This week is bracketed by two national holidays. The time between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day have feel like limbo or the twilight zone for many, but it can be a peaceful reflection period before starting a new calendar. We can look back on this last year with 2020 hindsight and praise the Lord for His many blessings during a year of turbulence and disruption of daily routes. It’s been a bit of a wakeup call, a chance to stop and evaluate what is truly important in life and measure our focus. The experience shall not be forgotten and the reality overtaking distractions.
Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Continuing the true meaning of Christmas series, Michael writes today that the Christmas message starts with the angel’s proclamation: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace on earth good will toward men. Jesus came to bring peace to a world that was dead in trespasses and sins … a world without dignity, honor, and righteousness. Jesus came to a fallen world without God and without hope. A world of darkness in secular humanistic unbelief is a difficult place to develop godly relationships. You cannot see in the dark and there is so much ill will in a world of darkness that it breaks trust among men and women. The world promises worldly peace, but it’s only a fleeting and temporary peace. In a fallen world, peace based on circumstances is as fragile as the next unkind word.
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
The Prophet Isaiah had prophesied many years before the birth of Jesus that “He shall be called the Prince of Peace.” Peace is the end of all strife and contention between God and man. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Jesus came to bring peace by reconciling God to man. Peace is the result of bringing opposing factions together based on a common bond of unity. Jesus said, “you won’t have peace unless you are men and women of good will.” In order to have peace, we must subjugate our mind, will, and emotions to His will. Ultimately peace is the result of making His will our will.
The angel’s Christmas proclamation was that Jesus came to bring a peace treaty from His Heavenly Father. In the midst of the raging storm Jesus said, “Peace be still” – Mark 4:39. Even the winds and rain obeyed Him – for He is God the Son, Lord of all, and the Author of Creation – John 1:3. The peace of Jesus Christ is different from the peace offered by the world. Peace according to the world is the absence of war. However, peace according to the Word of God is the result of making the Prince of Peace lord of your life. This is the type of peace that Jesus prayed about in the Garden of Gethsemane, “not my will but thine be done.” Peace is the result of Salvation’s transformation of the soul and regeneration the spirit resulting in reconciling our will with His will.
The peace of God transcends circumstances and situations. Peace comes not from external things, rather peace comes from the inside because it is Christ who dwells in us. God sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to bring a peace treaty from the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus came to reconcile the separation between God and mankind, for He who knew no sin was made the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” He said, “My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27
Isaiah prophesied about the advent of our Lord: Unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty of God the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. The message of the Christmas season is for us to deliver the same message of peace that the Angels said on that first Christmas … For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will toward men! God with us.
May God richly bless you.
Your brother in Christ, Michael
No comments:
Post a Comment