“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:13-14)
That heavenly host may simply have been expressing their hopes for the world that beautiful night when Christ was born. Because neither then nor now has the earth known very much peace.
But perhaps they saw more.
For the world was given peace that night, because Christ is peace.
We may not know a lack of conflict, but we can know trust in something greater than ourselves, in something holier and more pure, in something constant and unchanging.
There may be little stillness in our world of distraction, but we can know of a love that saves and delivers and transforms, whatever our challenges.
We may not have harmony among nations or neighborhoods, but we can know the surety of promises fulfilled.
Because He came.
He came to fulfill the promises of the Father. To bring deliverance from our bondage and salvation from our sin. To show us what perfect love can and will do.
And that is peace. All of those things that are beyond our control are within His. All that is wrong and unjust and broken in our world will be made right in Him. All that conspires to threaten our hope and subject us to misery has been conquered by Him.
He is goodness and light and life and joy. All of the things we want on earth are in Him and therefore can be in us through our faith in Him.
So on earth was peace, just as that host knew.
Because in Him is peace.
