What Does It Mean That Jesus Is Called the "Prince of Peace"?
Sandwiched between two chapters in Isaiah about God’s anger and judgment, we find a prophecy of One who would come into the world as the “Prince of Peace.” Not only this, but He would also be “Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father…” (Isaiah 9:6). On this side of history, we know the Prince of Peace is Jesus, but what does this mean and how does it affect our relationship with the Father and the Son?
What’s the Story Behind the Title "Prince of Peace"?
Isaiah chapter 9 begins, “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress” (Isaiah 9:1). These are incredibly comforting words for the Israelites who suffered consequences from their sins, and were constantly at threat of attack by rival nations. One expects to then read of God’s forgiveness which would remove this distress, but we receive so much more. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). What an amazing word for them to receive!
In those four titles, we see that this prophesied descendant of David would have much more power than his predecessor, and His power would last forever. This is reinforced by reading that there will be no end to the peace he brings, and, “He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing it and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:7).
We know from this and other prophecies that Isaiah was writing about the birth of Jesus hundreds of years before His incarnation. So these four titles were going to be characteristics of the Messiah that the Israelites had been expecting for thousands of years. Specifically as the Prince of Peace, Jesus would do more than just bring an end to fighting between God’s chosen people and their enemies. His peace would change the world.
According to Matthew Henry’s commentary, “The exact agreement of this prophecy with the doctrine of the New Testament, shows that Jewish prophets and Christian teachers had the same view of the person and salvation of the Messiah.”
What Does Being the "Prince of Peace" Actually Mean?
Let’s dive into the title and look at “prince” and “peace” separately to get a better picture of what “Prince of Peace” truly means. First, being a prince denotes royalty, authority, and sonship of the King. He follows the king’s orders, often accomplishing special missions to demonstrate his loyalty to the king. In the case of Jesus, He is the Prince whose Father is God, the Almighty King who sent His Son into the world to redeem those dead in their sins and restore their relationship with Him.
Next, we need to take a closer look at the word peace. Bibleproject.com‘s word study about peace says that in Hebrew, the word for peace is “shalom,” and it means more than just an absence of war with others or within ourselves. Shalom means “wholeness” or “completeness.” Starting with Adam and Eve, humans have been broken, as has our relationship with our Heavenly Father, so we’ve lost our shalom.
On our own, we can’t keep ourselves whole and complete, so Isaiah spoke about a future king who would be a Prince of Shalom, and that this shalom would never end. Jesus was the son given to us, who came to earth to offer peace, “not as the world gives” (John 14:27) because the world can never give the kind of peace Jesus offers. In loyalty to His Father, the Almighty King, Jesus fulfilled the mission to die for the sins of the world, bringing reconciliation between us and God, which is our ultimate source of peace. This is the Prince of Peace of whom Isaiah says, “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7).
How Jesus Lived out Peace during His Time on Earth
Jesus lived out peace in several ways while He was on earth. Both in words and action, Jesus demonstrated that true, eternal peace was only possible through Him.
Peace between us and God: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus said that once reconciled to God through our repentance and His forgiveness, we have eternal peace with our Heavenly Father. No longer are we enemies, but friends who will spend forever together.
Peace amongst His disciples: Jesus taught the disciples, "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34).
Peace amongst others: Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan to show listeners that we should love our enemies, not just those who love us.
Peace in His interactions with those in need: Jesus healed, forgave sins, and showed compassion for the pain of others. He said that in the world we would have trouble, but that He would be our peace in hard times.
Peace over fear: Jesus even demonstrated His peace by controlling nature at times; for instance, when He calmed the storm as the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee afraid of capsizing. He walked on the water and told His disciples not to fear.
Peace in words, peace in action, and peace in temperment. The Prince of Peace is the same today as He was when He was on earth. He offers the same peace to each and every one who comes to Him.
How Does Jesus Bring Peace Between Us and God?
When Adam and Eve broke the shalom between humanity and God, it brought the need for sacrifice for sin in order to restore a relationship with God. God would institute a new covenant that would require a blood sacrifice to atone for people’s sins. In Old Testament times this often meant the sacrifice of an animal. But on many occasions, God provided the sacrifice himself. When God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove Abraham’s faith, God stopped Abraham at the last moment and provided a ram for the sacrifice.
When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and Moses was sent by God to tell Pharaoh to let His people go, Pharaoh refused several times. That is, until the Passover. God sent a destroying angel to kill all of the firstborn in Egypt. Once again, God required a blood sacrifice for sin. He provided for the Israelites by ordering Moses to tell the people to sacrifice a lamb and spread its blood on their doorposts. When the angel passed by, it wouldn’t harm any of the Israelites.
