CAN THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH?
LUKE 2:8 14; JOHN 14:27
Many of you have already made preparations for Christmas...decorating, shopping, plans for visiting, etc. I would like to look to God's Word in an attempt to prepare us spiritually for this holiday season. I want to begin today by looking first of all at Luke 2:8 14 (READ)
2,000 years ago an angel announced the birth of Christ...and immediately a heavenly host appeared with the angel and ended their visitation with the words, "Peace on earth, good will to all upon whom God's favor rests." Peace on earth...those are beautiful words...words we would all love to have come true. But let me ask you...where is that peace on earth? Where can we find it?
The angels announced "Peace on earth"...but those words didn't stop the bombs that were dropped on Pearl Harbor...or those that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They didn't stop people from being put in concentration camps in WWII...or others from being imprisoned and brutalized in Vietnam...Iraq...etc. Where is this peace?
I've seen the horrors of war in the Persian Gulf. I've unloaded the wounded from helicopters and buses. I've hooked up the refrigerated trailers that served as morgues. And like many around the world I wonder...where is this peace on earth?
There is a true story I read about a retired couple who was so alarmed by the threat of nuclear war that they did a study of all the inhabited places on the earth. Their goal was to determine where in the world would be the place to be least likely affected by a nuclear war...a place of safety and security.
They studied and traveled...Finally they found the place. That next Christmas they sent their pastor a card from their new home...in the Falkland Islands. Shortly after that their "paradise" was turned into a war zone by Great Britain and Argentina. Peace on earth?
What could these words possibly mean in a world where war has been a fact of life before and also after the birth of Christ when these words were proclaimed? This morning I'd like to take a look at what those words "Peace on Earth" really mean...to see if we can understand the truth that was proclaimed on that wonderful night so long ago.
Now, in the time of Jesus there was what was called Pax Romana...the peace of Rome. The Roman Empire claimed that its rule had brought peace to the world. But what kind of peace was it? The Jews of that time didn't think too much of this great peace because it was a peace built on terror...intimidation...and military force.
It was a peace that required all the resources of the mighty Roman army to maintain. And for most who were alive at that time, it was anything but peaceful. Just the fact that the people constantly wanted to rid themselves of the yoke of Roman rule indicates that it was something that was imposed on them...not something they felt and enjoyed.
And what has changed in the past 2,000 years? Look where we are today. It's pretty ironic that most people today also believe that real peace can only exist under some type of military force or superiority. We went to Bosnia to force people to live in peace. But real peace cannot be imposed...it cannot be forced on people or on a nation.
Still, I think we get caught up in this idea that military might is the answer to the problems of peace in the world. And yet the probability of war is more real and more frightening than ever.
I'm 44 years old and do you realize that for nearly half of my entire lifetime our nation has been involved in either declared war or major military conflict where men and women have fought and died. So what in the world were those angels speaking of when they sang of peace on earth and good will to men? Is it possible?
Yes, it is possible...but sadly enough, most of the world will never experience that true, lasting, liberating peace and good will to men that the angels spoke of. It's known to just a minority of the world's population, in spite of the fact that it is available to all.
Real peace comes only to those who follow the One who is called the Prince of Peace. In John 14 we find Jesus gathered with His disciples in the Upper Room...knowing that the cross was looming before Him...knowing that death was certain. Look with me to those words He spoke....(READ 14:27)
Can there be peace on earth? Yes. There is a peace that Christ offers...but it's one that is far different from anything the world has to offer...and for that matter for them to understand. What is the peace that Jesus gives? Well, it's not a cabin in the mountains or a peaceful little cottage by the ocean away from all the troubles and problems of the world.
It's not a "Father Knows Best" type of family where problems are trivial and everything always turns out rosy...it's not long life with good health, job security and the sun always shining. Peace is not just the absence of conflict. It is much more than that. The Greek word translated peace literally means "unity"...unity that comes through restored relations and harmony with God.
Jesus had peace and it came from His relationship and union with His Father. Jesus was willingly obedient to God's will...and that is where Jesus found unity and harmony....that's where He found peace. It came from knowing there was nothing that separated Him from His relationship with the Heavenly Father.
And when we are drawn to Christ and have no separation in our relationship with Him...then we will have the same peace that Christ experienced. And the great thing about this peace is that it is something that no one can take away. It is internal...and by internal I mean it is something found in the heart...not in the head!
