Advent Devotional: The Face of Peace
Scripture Readings:
Isaiah 9:6 · Luke 2:14 · Numbers 6:24–26 · John 14:27
Advent invites us to slow down long enough to notice what our hearts are truly longing for. Beneath the noise, the hurry, and the anxiety of the season, there is a deep ache for peace. Yet the world’s definition of peace is often thin and fragile. Peace, as we usually understand it, means the absence of conflict, a temporary ceasefire, a quiet moment when circumstances finally cooperate. It is conditional and easily lost—shattered by bad news, strained relationships, uncertainty about the future, or fear we cannot control.
Jesus names this contrast with stunning clarity on the eve of the cross:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27)
The peace of the world is something we try to secure—through control, success, comfort, or certainty. But the peace Jesus gives is different in kind. It is not dependent on circumstances, nor is it threatened by suffering. It is a peace rooted in relationship—the deep, steady assurance of God’s presence and love, even in the midst of trouble.
Into that deeper longing, Isaiah speaks a promise:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Peace is not introduced as an idea or a feeling. Peace arrives as a person. The Prince of Peace comes not with political power or military strength, but as a child—vulnerable, humble, and near.
That promise echoes across the centuries on the night of Jesus’ birth, when angels fill the sky with praise:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)
This announcement raises an important question: Who are these people on whom God’s favor rests? Is peace reserved for a select few—the morally impressive, the spiritually accomplished, the religiously elite?
The answer lies even deeper in Israel’s ancient blessing, spoken for generations over God’s people:
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24–26)
Peace is inseparable from the face of God. To have God’s face shining upon you is to live under His favor, His grace, and His attentive love. To know peace is to know that God is not distant, not turned away, not withholding—but present and smiling upon His people.
Here is the breathtaking truth of Advent: in Jesus Christ, God has turned His face toward us!
The angels’ words in Luke 2 are not vague or sentimental. “Those on whom his favor rests” are not those who have earned God’s approval, but those who receive His Son. In Christ, the face of God shines fully and finally upon humanity. The Prince of Peace does not merely bring peace—He is peace, because in Him we are welcomed into God’s presence and we experience His loving gaze.
If you are in Christ, God’s face is not turned away from you in disappointment or judgment. It is turned toward you in mercy and delight. The peace you long for is not something you must strive to earn, create or maintain; it is something you are invited to receive.
This is Advent peace:
Not the denial of trouble,
Not the promise of an easy road,
But the assurance that God is with us—and for us.
As we wait and watch this season, may we rest in the quiet confidence that the Prince of Peace has come, and in Him, the face of God shines upon us.
Reflection Questions
- Where are you currently seeking peace apart from God’s presence?
- What would change if you truly believed that God’s face is turned toward you in Christ?
- How might this assurance reshape the way you enter this Advent season?
Prayer
Prince of Peace,
Thank You that in You, God has turned His face toward us.
Quiet our anxious hearts and help us rest in Your favor.
Teach us to receive the peace You give—not as the world gives,
but as a gift of Your abiding presence.
Amen.