Of all the visions of the future that the Bible gives us, few are more universally appealing than those that show the world at peace. ‘Prince of Peace’ is one of the best-known titles given to Jesus in the Bible – one familiar for its use year after year in one of the traditional Christmas readings (Isaiah 9:1-7).
The Bible’s vision for world peace is far more expansive than simply the absence of war or conflict. True peace requires justice, freedom from oppression, and a safe environment for humans to flourish together.
But the heart of Scripture’s vision of world peace is that God is at the centre. Peace can only come when people lay aside their own agendas and listen to God, when people seek their greatest good in God rather than the finite resources that lie at the heart of so many conflicts. It is this peace, founded on the knowledge and love of God, that Jesus came to bring.
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