Peace, Good Will Toward Men
The Christmas message starts with the angel’s proclamation: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace 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 is a difficult place to develop relationships. There is so much ill will in a world of darkness that it breaks trust among men. The world promises 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 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 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.” Even the winds and rain obeyed him. 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 of good will.” In order to have peace, we must subjugate our will to his will… Ultimately peace is the result of making his will our will.
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 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 son Jesus Christ to bring a peace treaty from the kingdom of heaven. Jesus came to reconcile the separation between God and man, 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.”
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!
May God richly bless you,
Your brother in Christ,
Michael