ON “SHALOM ALWAYS”
Have you not heard that peace is extraordinarily full of meaning? Yes, with Jesus Christ, we remain uninjured and safe, whole and sound! The peace from Jesus Christ is entirely multidimensional, detailed well-being — physical, psychological, social, and spiritual; it flows from all of one’s relationships being put right — with God, with(in) oneself, and with others. Meaning, only God can create shalom (Isaiah 45:7), and this gift will come through the work of the Messiah, the Prince of shalom (Isaiah 9:6–7). Therefore, shalom is perhaps the most fundamental aspect of God’s future kingdom, a time when the Lord Himself comes to heal all that is wrong with the world. When the angels tell the shepherds about the birth of Christ, they call Him the one who will, at last, bring peace on earth (Luke 2:14). Jesus is the Prince of shalom who will bring in God’s kingdom of peace that the prophets foretold (Romans 14:17; 1 Corinthians 14:33). The gospel of Jesus is “the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15; compare Acts 10:36; Ephesians 2:17). I say to you and me, Shalom always.”