Do Christians Really Want Jesus To Be “Prince of Peace”?

This Christmas I’ve been thinking a lot about something that Jesus accomplished when he born in a humble stable and executed as a political scapegoat 2000 years ago.

He established a whole new government…

Historically countries are pretty much founded in warfare and blood.  In past centuries, the side that had more swords and chariots got to establish the government.  These days its the side with more planes and tanks.

But one thing doesn’t change.  Governments are established in violence and the increase in their territory and influence are rooted in power, intimidation, and manipulation.

But Jesus, as always, flips the conventional wisdom of man on its head.

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,

Isaiah 9:6-8

Jesus will not establish his country the way we establish ours.  His Kingdom will come about in a whole different way.

Peace

And his Kingdom’s influence will continue to grow and it will be done so through

Peace

But do we Christians actually believe this?

How is God’s Kingdom really going to be established?

Here’s the thing.  The little secret most Christians don’t like to admit or talk about.

We don’t really believe that “peace” is the way God’s Kingdom will ultimately come about.

Recently my friend Brandan Robertson wrote a blog post on the Christian response to the CIA report detailing the American government’s use of torture.  I commented:

 It should bring us hope that the “government will rest on His (Christ’s) shoulders and of it’s increase and of peace there shall be no end” Good post Brandan!

However there was a reply to my comment from another reader:

When he (Jesus) returns, of course. Until then, we live in a world full of nonsense and fallen people with loads of power.

The underlying message in the comment is what many Christians believe and it goes something like this:

The Kingdom of God has no real place on this earth at the present time other than perhaps a personal moral compass.  Jesus is just biding his time to allow people to get “saved”.  Then eventually he will come and sort everything out by establishing his Kingdom in the same manner as every other power that has come before him.  In power and violence. Jesus will have more power than his enemies and will force his government on the world…

…whether they want it or not.

Let’s just be honest; deep down we don’t really want a “Prince of Peace”.  We want a Jesus that is going to kick a little butt and take names!

But it’s wrong to assume that Christ will suddenly start employing the “power plays” he rebuked and rejected all throughout his time on earth.

Jesus is King…now!

The disciples of Jesus were executed not because they were sharing about a Jesus who could help you avoid hell in the afterlife.

No,

They were executed because they were proclaiming Jesus as King now.  That his government had been established, that it had been endorsed by God through the resurrection, and that it was in the process of increasing peacefully throughout the whole earth.

However present governments rather frown on new governments being established within their borders…especially ones committed to peace.  (The peaceful and sacrificial way of Christ exposes and embarrasses the power structures of this world)

So we took God’s Kingdom and transported it to the spiritual “sweet by and by”. Not only did that make faith in Christ “safer”, it also made it much easier to give our love and allegiance to earthly countries.

But here’s the thing to remember this Christmas season:

That little baby born in a manger 2000 years ago is both King and Lord “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,”

Merry Christmas,

Steve