Christmas Meditation

Isaiah 9: 6

Luke 2: 8-14

Sometimes I worry that we get confused as to the meaning of these accounts of Christ.

“Peace on Earth” is not wishful thinking. “Peace on Earth” is not an ideal to be strived for. “Peace on Earth” is not a prophecy to be enjoyed by future ages.

No, “Peace on Earth” is here, right now; available to be grasped and claimed by every person attending this service.

But Mark, they’re still fighting in Afghanistan. Murder and rape are in the news. My spouse lost their job and my parent’s body is being ravaged by disease. How can you say that there’s Peace?

Listen, in the Garden man disobeyed God and sin became part of the human condition. Corrupt man must be removed from the presence of a Holy and perfect God. Your eternal soul is separated from the force that created it. That is chaos, and turmoil, and guilt, and anxiety that can never end for all eternity. That is the human condition and there is nothing you can do about it. That is Hell.

The spirit of God groans with his separation from man. And God sent his only Son to earth, to live in human form; keeping perfect accord with His heavenly Father; only to be slaughtered by those He came to serve. And in so doing, He became the filter which captures the impurity of sin in the soul of every individual who asks to be cleansed. Now, no soul needs to be separated from its Creator. Now, every soul can have reconcilement, unity and perfect communion with God. That is Peace.

When the great host of heavenly angels appeared at the birth of Jesus they weren’t singing wishful or prophetic phrases. They made a glorious declaration: “Peace on Earth”! It was there then and it’s here now. Christ.

Look, you are the highest creation of Almighty God. The troubles we have now are nothing in the grand scheme of eternity. There is enmity between us and evil. We will fight evil wherever we find it. As long as there is evil in the world, there is revolt. However, you can have Peace right now through Christ, the Chosen One of God. Allow Christ to put your soul in right relation with God and present troubles will slip away.

So from now on, when you see or hear the slogan, “Peace on Earth”, you think Christ, the Prince of Peace, is on Earth.