I watch many Christmas specials this time of the year and many sermons as well, I have been amazed at how the world has misinterpreted the Bible and with their misinterpretation they loose the meaning of Christmas. Really, I should not be surprised, I believe there are forces loose in the world that have clouded the message of Jesus. Forces in the spiritual realm that are working at this time when many hearts are most open to hear the message of hope that Jesus offers. These forces have changed the message in someways only by inches and yet the conclusion is miles away from the truth.
There are Christmas Cards, signs, songs, and sermons that refer to Christmas as a time of World Peace. In fact a song I have liked since childhood cleverly refers to this, it is by Simon and Garfunkel and smartly overlays the hymn “Silent Night” and a radio news program telling of the horrors of that years, you can hear it here on Youtube. I would like to see world peace, no soldiers in foxholes, no children starving because of some war lord. I spent the Christmas of 1987 on the DMZ in Korea looking at the products of war and longing for peace.
The truth about the Christmas Peace that is mentioned in Luke 2:14 is that God is declaring that for us as individuals the Peace Process had started. The World and the corruption of our human mind has destroyed God’s Eden that we don’t even realize that we have been warring against God. Humanity had been at war in our very nature with a perfect God, our sinful human nature kept us from God’s Peace. The Angle’s declared, “Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.”
The coming of Jesus, his birth, teachings, example, death and resurrection brings to us the Peace, to all who please God by believing and following Jesus’ commands. They are simple commands, Love the Lord with all you have and Love your neighbor as yourself. If the people in the world would follow the Peace Process, yes wars would cease, crime would vanish, hate would be eliminated. Peace starts with men and women as individuals claiming the birth of Jesus as the starting point for their own transformation, molding themselves and allowing God to mold them into the likeness of the Prince of Peace.
