September 08 2024

Sunday September 08

“And on Earth Peace, Goodwill…”

Luke 2:8-14

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

Luke tells us here about the first event that took place that night after the birth of the Lord Jesus in Bethlehem. First, an angel, in a burst of the light of “the glory of the Lord”, appeared to the shepherds with a message of “good tidings of great joy which will be for all people.” Next, this angel was joined with a multitude of the heavenly host of angels, and they also had a message for the shepherds and for the world! Their proclamation was short and very encouraging!

Their first focus was on giving glory to God in heaven! "Glory to God in the highest!” Scripture teaches us that our great Creator God is the Most High God and He sits on His throne in the highest of heavens! John sums up God’s purpose and plan for His creation best in Revelation 4:8-11: “The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."

Then the focus of their message turned to the earth and mankind. “And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" The first angel spoke about great joy for all people. These angels spoke about peace for mankind! When you study Scripture, you will find after sin entered the human race in the Garden of Eden, everything that is the opposite of peace also entered it. Hatred, conflict, strife, contention, war, malice, animosity, violence, murder and so on! The first two brothers born into the human race, Cain and Abel, displayed this lack of peace when Cain out of jealousness, killed his brother Abel and tried to cover up his crime.

History over the past six-thousand years reveals that nothing has changed. Look at the four world empires up to the time of Christ. The Babylonians, the Medes and Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans, all conquered the world by war. Even in this past century between 1914 to 1918, World War 1 takes place and over 16 million soldiers and civilians are killed. Then the world leaders, led by President Woodrow Wilson, proclaimed a lasting peace by starting the League of Nations. But less than 21 years later, World War 2 breaks out between 1939 to 1945, and it is estimated that 60 to 80 million soldiers and civilians are killed. Today, the wars continue with people being killed every day!

Even under the Roman rule in the time of Christ there was no peace! Life was difficult at that time just as it is today. Taxes were high, unemployment was high, morals were slipping lower, and the military state was in control. Roman law, Greek philosophy, and even Jewish religion could not meet the needs of men's hearts. There can be no peace in the world or in our hearts without a Savior, without the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Jewish word shalom (peace) means much more than a truce in the battles of life. It means well-being, health, prosperity, security, soundness, and completeness. It has to do more with character than circumstances. We can only find peace with God through Jesus Christ! Romans 5:1, assures us: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. This peace with God is only possible “through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20).

The world, or any individual for that matter, will never experience peace until Jesus Christ is believed on and received into our hearts and lives. And thank God, we have that great promise that one day soon Jesus Christ will come back to this earth as the Prince of Peace! Only then will the whole world know and experience this peace that the angels proclaimed two-thousand years ago!

Today, are you experiencing the goodwill and peace of God through Jesus Christ in your life?

God bless!