You know, of course, that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. In Chinese, the term for Christmas (sheng dan) includes the word “holy” (sheng). Since Jesus Christ is God eternal, he is a holy and pure person and is eternal, so it is right and proper to use the word “holy” to describe Jesus. Actually, the Bible describes Jesus Christ in several ways. He is he called “King of kings” and he is also called the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV). Since Jesus is the “Prince of Peace,” Christmas is a good time for us to think about world peace.
Jesus brought peace and Jesus was the embodiment of peace. Both the Old and New Testaments describe Jesus in this way: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Isaiah 42:3; Matthew 12:20). This means that Jesus was gentle and humble; he was happy to lead a simple and virtuous life, and he taught his disciples to do the same. For many years since that time, therefore, the disciples of Jesus, i.e., Christians, have told the world that world peace comes through Jesus Christ.
What we see so often today, however, is not peace but war, not love but hate. Instead of self-sacrifice we see murder; instead of charity we see theft. “Where is Jesus’ peace?” we ask. We see disharmony in the home, instability in society and disunity in international circles. Where is the peace of Jesus?
In fact, the peace of Jesus is peace of the inner person and is a peace which each of us can obtain and can in turn give to other people around us. The peace of Jesus is the love of Jesus; it is Jesus’ daily example of living, and is his cross. While Jesus lived on the earth, he lived a life of “love others as you love yourself” and he left the commandment that Christians should also “love others as you love yourself.”
We see the peace of Jesus right in front of our eyes. Jesus is waiting for us to follow him, to become his children and to allow his love to fill our bodies and our lives. In this way, therefore, wherever there are disciples of Jesus, there is the love of Jesus and there is the peace of Jesus. When everyone in a family becomes a Christian, that home is filled with love and harmony, and the peace of Jesus Christ is there. When everyone in a community becomes a Christian, that community is full of love and stability, and the peace of Jesus is there. Little-by-little, the Christians in that community share the love of God with others so that more and more people become Christians. A Christian community becomes a Christian city, and the peace of Jesus Christ is there. As time goes on, the gospel of Jesus and the love of God and the truth of the gospel are spoken throughout the world and more and more people become Christians. Christian cities turn into a Christian world; and the peace of Jesus is there.
Do not think that the peace of Jesus Christ cannot be seen. Wherever there are Christians, there should be the peace of Jesus. May both you and I take advantage of the opportunities afforded us by the Christmas season and envision a special kind of world, one where families, communities and nations are all Christians, one where everyone exhibits the characteristics of Jesus in lives of love and truth, as they enjoy the peace of Jesus. In this way, Jesus Christ, the “Prince of Peace,” will rule the world in love and establish peace on earth.
您一定知道“圣诞节”就是庆祝耶稣基督的诞生。我们说“圣诞”是因为耶稣基督是永恒的神，所以他是至圣的，他是圣洁的，是永恒的。我们都用“圣”这个字描述耶稣是理所当然的。其实，《圣经》用了几个不同的词句形容耶稣基督。他既是万王之王，又是“和平的君王”（以赛亚书9:6 现代中文译本：TCV）。因为耶稣是“和平的君王”，每当过“圣诞节”，我们也会想到世界和平。