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Over the last few weeks, we’ve been reflecting on a simple but powerful question: What do you really want for Christmas? That question became very real in a conversation with my two older daughters. When I asked them what they wanted, one carefully listed very specific gifts—down to exact details she remembered from a magazine long ago. The other surprised me. She paused and simply said, “I don’t want anything else. I just want snuggles for Christmas.”

That moment painted a beautiful picture of contentment. When we stop adding to our list of wants and focus instead on who we want to be with, peace settles in. That’s exactly where our focus has been as we’ve explored Isaiah 9:6 and the names given to Jesus—especially this one: Prince of Peace.

When Isaiah first wrote those words, they were prophetic, meant to bring hope to people living in uncertainty. Today, we read them with the clarity of knowing Jesus fulfilled them. But the title “Prince of Peace” is far richer than it first appears. In Hebrew, Prince comes from the word sar, meaning ruler, commander, or one with authority. Peace comes from shalom, which means far more than calm feelings—it speaks of wholeness, completeness, rest, and flourishing. Together, Sar Shalom declares Jesus as the Ruler of Wholeness, the Lord of Rest, the King of Contentment.

This reveals a powerful truth: peace isn’t determined by what’s happening around us—it’s determined by who is ruling within us. Peace isn’t a feeling we manufacture; peace is a Person, and His name is Jesus. Wherever He is welcomed and submitted to, peace becomes the atmosphere.

That leads to a challenging realization: our level of peace is often connected to our level of submission. Where peace is missing, it may be an area we haven’t fully surrendered to Jesus. God never promised a life free from storms, but He did promise His presence in the midst of them. This is why Scripture says God keeps in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3). Peace requires trust.

Jesus demonstrated this perfectly when He slept through a raging storm while His disciples panicked. The storm was real, but so was His trust in the Father. In the same way, we’re invited to release control and trust what God holds in His hands, casting our cares on Him because He cares for us.

From Eden to Gideon to Bethlehem, God has always revealed that peace is found in His presence. Even the birth of Jesus—messy, uncomfortable, and far from calm—became holy ground because the Prince of Peace was there. And now, through Jesus’ sacrifice, we are restored into right relationship with God, the true source of peace.

This Christmas, if peace is what you want most, remember this: peace is not found in changed circumstances, but in the presence of Jesus—our Sar Shalom, our Prince of Peace.