Troy, and their three children, Evan, Carter, and Avery. In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying new recipes, taking walks with her dog and neighbors, and caring for a growing collection of houseplants-21 at last count-earning her the affectionate title “crazy plant lady” from her kids.
Isaiah points us to a coming Prince of Peace, and Paul reminds us that Christ is the One who breaks down walls of hostility. These Scriptures and Pastor Adam’s recent reminders that Jesus brings a peace strong enough to push back darkness led me to consider the difference between the peace I try to create on my own and the peace only Christ can give. Human peace often looks like avoiding conflict or negotiating calm, but Paul describes a peace strong enough to dismantle divisions that existed for centuries. Christ’s peace is not fragile or temporary; it transforms us.
I learned this during my time as a District Superintendent, prior to planting Resurrection Mason, as we walked through the painful season of disaffiliation. Until then, no one had questioned my faith or my love for Jesus. Suddenly, friends and colleagues questioned both simply because I was serving a denomination I believed in and was helping churches see why remaining United Methodist mattered. Their comments stirred an anger and bitterness I had never known, and it began shaping how I interacted with others.
During that season, Isaiah 26:3 in the New Living Translation became an anchor: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.” God promises perfect peace to those whose minds are fixed on Him, and I had to continually surrender my frustration and trust God to steady me. Each time I walked into a church, God gave me a calm I knew I did not possess on my own. That experience taught me that even when tensions are high and my human instincts want to react harshly, Christ’s peace can steady my spirit and soften my responses.
Now, at Resurrection Mason, I see new expressions of that same peace. Each week I watch people from different backgrounds, histories, and church experiences worship together as one community. It is a living reminder that Jesus is still breaking down walls and forming one body out of many stories. All of us can build walls of certainty, fear, or old wounds, but Jesus invites us into something better. This Advent, I am asking God to show me where I am still holding on to hostility and to guide me toward the kind of peace that flows from His presence rather than my own effort.
© 2025 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Craig Keener, comment on Ephesians 2:14 in NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (p. 10326). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
** Article “Peace” in Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit and Tremper Longman III, general editors, Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998, p. 633.
