Langata Rd, Opposite Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, Kenya.
Luke 2:10-14, “Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
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, goodwill toward men!”
This is the Christmas season. In his gospel Luke, recording the eyewitnesses of those around him, wrote these powerful words;
“While the shepherds were in the fields watching their sheep by night, an Angel appeared before them to announce the great news of the Savior’s birth. And suddenly, along with the Angel was a multitude of Angels, too many to count that filled the night sky praising God and saying “Glory to God in the Highest; and on earth peace and goodwill toward men and women, all inhabitants of earth, then now, and in the future.”
We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and Bethlehem is in close proximity to Jerusalem. It’s only six miles away. Yet it was a long way from Nazareth where Joseph and Mary lived. They had to make that treacherous journey over 70 miles to register for the census. That’s what brought them all the way to Bethlehem in the first place. Long ago in that region, many of the sheep grazing were used for Temple sacrifice so the shepherds watched over them day and night. The shepherds experienced this amazing encounter with the Angels in the night sky. Do you think it may have changed their lives?
“Glory to God in the Highest; and on earth peace and goodwill toward all.”
But how can we actually achieve peace on earth? Do you suppose the Angels were predicting a day when peace would be possible? Today, Christmas 2024 we are still at war in the middle east protecting our freedoms while trying to protect theirs.
Can we actually achieve peace on earth? When Jesus was born, I believe the Angels were pointing to another time. A time prophesied by the Old Testament writers Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and others. A time penned by the Gospel writer John in his Revelation of the future. Yes, a time when Christ would come, a second time to finally bring world peace into existence. Yes, peace on earth at last.
There has never been a generation since the beginning of time when we were not at war with someone or something.
Think about it. Every peace treaty since the world began has been broken. Conflict is a part of life; it has been and always will be until Christ returns. But we must never give up. We must never stop trying to help those who are oppressed, those who are in need. After all, this was Christ’s message from the start.
Satan hates it when we as individuals draw closer to God through fervent prayer and studying God’s Word. Instead, Satan attacks us in our weakness, and we each struggle with different trials and temptations.
Peace on earth Goodwill to all? Someday we’ll truly experience it, when the prince of darkness no longer exists, and when evil is no longer all around us.
Where are you the weakest? There are three areas where Satan thrives;
Status Quo – just existing without moving forward. Not moving forward, not moving back, but eventually I know I’ll sink. Oh well. Discouragement – finding ways to completely remove joy, hope and peace for our lives. Discouragement is so destructive. Think about this. It is so powerful. The world beats us up and causes us to question ourselves. Guess where that comes from? We can accomplish great things, we can be used by God to encourage people rather than discourage. God loves us just the way we are today but He doesn’t want us to stay the same. A lack of love for ourselves. Oh, most of the time we can love our neighbors, but often times we struggle with loving them as we love ourselves. Feeling that we do not measure up, that others are better qualified, more talented, prettier, or more handsome. But I have some great news. God can use us, especially when our weaknesses have overtaken us. Why, because there is nowhere else to turn, that we must rely on God, that we simply cannot do it on our own. And satan hates this with a vengeance. God can use us exactly where we are today, no matter what is in store tomorrow or what has happened in the past. And He will love and protect us from evil, if we take it all to God in prayer. All of it; and not just the short blessing you may say at mealtime, but time set aside to literally be on our knees in prayer.
Jesus said this in the 5th chapter of Matthew in the Beatitudes verse 9; “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons and daughters of God.”
The Son of God was definitely this, a peacemaker. Everywhere He travelled His words spoke of peace. And in the Gospel of John in verse 27 Jesus said again;
John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I leave with you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” The world does not know peace, we know that too. Peace only comes from God, the peace that surpasses all understanding, the Apostle Paul’s words in his letter to the Philippians as we heard earlier.
Philippians 4:7, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
In our individual lives we may not be able to achieve peace on earth, but we can find peace and spread goodwill to all we encounter. I truly believe it starts with you and me. It starts in building relationships with others. That is precisely what Jesus did. He built relationships with people whom He knew could also make a difference in other people’s lives. Not people who would rob others of goodwill, but those who would spread goodwill to others.
What is goodwill? a feeling of benevolence, approval, and kindly interest
It tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ came not only to bring peace into the earthly world but also to bring to humanity -- "goodwill toward men". This is how the Lord Jesus would reconcile humanity to God through peace and people's actions to one another through good will.