Peace - Season of Advent

Traditionally, the four big themes of Advent are Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, many churches light a new candle on the Advent wreath each Sunday, with every candle pointing to one of these ideas.

The second candle represents Peace and is sometimes called the 'Bethlehem Candle' as we remember that, on the night Jesus was born, the angels appeared to shepherds announcing: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

Join me as we continue to explore Advent themes that come straight from Scripture and are meant to help us slow down and prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love— each highlighting a different part of God’s amazing plan in sending His Son into the world and what that means for us today.

Peace- the Bethlehem Candle

The second Advent candle stands for Peace, and is often called the 'Bethlehem Candle.' This theme takes us directly to the night of Jesus' birth, when the angels celebrated by telling the shepherds in Luke 2:14:

"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to all those on whom his favour rests."

But what kind of peace are we talking about? It’s not the kind where life is suddenly free of conflict or problems. Jesus made that clear in John 16:33 when He said,

“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The peace He gives is something deeper. Jesus brings us peace with God. Because of sin, humanity was separated from Him—almost like being at war with the One who created us. But through faith in Christ, that separation is healed. Romans 5:1 puts it beautifully:

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Through Jesus’s death on the cross, the conflict between God and sinners is settled. The hostility is gone. Anyone who believes in Jesus is no longer an enemy of God, but a beloved child. Jesus is indeed the Prince of Peace.

And this peace doesn’t stay at the surface—it reaches into our hearts. When you have peace with God, you can experience His peace even in the middle of stressful or painful situations. Philippians 4:6-7 encourages us not to be anxious, but to bring everything to God in prayer, so that we may know instead:

"the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

So during Advent, when we light the Peace candle, we’re remembering that Jesus came to end the deepest conflict of all: the one between a holy God and sinful humanity.

And that kind of peace is something the world can’t create, but desperately needs -- one heart, one candle flame of light at a time...