The Peace Of Advent

Dec 6, 2021

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

- Luke 2:8-14

The second theme (or candle) of Advent (which means “coming” or “arrival”), covering the week of Dec. 5 through 11, is PEACE.

In the movie Groundhog Day, Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) relives the same day over and over again while trapped on location in Punxsutawney to film a report about their annual Groundhog Day. At first, he is driven almost to the point of insanity, but then sees a way of turning the situation to his advantage, to get Rita (Andie MacDowell) to fall for him. Sitting at a bar, he learns that her favorite toast is to “world peace.” It is a common toast, a common prayer, and a common desire for people in general, a world where there is no more fighting, sadness, sickness or death.

Yet, when Jesus came from Heaven to Earth, announced by the angels to the shepherds in Bethlehem, proclaiming peace on Earth, His birth did not bring about world peace. In fact, it brought quite the opposite. After Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph were forced to flee from Bethlehem to Nazareth to escape the wrath of King Herod, who then had all the boys aged two and under killed to eliminate the threat of this new king. Doesn’t really ring of peace, does it?

Then, in Matthew 10:34, we read about a time when Jesus was teaching His disciples, and He said,

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’”

- Matthew 10:34-36

Once again, it sounds a whole lot more like conflict than peace.

For the two thousand years since the incarnation of Jesus, this world has not experienced peace, but war, strife, famine, pestilence, conflict, and suffering.

So, what exactly does it mean that Jesus will bring about peace on Earth?

Jesus brings the most important peace man can ever know, peace between us and God, a peace that comes from being reconciled unto God because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross, and an internal peace (one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit) for all those who are in relationship with Him. It is a peace that allows us to experience calm in the midst of the trials and sufferings of this world. The Apostle Paul describes it this way in Philippians 4:6-7:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

- Philippians 4:6-7

Despite the conflict and turmoil that exists in this world, Jesus offers us a peace that passes all understanding. It is a peace that will sustain us while we exist on this planet, and, just as importantly, it is a promise of a peace that is yet to come, when Jesus will return one day to make all things right in the world.

As Christ-followers this Christmas season, it is critical that we not look for our peace in this world, for we will only find pain and suffering, but that we find our peace in Jesus Christ alone, for the promise from the angels is that He will bring “peace for whom His favor rests.”