What we see is not always what’s really happening. Many times we see inaccurately. God opens our eyes to see what He is really doing and what He is actually accomplishing.
The letter A in PEACE stands for the Accomplishments of God bring peace.
Read Matt 1:18-23
Joseph is anything but a man with peace in his heart. He was engaged to Mary and has found out that she was pregnant. I am sure Mary told him the real story we just learned about in Luke 1. But he cannot believe that story for many reasons. But the number one reason had to be it was a story that never could be credible, God put the baby inside of her body without any man involved? Impossible!
He was a righteous man meaning he lived before God and practiced the Law and he loved God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength. He honored God and His law. It seemed to him that Mary had broken that law. He knew the penalty for that was very severe, death by stoning. As he was “considering this” or “revolving over and over in his mind” he was trying to figure out how to end the engagement without destroying her.
He was battling the reality of someone he held dear had broken God’s law. He could not ignore that Law, nor change the Law, or change her guilty plea to be something else, or negotiate her penalty, or hide her guilt (being pregnant is a condition we can all see), or somehow explain it all away. He was faced with guilt, Mary’s guilt.
God has sent His son into the world and it looks like Mary is under the Law’s condemnation. Joseph has reasoned every possibility… what can he do? He is afraid of every option and he’s stuck.
As Joseph slept, God sent an unnamed angel to him. The angel said;
“Joseph, son of David
Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.
For the child conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. Things are very different than they appear. She looks like a lawbreaker, but she is the mother of our Savior, our Prince of Peace.
She will bear a son she brought the solution for sin.
And you will call His name Jesus
For He will save His people from their sins.”
This was the fulfillment of what the prophet Isaiah promised over 700 hundred years earlier. (Isaiah 7:14)
Jesus was God born of men and among men. He was “Immanuel” meaning “God with us”. He is our peace for the broken laws of all men and women. He would save His people from their sins which also carried with it the eternal death penalty.
His name would be “Jesus” or “Yahweh’s salvation”.
By faith that He could and would save us we receive “peace” (as it says in Rom 5:1 ‘Having been justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord’) Jesus is willing to save you, and He is able to save you. Do you believe that?
That is why Jesus was born, to “save” us “from our sins”.
Our sins deserve death, judgment, and eternal doom. But God in love sent His Son to be the Prince of peace. The war can end when we let Jesus be our “Prince” or champion and rescuer. He alone can save us from the death sentence of sin. He alone will save you, if you will ask Him to do it for you.
He is none other than “God with us” Immanuel. He is God coming as a baby humbling Himself for our benefit. There is no other person born in history who can make that claim.
If you want perfect peace, He can give it to you. He later said just before being crucified, “MY peace I give to you, do not be afraid…” John 14:27
He will save you from the judgment of your sins and then He will give you His peace. All is resolved! All is made right. “There is now no condemnation for those who in Christ Jesus.” Rom 8:1 this is His Princely accomplishment and gift.
What God has accomplished is too good to be true! He has accomplished the very work we need and desire… forgiveness for sins and a new life to find then follow the Prince of Peace.
Will you receive it?
