Prince of Peace in Paradox

 

(Matthew 21:1-11, Ephesians 2:14-18)

3/29/26  

< The "F.I.N.E." Mask: "I am not okay, but I am still here" >

Peace be with you! Shalom! In Korea, we greet one another by saying, "Annyeong-haseyo?" It carries a similar weight to Shalom(Hebrew)—it is a prayer that the other person is well, whole, and at peace.

When we ask, "How are you?" the standard response is, "I’m fine." But I recently learned that "F.I.N.E." is often an acronym for: Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional.

We stand in the foyer, put on our "Sunday Best" smiles, and say, "I’m fine," while our lives feel like they are falling apart. We mask deep-level struggles with surface-level celebrations. What is taking away your peace today? Is it the invisible weight of trauma? Is it the grief of a hidden loss? Perhaps it is the anxiety of our four churches waiting for new pastoral leadership, or the overwhelming news of division and war outside these walls.

We need a peace that doesn't require us to pretend. There is a song with the lyrics: "God, I’m not okay... but I’m still here." It speaks of smiling through the aching and hiding tears no one sees, yet knowing God sits with us in the silence. May God grant real peace to those who are "not okay" but showed up today to hear His Word on this Palm Sunday.

 

< The Category Error: Warhorses vs. Donkeys >

The people of Jerusalem were desperate for peace, but they wanted it on their own terms. They were thirsty for a political rescue from Roman oppression. When they saw Jesus, they thought their "Global Peace System" had finally arrived. They shouted, "Hosanna!" which literally translates to "Save us now!" (Psalm 118:25).

Imagine we were preparing for the arrival of the most powerful leader in the world right here in Houlton. We would expect a motorcade of black SUVs, sirens blaring, and a red carpet. Now, imagine instead, the door opens, and out steps the leader... on a Segway. Or maybe a borrowed unicycle. We would laugh! We would think, "That’s not power; that’s a circus act."

This is the exact "category error" the people made. They were looking for a warhorse to start a revolution (Zechariah 9:10); Jesus gave them a donkey to initiate a reconciliation. Our God has a wonderful sense of humor—He crashed the world’s power party on a borrowed colt. He wasn't offering a localized revolt; He was offering a universal restoration.

< Paradox in Jesus >

Jesus’ entire life was a masterpiece of paradox. I wrote these thoughts down as a poem:

You are the Son of God, yet You were born in a manger.

You are the King of kings, yet You rode a borrowed donkey.

You are the Great Teacher, yet You washed the dust from fishermen's feet.

You are the Messiah, yet You chose the path of suffering before the crown.

You taught us a "backward" kind of love:

Loving the sinner and praying for the enemy.

Finding strength in our weakness and wealth in being poor in spirit.

Gaining life by giving it away, and finding freedom through obedience.

Leading through service, and bringing life out of death.

He wore a crown of thorns instead of gold (Matthew 27:29). He achieved spiritual salvation instead of political liberation. He showed us that true peace isn't found in conquering others, but in sacrificing oneself.

 

< Fullness of the blessing of salvation >

According to John M. Frame in The Doctrine of God, the "Peace" found in Scripture—Shalom in Hebrew and Eirene in Greek—refers primarily to a quality of human life given by God as a blessing of salvation.

God is frequently called the "God of Peace" (Romans 15:33, 16:20; 2 Cor 13:11; Hebrews 13:20). He is "Jehovah Shalom" (Judges 6:24) and the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). The greeting "Peace be to you" was a standard everyday phrase, used even by Jesus (Luke 8:48).

Theologically, Frame explains that peace is the "fullness of the blessing of salvation." It is not merely the absence of war, but the expression of completion, wholeness, and prosperity (Frame, 640). True peace comes only from God. Like all blessings of salvation, peace makes us "like God." Peace among humans is a reflection of God’s own essence—it is a divine attribute. While we often experience a "civil war" within ourselves—a conflict between opposing impulses—God is completely at harmony with Himself. His three Persons spontaneously and joyfully glorify and serve one another. He is a Being who is entirely satisfied, wealthy, blessed, and happy (Frame, 641).

< The Harmony of the Trinity >

Expanding on this, Millard Erickson teaches us that the Trinity is not just a "doctrinal decoration" but the very structure of the Gospel itself. Peace is rooted in the communal life of the Triune God.

The Father planned our salvation, the Son accomplished it through the Cross, and the Holy Spirit applies it to our lives. Our salvation is never a fragmented act of a single deity, but an event that occurs within the perfect cooperation of the Three Persons. As we see in the Gospel of John:

• The Holy Spirit is given by the Father (John 14:16).
• The Son was sent by the Father (John 14:24).
• The Father sends the Spirit in the name of the Son (John 14:26).

This perfect internal peace of the Trinity is what Jesus invites us into. When we are in Jesus, who is in God, we are invited into the "Shalom" of the Trinity.

 

< Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me>

I must share a personal story from this past week. I was talking to someone close to me and realized I held a deep-seated prejudice. My tone was sharp, and in response, that person said things that deeply wounded me. I cried for hours. I didn't want to forgive; I wanted to stay angry and "right."

But the Prince of Peace knocked on my heart. He reminded me that He works through prayer and conversation. Even though I didn't feel like it, I obeyed and wrote a letter. If I had written what I wanted to say, it would have been full of emotional fire. Instead, I wrote what the Lord prompted.

After sending it, I received a letter back. We were able to uncover misunderstandings and wounds we didn't even know existed. We had a real conversation. When I chose to "die" to my pride, Jesus wrote a new story of peace. When I emptied myself, He filled the space with His reconciliation. Father God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit are alive within us, and invite us in their peace with their power!

Who are we in this Palm Sunday story? Are we the crowd waving palm branches today, only to cry "Crucify Him!" by Friday because He didn't save us in the way we expected? Are we the confused disciples, just following one step at a time without understanding the "big picture"? Or are we followers who truly embrace His paradoxical path?

How do we experience this peace? It begins with a choice. Last week in Bible study, we sang, "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me." Even our Almighty God does not work in isolation. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in a perfect, harmonious relationship of love. In John 17:21-23, Jesus prays that we would be one just as They are one. Peace is not something we manufacture; it is something we enter into by being in Him.

Today, as we wave our spiritual palm branches, let us invite the King who crashes our expectations. Let us choose the paradox: to lose so we can win, to give so we can receive, and to die to our pride so we can truly live in His peace.

I hope and pray that this Holy Week becomes a week of miraculous testimonies for us. May the Prince of Peace, who entered Jerusalem on a donkey, enter our hearts and our homes today.

Amen.