Dear Christian friends:

Praise God the Lord, ye sons of men,
Before His highest throne;
Today He opens heav'n again
And gives us His own Son,
And gives us His own Son.
(Praise God the Lord, ye sons of men, hymn)

Our text for this Christmas Day is Isaiah 9:7

You have chosen the name Prince of Peace for your church here. That is one of the names of the Christ child given to Him by Isaiah the prophet. Our church there is a Christmas Church, it has a Christmas name. Since this is Christmas and we have this name let us today from our text give attention to the Prince of Peace.

Firstly, Isaiah tells about the birth of the Prince of Peace: "Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given." In the Christmas Gospel lesson we just read how God in a very wonderful way gave His Son through the Virgin Mary. Nine months before the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in Nazareth and told her that God had chosen her to be the mother of His Son.

Mary was very surprised and wondered how that could happen because she was not yet married. The angel said, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee: therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be call the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)

So God gives His Son through a human mother. That's very wonderful. God wants to use us in His work. We see also that God did not choose a rich famous girl to bring forth His Son the Prince of Peace. He chose a poor servant girl. In Bethlehem there is no rich, comfortable palace, only a stable and a manger for his crib. The Prince of Peace, God's Son wrapped in squadding clothes (rags) and laid in a manger! Very surprising, very wonderful.

When God does His work He never chooses the rich, mighty and proud things of this world. But the poor and lowly things and the things that proud men despise and think of little value, such things God chooses and uses for His work of salvation. Why? To impress on us that we must not trust in our riches or health or good character if we want to be saved, but must humbly confess our sins and unworthiness and trust only in His power and mercy to save us, as Mary said after the angel told her she will be the mother of God's Son: "He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent away empty." (Luke 1:52-53)

So the great Prince from heaven is born poor and lowly. We must become humble too, if we wish to have Him for our Savior. The rich and the proud He sends away empty. Each one of us should think much about that. Ask yourself am I self-righteous and proud?

Now Isaiah says this Prince of Peace born at Bethlehem shall rule: "the government shall be upon His shoulder." (Isaiah 9:6) He is the Prince of Peace. A prince rules after His Father. So this babe born of Mary will rule over God's Kingdom, the Church. His Kingdom is a kingdom of "Peace."

Oh how we wish for peace today. There is so much fighting and trouble in our world today, and we long for world peace. But we will not find much peace in the world, because the world refuses to accept the Prince of Peace. The proud worldly minded people love sin and darkness because their deeds are evil. John says about Jesus: "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (Luke 1:4-5)

But always some, a few believe in Jesus and accept the forgiveness of sins and peace with God that He won for us. In His Kingdom we have peace with God and peace with each other because we forgive one another just as God has forgiven us. True we often forget and refuse to make peace with those who sin against us. But we go again to Jesus and ask His forgiveness and peace. And we slowly improve in making peace with others.

If you today hate someone and are jealous and cannot forgive and forget your neighbor's sin, then look long in the manger and see the Prince of Peace how He loves you and suffers for you and brings forgiveness and peace to you. Remember, by your sins you have insulted and hurt holy God terribly. Yet He offers His hand of peace and forgiveness in the Babe of Bethlehem, the Prince of Peace.

Confess your own sins and accept Jesus, the Prince of Peace and you will receive power and mercy to go and make peace with your enemies. Then you will truly have peace in your heart, peace with God, and with that you will have power to make peace in the church and in the world.

But if you do not make peace with God first, you cannot make peace with others, and you will never understand the wonderful love of God. Many never understand God's love, because they do not practice forgiveness and peace making.

But if you practice forgiving those who are not worthy and make peace with your enemy, you will understand better the Prince of Peace, and the true meaning of Christmas.

And remember, if you have the Prince of Peace ruling in your heart and life now on earth, you will have Him for your Prince of Peace and glory forever in heaven. But if we refuse the Prince of Peace, then we have left only the Prince of this world, the Prince of darkness, Satan. There is no peace of heart with him but pride, selfishness, greed, trouble and eternal hell.

May God lead us to humbly kneel with the shepherds before the manger where lies the Prince of Peace.

Amen.