Teaching the Advent Theme of Peace
Each year around Christmas, I inevitably hear the same question from one of my students: “Wait… what exactly is Advent?” Serving in a Baptist church, I’ve learned that even though most of our students aren’t familiar with the liturgical calendar, the word “Advent” always sparks curiosity.
Advent comes from the Latin for “coming” or “arrival,” and it refers to the season where God’s people reflect on the first coming of Christ and prepare their hearts for His second coming. Traditionally, the church has marked this season by focusing on four themes: hope, peace, joy, and love.
Whether you build a formal Advent series or weave these themes into your existing teaching series, Advent can be a Christ-centered practice that shapes our students’ hearts to long for God’s promises and rest in His salvation. This is not a stuffy ritual or nostalgic tradition; Advent can help us teach the Christmas story with theological depth and pastoral clarity. This article focuses specifically on how the Advent theme of peace can shape the way we teach the Christmas story to our students.
Why the Theme of Peace Matters for Students Today
The second week of Advent traditionally highlights peace, which is a desperate need for teenagers. We are ministering to what Jonathan Haidt has called “the Anxious Generation,” one characterized by anxiety, depression, loneliness, and restlessness. They live under the weight of constant distraction, comparison, and pressure. Their hearts rarely have a moment of stillness. Even when surrounded by noise and busyness, they are starving for peace. The good news of Advent is that the Christmas story speaks directly to this need.
Students do not need a peace they can manufacture; they need a peace only God can give. And the Christmas story shows us that true peace is not something students achieve by organizing their lives, fixing their relationships, or “becoming their best selves.” It is something God gives through the arrival of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. In Jesus, God announces the arrival of lasting peace for anxious hearts.
How Can We Best Highlight the Theme of Peace?
I believe the best way youth workers can approach this Advent theme of peace is by tracing the story of peace in Scripture across three movements: expectation (Old Testament), fulfillment (the gospels), and completion (New Testament). This framework can help keep your series Christ-centered, while also grounding it in the overall storyline of Scripture.
Expectation: OT Prophecies Longing for Peace
The Old Testament is filled with the theme of longing for a King who will bring peace to God’s people. These passages help students see that the promise of peace is not merely sentimental, but eschatological.
Isaiah 9:1–7 - The Child Who Is the Prince of Peace
This is one of the clearest Christmas prophecies, which your students may be very familiar with. “His name shall be called… Prince of Peace.” Isaiah shows that peace is tied to the reign of a divine King, Jesus the Messiah.
Isaiah 11:1–9 - The Peaceful Kingdom
This famous passage shows wolves lying down with lambs, indicating all of creation itself restored to harmony. This paints peace as shalom: wholeness, restoration, flourishing.
Isaiah 53:5 - Peace Through Substitution
“Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace.” Teaching on Advent should not only celebrate that Jesus came, but rejoice in what He came to do. Peace is purchased by the suffering of the Lord’s Servant.
Micah 5:2–5 - Peace Born in Bethlehem
“He shall be their peace.” This prophecy directly links the birth of Christ in Bethlehem to the gift of peace He will be for His people.
Passages like these can help students see that anticipation of the One who brings peace shapes the significance of the Christmas story.
Fulfillment: Gospel Scenes Announcing the Arrival of Peace
The Christmas story in the gospels shows the fulfillment of these OT promises. These scenes are perfect for helping see how the anticipation of the Messiah highlights the significance of Jesus’s arrival in history.
Luke 1:67–79 - Zechariah’s Song
Zechariah prophesies that God’s salvation will “guide our feet into the way of peace.” Peace is not merely a feeling; it is the direction God leads us through Christ.
Luke 2:14 - The Angels’ Song
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” This is a declaration that peace has come through the One born in Bethlehem.
Luke 2:25–32 - Simeon’s Song
“Lord, now you let your servant depart in peace…” Simeon’s peace comes from seeing the salvation of God had arrived in Christ.
Teaching these passages can help students discover that the peace they long for is found in the Savior God has provided.
Completion: NT Teaching on Peace Accomplished Through Christ
These passages can show students what the peace of Christ actually is and how it works.
Ephesians 2:13–17 - Christ Is Our Peace
It is not just that Jesus brings us peace, but “Christ Himself is our peace.” He is the One through whom we find peace with God and one another.
Colossians 1:19–20 - Peace Through the Cross
The way Jesus brought us peace was through His death on the cross. Peace was purchased by the blood of Christ, which means it came at an incredible cost.
Romans 5:1–11 - Peace Through Justification
Peace is reconciliation with God, which happens at salvation. Because Christians are justified, they now have eternal peace that circumstances cannot touch.
Teaching these passages can emphasize several key truths for students. They emphasize who Jesus is: the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the Shepherd-King, the light to the nations, etc. They also show what He brings: reconciliation with God, hope in darkness, and peace among God’s people. The Christmas story becomes a clear announcement of who Jesus is, what He came to do, and finally, how He did it. It can help students see that peace is not only a Christmas theme, but an ongoing reality for them in Christ.
A Practical Consideration
Students hear promises of peace everywhere: “be true to yourself,” “cut out toxic people,” “organize your life,” “take care of your mental health,” or “surround yourself with positive people.” Some of these have a glimmer of good advice, but they are insufficient to deliver the deep and enduring peace God offers.
Students experience guilt, fear, relational conflict, and internal chaos; they know something is missing in their lives. As we highlight what true peace looks like, they will recognize that worldly peace is temporary and sometimes even superficial. By drawing out this contrast, youth workers can lead students to see that true peace is only found in the Savior, Jesus Christ. But teaching peace is not complete without guiding students toward application. Students must see how Christ’s peace is meant to shape their lives.
First, they are called to rest in peace with God, freeing them from striving to earn approval or control outcomes. Second, students can experience peace during pressure. The Christmas story shows that Mary and Joseph’s lives were far from perfect, yet God’s presence sustained them. Third, peace extends to relationships with others, seeking reconciliation, forgiveness, and unity. In this way, Advent invites them to participate in God’s mission of bringing reconciliation to a world in chaos, becoming peacemakers in their homes, schools, and communities until He returns.
Conclusion
Teaching the Advent theme of peace allows youth pastors to speak directly to the anxious hearts of today’s students. It anchors their longing for peace in the only One who can truly give it: Jesus. By guiding your students through the Old Testament expectations, their fulfillments, and the New Testament explanations of Christ’s peace, you help them see that this is not a seasonal concept but a central gospel truth. True peace is not something they create, but something they receive through faith.
The Christmas story is so much more than a charming tale about a manger; it is the announcement that God’s peace has arrived, and it is available to everyone willing to receive Him. And that is very good news for an anxious generation.