Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others –
the armies of heaven –
praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
Luke 2:13-14 (NLT)
Did you know the word peace recurs more than four hundred times in the Bible? That’s one for every day of the year plus more. When Jesus came to our sinful world, He brought peace to mankind.
In English, the word peace conveys an absence of strife. It is a passive state of being. Yet peace in this particular passage is anything but passive. The peace God offers is active; it refers to the act of reconciliation between God and man. Jesus laid aside His royal privileges and took on the flesh and limitations of man, in order to tear down the wall of sin which separates mankind from a holy God.
The fellowship man once enjoyed with God in the Garden of Eden was brought to a halt when sin entered our world. Jesus is our peace because His sacrificial death restored man’s fellowship with a pure and holy God.
Peace on earth – this is what the angels promised that very first Christmas. Peace with God and peace within. Merry Christmas, my friends.
Thought: “Peace with God, peace with others, and peace in your own heart.” – Rick Warren
For further reading:
- John 16:33
- Isaiah 26:3
- Psalm 29:11
- Isaiah 9:6