These and other stories foreshadowed how God would send His own Son to be the sacrifice–He was even called “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” by John the Baptist (John 1:29). His sacrifice as a sinless, spotless “lamb” meant that whoever trusts in Jesus for the remission of sins will have peace with God.
The Apostle Paul reinforced this idea in his letter to the Romans: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). And in his letter to the Colossians: “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:20).
We no longer need to continually sacrifice to God to be accepted by God. We need a saving faith in Christ in order for God to see us as Christ’s brothers and sisters, accepted because of His sacrifice on the cross.
How the Peace Jesus Offers is Different from Worldly Peace
Many people talk about peace as if it is something that they can muster up for themselves. That’s the kind of peace the world gives: when everything goes our way we have peace. But in John 14:27, Jesus told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
So what is different between the peace that Jesus gives and what the world offers? As we’ve said, Jesus was most concerned with people knowing His Father and being at peace with God. But He also was concerned about how people lived their lives and knew if they didn’t walk with God, any peace they could have would be superficial and temporary. In times of trial and uncertainty, Jesus offers to give us supernatural peace that gives us the courage and strength to face anything. That’s why the Apostle Paul could confidently write to the believers in Philippi, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
What Does It Mean to Have Jesus’ Peace Within Us?
As the Philippians were encouraged to realize, Jesus doesn’t just offer peace; His peace has the power to protect our thoughts and emotions. Ask any believer who has gone through a painful trial, and they will know exactly how important this is. And they will know that the enemy of our souls is always looking to steal our peace, especially in difficult times. But because “no weapon forged against you will prosper” (Psalm 27:3), Jesus has all the power in the world to ensure the peace He gives is a lasting peace.
This is something we do well to remind ourselves of every single day. We never know what a day will bring, so if we hide God’s word in our hearts (especially about Jesus providing us with His peace) we are better equipped to endure and overcome problems. We can share that peace with others as well by telling them how God is providing amazing grace in our lives, giving us hope and strength to persevere. One of the best ways to witness to others is to demonstrate the “peace that passes understanding” (Philippians 4:7) in the midst of our trials.
How Jesus as the Prince of Peace Will Usher in Lasting Peace
When Jesus returns to claim believers, destroy evil, and create a new heaven and new earth, the earth will have permanent peace. The Apostle John, writing the Book of Revelation, tells us, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).
Henry also says, “...when his kingdom is fully established, men shall learn war no more. The government shall be upon him; he shall bear the burden of it. Glorious things are spoken of Christ's government. There is no end to the increase of its peace, for the happiness of its subjects shall last for ever.”
This is more than wonderful news. He will come again in glory and will live with His people as originally intended. The earth will be perfect and healed as God designed it. In that environment, what else could we experience as believers but peace beyond anything we could ever imagine? It’s a promise of God for those who give their lives to Jesus. Who wouldn’t want that kind of peace?
How Can We Share the Prince of Peace with Others?
When Jesus presented His Sermon on the Mount, one of the Beatitudes He shared was, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). In other words, children of God are expected to demonstrate peace to the world, to be a light in a dark place. We all have opportunities each day to be peacemakers at home, work, school, church, and out in the world.
Though the reason we are not at peace with someone may be complicated, Jesus shows how to uncomplicate them. Without compromising our safety, we should always be ready to “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39), meaning that we forgive those who sin against us in thought, word, or deed. We can seek reconciliation (perhaps with the help of the church) to restore a relationship torn by disagreement. In fact, Matthew 5:23-24 says “that if you remember you have something against your brother while offering a gift at the altar, you should leave the gift and go reconcile with your brother first.”
To be a Christian is to grow more into the likeness of Christ. In our entire Christian lives, we are to lay down our agendas and follow Jesus’ example of love and compassion towards others. “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Phillipians 4:9). Hallelujah!
Further Reading
5 Reasons Jesus is Still the Prince of Peace
What Does It Mean That Jesus Is the Prince of Peace?
Discover Why Jesus is Called the Prince of Peace through 4 Transformative Insights
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/RomoloTavani
Mary Oelerich-Meyer is a Chicago-area freelance writer and copy editor who prayed for years for a way to write about and for the Lord. She spent 20 years writing for area healthcare organizations, interviewing doctors and clinical professionals and writing more than 1,500 articles in addition to marketing collateral materials. Important work, but not what she felt called to do. She is grateful for any opportunity to share the Lord in her writing and editing, believing that life is too short to write about anything else. Previously she served as Marketing Communications Director for a large healthcare system. She holds a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Cornell College (the original Cornell!) When not researching or writing, she loves to spend time with her writer daughter, granddaughter, rescue doggie and husband (not always in that order).
Originally published January 08, 2025.