We can have peace of mind when there is an absence of conflict and everything seems calm. But when your spirit is resting in the Savior, you'll experience a peace that is not dependent upon outward circumstances. We can have peace in the midst of the worst storms life can bring against us. (song It Is Well With My Soul)
Jesus had peace even as He faced the scourging...the humiliating rejection before the crowds...and the torture of the cross. He had such an intimate, vital relationship with God that it gave Him the peace and the strength to face whatever came His way. So we too can have peace even in the midst of severe trials.
But this peace that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ has another very important aspect...it's relational. Peace is a personal, internal thing...but it's expressed in how we relate with each other. Only the peace of Christ will enable me to relate effectively with other people.
And this is what we need so much in the world today. We need the kind of peace that will build bridges of understanding and compassion. This is what's needed to restore broken relationships and to bring about reconciliation and restoration. We need that in our families...in our church...and throughout the whole world.
How do we do that...how do we find peace on earth and good will towards each other? I think that at the heart of the matter we'll find the idea of forgiveness. Isn't that what Jesus based His teaching of peace on...being forgiven of our sins and made right with God? But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that world today is full of un-forgiveness.
That's why we sent troops to Bosnia...because the warring factions were unable to forgive all that horrible things that have been done and let peace reign first in their hearts and then in their actions. And after seeing the many atrocities committed by both sides, I know it would be a difficult thing to do. But it's the only way. But we don't have to go half way across the world to find problems with unforgiveness...we could probably find many cases a lot closer to home...even right here in the church...and in families represented by this church.
A mom and her young son had been shopping, and the boy had really acted up...wanting this and that, running around, yelling and throwing fits, etc. On the way home the boy knew he was in for it, so he said to his mom, "When we ask God to forgive us when we're bad, He does, doesn't He?"
Mom said yes. Then the boy said, "And when He forgives us, He buries our sins in the deepest sea, doesn't He?" Again mom said, "Yes, He does." After a few moments of silence the boy said, "I've asked God to forgive me, but I bet when we get home, you're going to go fishing for those sins, aren't you?" Hello!
How many relationships suffer because we go fishing in areas we have no business in? The angels came to announce the coming of the one who would restore relationships and bring peace by providing us the forgiveness we all need in order to be right with God.
But then it gets difficult...because Jesus said one time, "Freely you have received, now freely give." We have received forgiveness...pardon for our sins, full and free...now we need to extend that same forgiveness to those who have done wrong to us.
A man wrote telling of how his 6 year old son was using super glue on a model airplane he was building. In less than 3 minutes, his right index finger was bonded to the wing of his little DC 10. He tried to get it loose. He tugged at it...pulled it...waved it frantically, but couldn't budge it free. Soon the dad located some solvent that did the job and ended their little crisis.
But later on the man was reminded of that incident when he visited a new family in the neighborhood. The man introduced his children this way: "This is Pete. He's the clumsy one of the lot. That's Cathy coming in with mud on her shoes. She's the sloppy one. As always, Mike's last. I swear, he'll be late for his own funeral." That dad did a great job of gluing his children to their faults and mistakes.
And people do it to us all the time, don't they? They remind us of our failures...our errors...our sins, and they won't let us live them down. Like the boy trying desperately to free his finger from the plane...there are people who try, sometimes desperately, to free themselves from their past. They would love a chance to begin again.
When we don't let people forget their past...when we don't forgive, we glue them to their mistakes and refuse to see them as more than something they have done. The good news of the gospel is that we don't have to remain in bondage, glued to our sins.
The healing power of God is ours for the asking...promising freedom and the loving embrace of a Father who forgets our past and makes us into something new. As Christians, we are also called to extend that forgiveness and the opportunity for a new start to others...even those who have failed us or hurt us in the past.
We can look beyond what they have done and see them as a brother or sister in need of peace. And if we are holding back that forgiveness...then we need that peace as much as they do. Freely you have received...now freely give. At Jesus' birth the angels announced peace on earth, good will toward men...and then when Jesus Himself spoke...He called us to be peacemakers.
Maybe there is a connection between the two. Maybe peace on earth is not something that will just happen on its own...maybe it is up to us. Well, it's not likely that those of us gathered here today will bring peace to the whole earth...that's just not very realistic.
But we can bring peace and good will to our own little part of the world. And I know that there are some here this morning that are in desperate need of peace in their heart and soul. Some never found peace with God through a personal relationship with His Son.
Some have broken relationships...there may be unforgiveness or resentment... you may be harboring hurts or disappointments. It's time to let the peace of God take away those chains and set you free.
Some may just need reminded that the peace they enjoy needs to be shared with others...
