March 3, 2001

Monica,

You probably remember that Isaiah 9:6 says the child who is born unto us will be called (among other titles) Prince of Peace.

Do you figure that by now we can change that to King of Peace? He was God before he came to earth and is God again. Abraham paid a tithe to Melchizedek, the king of Salem. Hebrews 7 tells us that Melchizedek means "king of righteousness" and king of Salem means "king of peace." Melchizedek appeared in Abraham’s time mysteriously. Hebrews 7 says, "Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever." That’s a mystery. I would guess that it was Jesus, not just "like the Son of God." The writer of Hebrews (who himself is a mystery) goes on to say that Jesus is our high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

That means that your brother Jesus is the King of Peace and the King of Righteousness. Peter tells us in 1Peter 2:9 that we are a royal priesthood. In other words, brothers and sisters of Jesus are princes and princesses of peace and also are princes and princesses of righteousness. No need for Christians to have an identity crisis! You are nobility in the kingdom of peace and righteousness!

Love,

Dad