Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth Peace
by Lenn Zeller, Volunteer Director of Conference Care
In just a few days we will be celebrating the birth of Christ. God’s Son came to this earth! Why? “Christ Was Born for This,” a beautiful Christmas cantata, has a poetic answer:
“For the curse of sin to be broken,
For the gates of heaven to be opened,
For our deliverance and peace,
To bring the Spirit’s sweet release,
So the world could have a Savior,
Christ was born for this.
God and sinners reconciled
by His gracious sacrifice.
For our hope and consolation,
Christ was born for this.”
(“Christ Was Born for This,” Dennis and Nan Allen)
That’s why Jesus came… for our deliverance and peace, for our hope and consolation, to be our Savior and Redeemer. By His sacrifice, through our trust in Him, we are forgiven and reconciled to our Creator, Father God. The doors of heaven are opened, even to ones such as us! Jesus came first and foremost to be a peacemaker, to reconcile our broken relationship with our heavenly Father and LORD.
That is the joy of the Christmas season. It’s not in all the trappings and accoutrements that often fill our time and energies. It’s in Christ, and what He came to do on our behalf. The greatest joy is to know Him as Savior, find peace in Him as Shepherd, and obey Him as Lord. And if we are to become like Him, then we too must become peacemakers. We too must forgive even those who betray and attack us. We too must seek reconciliation, unity and peace… within the body, the church, our homes and our families.
The scriptures consistently call for us to be people of peace:
Matthew 5:9 — Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
1 Peter 3:11 — He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.
Ephesians 4:3 — Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Psalm 34:14 — Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
Romans 12:18 — If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Christ came as the ultimate peacemaker, offering reconciliation to all who would trust in Him.
If we are truly His disciples, then we must also be offering reconciliation, seeking peace and pursuing it, and making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. There will be differences of opinion and even conflict in the church and in our homes. But we should be the ones offering forgiveness and seeking peace and making every effort to build unity.
