Christmas Peace

Today marks the 3rd week of Advent. Our Advent season began with us talking about Christmas HOPE. We learned that our HOPE is in the fact that our Savior has come. God showed us that the reality of Christmas is the fact that our Savior has come. The miracle of Christmas is also that our Savior has come. In fact, the entire message of Christmas is focused on the fact that our Savior has come.

If Jesus had not come, there would be no reason for Christmas. There would be no celebration of Christmas. There would be no hope of Christmas. Why? Because our hope lies in the fact that our Savior has come. And that brings us JOY.

We talked about Christmas JOY last Sunday. We found that JOY and happiness are two different things. God taught us that even the circumstances in our lives right now might be making us sad, but we can still have the JOY in our hearts because Christmas JOY is God’s gift of love.

On this 3rd Sunday of Advent, God speaks to our hearts about Christmas Peace. The Apostle Paul explained God’s peace as a “peace that surpasses all understanding.” But let’s take a few moments today and look at peace as presented to us in God’s Word. PRAYER.

Are the Christmas holidays the most peaceful time of the year for you, a time when you finally get to experience some peace in your life – is that Christmas? “Sleep in heavenly peace,” goes the hymn. “Peace on earth,” the angels sang. Is that true for you?

Many of us don’t “sleep in heavenly peace” during the Christmas season. We can’t sleep. Our “heavenly peace” is replaced with earthly stress. The pressure of finding the right gift at the right price, the pressure of having the perfect family get-together even when your family is less than perfect, the pressure of decorating just right, cooking, baking, traveling. There’s the pressure of being happy and joyful.

But what if you’ve lost a loved one, and this time of the year reminds you of that loved one, and you feel a little depressed and down. You miss that person this time of the year. And you ask yourself, “What’s wrong with me? I’m supposed to be joyful and merry, but I’m not.”

Have you ever felt that stress during the Christmas season? What a pleasure it is to take a break from all of that, and to find some peace in the Word of God. In the familiar story of Mary and Martha, it teaches us something about holiday stress, and how there can be such a thing as peace on earth during the Christmas season. READ.

Luke 10:38-42 – “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

*******41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Can you imagine hosting Jesus at your house? How much work would you do to get ready? Mary and Martha were doing a lot of work. They wanted everything to be just right. The Savior of the world was stopping by for a visit. Jesus arrived, sat down, and started to talk. And that’s when Mary stopped what she was doing, and sat at Jesus’ feet, and listened to what he was saying.

But Martha kept going. Many things still needed to be done. And then she got mad. “Look at Mary just sitting here while I do all the work.” And that’s when Jesus spoke those famous words: “Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. Only one thing is needful. Mary has chosen what is better.” Literally, the Bible says, “Mary has chosen the ‘good part,’ and it will not be taken away from her.” Mary stopped getting the house ready. She stopped preparing the food. She stopped trying to make everyone else happy. And she chose the good part, the Word of God, that Jesus shared with her.

Can you hear Jesus speaking these words to you? He knows how worried and stressed you can be. There is so much to do. So much to get ready. Jesus comes to you and reminds you to choose the “good part” of Christmas. There is something more beautiful than all the decorations in the world, more satisfying than the best Christmas dinner, more enjoyable than the perfect family get-together.