Text: Isaiah 9:6
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
There is a kind of peace the world knows how to offer.
It says, “Everything will be fine when things settle down.”
- When the money comes.
- When the marriage gets better.
- When the government gets it right.
- When the war ends.
- When the doctor gives a good report.
- When life finally goes the way we planned.
But what happens when none of those things change?
This is where the peace of Jesus is different.
Jesus said in John 14:27:
“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.” — NIV
He did not say, “I will give you a life without trouble.”
He said, “I will give you my peace.”
That distinction matters.
The world’s peace depends on circumstances. God’s peace does not.
We know how uncertain human promises can be.
People mean well and still disappoint us. People make promises they cannot keep. Sometimes they even make promises they never intended to keep.
Think about marriage.
Two people stand before God and promise, “Till death do us part.” It is one of the most beautiful promises a person can make. Yet we know that some marriages end in betrayal, separation and heartbreak.
Sometimes it is because someone lied from the beginning. Sometimes circumstances change. Sometimes people change.
Whatever the reason, it reminds us of something uncomfortable: human beings are limited.
Numbers 23:19 tells us:
“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” — NIV
God is not like us.
When God speaks, He does not have to change His mind because circumstances changed.
When God makes a promise, He has the power to keep it.
That is why His peace is different.
We see the same problem in leadership.
People look to governments and leaders for stability. That is part of what leadership is supposed to provide.
But history keeps showing us how easily human leadership can fail.
Rehoboam is a good example.
When the people asked him to lighten the burden his father had placed on them, he had a choice. He could listen. He could serve them. Instead, he chose to make their burden heavier.
In 1 Kings 12:13–14, he told them:
“My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier.” — NIV
The result was not peace. It was division.
We still see versions of this today.
People put their hope in political promises, economic plans and powerful leaders, only to discover that human beings cannot carry the weight we sometimes place on them.
- Leaders can fail.
- Systems can fail.
- Institutions can fail.
- Governments can change.
But Jesus does not change.
Even the world cannot create the peace it keeps searching for.
Human beings have tried.
We have created treaties, alliances and international organisations. We have held conferences and signed agreements because we know that peace is necessary.
Yet conflict continues.
The United Nations was established with maintaining international peace and security as one of its central purposes. And still, the world continues to experience war, violence, division and unrest.
Why?
Because peace cannot ultimately be built on human intentions alone.
Self-interest gets in the way.
Power gets in the way.
Pride gets in the way.
Fear gets in the way.
And sometimes the people who are supposed to protect peace are the ones who benefit from keeping conflict alive.
So where does that leave us?
It leaves us with a simple truth:
The world can work for peace, but only Jesus can give the peace that reaches the human heart.
So what kind of peace does Jesus give?
It is not the promise that nothing bad will happen.
It is the assurance that you will not face it alone.
You can be in a difficult season and still have peace.
You can have questions and still have peace.
You can be grieving and still have peace.
You can be surrounded by uncertainty and still have peace.
Because biblical peace is not the absence of trouble.
It is the presence of Christ in the middle of it.
That is why Jesus is called the Prince of Peace.
He does not simply talk about peace.
He is our peace.
And that means we have to be careful about where we place our trust.
Psalm 146:3 says:
“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” — KJV
People are not designed to carry the weight of our ultimate hope.
Neither is money.
Neither is marriage.
Neither is the government.
Neither is our career.
Neither is the world around us.
All of these things can change.
Jesus does not.
But you cannot trust someone you do not know.
This is where it becomes personal.
It is possible to know about Jesus and still not know Him.
- You can attend church.
- You can listen to sermons.
- You can know Bible verses.
- You can sing worship songs.
And still be trying to carry your life without Him.
Jesus said in John 6:37:
“Everything the Father gives me will come to me, and I’ll never turn away the one who comes to me.” — ISV
Notice that last part.
He will never turn away the one who comes to Him.
Maybe you have been trying to find peace everywhere else.
Maybe you have been depending on people who have disappointed you.
Maybe your circumstances have become so heavy that you do not even remember what peace feels like.
Jesus is still inviting you.
Come to Him.
Not because He promises that life will suddenly become easy.
Come because He promises that you will not have to walk through life without Him.
If you want to receive Him today
You can pray:
Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I recognise that I have tried to live my life without You. I confess You as my Lord and Saviour. Forgive my sins and cleanse me by Your blood. Take control of my life and help me to follow You. Help me not to return to my old ways. Thank You for receiving me, saving me and giving me a new beginning. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer sincerely, don’t treat it as just another prayer.
You’ve made a decision to follow Christ.
Find a Bible-believing church. Tell someone you trust. Begin reading the Word. Pray. Keep walking with Jesus.
And when life becomes difficult—and it will—remember this:
Your peace does not have to disappear because your circumstances have changed.
The Prince of Peace is still with you.
Jesus is our peace.
God bless you.
Shalom.
Dr. Yinka Okude
Pastor-in-Charge
RCCG Jesus Sanctuary, Northampton
