Part Two of Five

The second week of Advent begins Sunday, December 7, 2025. The purple second candle is known as the “Bethlehem Candle” or the Peace Candle. Usually it represents peace, though some call it the Faith candle.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Micah 5:2 (NIV)

Let’s reflect on Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and the peace that Christ, the “Prince of Peace,” offers to the world.

Bethlehem

God orchestrated the birthplace of His only Son to be born in Bethlehem. Caesar Augustus ordered people to return to their home towns to registration for taxation. Joseph was of the house and lineage of David, so he and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem. At the time, the 80-to-90-mile journey would have taken them several days. Imagine going by foot or donkey, especially being pregnant and close to the due date! How exhausted they must have been when they were searching for a place to stay, only to find the only room for them was in a stable, likely a cave in the Bethlehem area. (Luke 2:1-6).

Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem. It fulfilled the prophecy from Micah that foretold of a ruler with eternal origins coming from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). He would be the shepherd and source of peace.

“He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be our peace…” Micah 5:4–5a (NIV)

Obedience and Peace

Mary and Joseph had a rough road to travel long before they left Nazareth. Few would have believed Mary’s tale of an angel telling her she would give birth to the Son of God. In their culture and time, Mary and Joseph would have been looked on with shame for their perceived lack of sexual purity. They would have been ostracized. If Joseph denied the child was his, Mary could be stoned to death.

Joseph considered a quiet divorce, or breaking of the contract to get married. An angel told him to take Mary as his wife, because the baby “conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18–25). Joseph obeyed the Lord. Their lives took unexpected turns, but God was with them, helping them and giving them peace as they lived in obedience to God’s plan.  

Peace

Biblical peace is more than the absence of conflict. Let’s consider the biblical definition of peace, or Shalom.

• Shalom is the Hebrew word for peace. It implies wholeness, well-being, reconciliation, and completeness in all aspects of life, including between us and God.
• Reconciliation. Biblical peace or Shalom includes being reconciled to God, which is made possible through the sacrifice for sin made by Jesus Christ. He offers us restoration with the Heavenly Father, leading to spiritual wholeness and eternal life with God.
• God is the Source of Peace. God is described as Yahweh Shalom (“The LORD is Peace”) and Jesus is the “Prince of Peace”. Peace is a gift from God. We experience it through faith and surrender to Him. Jesus made peace possible when we were estranged from God, reconciling any who receive His forgiveness from sin.
• A better peace. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
• Peace is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)

Are you at peace with God? Why or why not?

Does worry or fear rob you of peace? The devil wants us to focus on the what-if’s, the past mistakes, and fears for the future.

Sometimes times I find my focus is on my to-do list, or on my real or perceived problems. I get in a mess until I pray and bring my focus back to the Jesus. He is the Peace-giver.

To Do: Post verses on peace. Review them whenever the enemy tries to destroy your peace.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Let’s go to Him for our Shalom peace.

Lord God, Thank you for being our peace. Quite our hearts and minds to reflect on You this Christmas season. In Jesus we pray, Amen.

Thank you for reading my devotionals. You can go back to past devotionals if you missed any of the 2025 Clay in the Potter’s Hands series, Attributes of God: A to Z series in 2024, or others dating back to August 2020. Click on the date under the title to expand the text.

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Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV):
Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan.