BEING MINDFUL OF GOD’S PEACE
We make our beginning in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord God, Sanctify us in Your truth, Your Word is truth. Amen.
Christmas is next month. That phrase will again ring out: ‘Peace on earth, good will to men’.
But how many of us have ever heard anyone scoff and sneer at this time of year by saying
‘Bah, humbug - there is no peace on earth. Never has been; never will be.’
Politically speaking, this is very true – there has never been a time of peace on earth and there never will be a time of peace on earth - politically speaking. So then, just what did the angels really mean when they sang to the shepherds who were taking care of their flocks by night: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”?
For starters, let’s review this verse in the light of three different translations: KJV, NIV and ESV.
Luke 2:14 King James Version
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Luke 2:14 New International Version, 1984
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.
Luke 2:14 English Standard Version
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!
In each translation, the first part of this verse, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace’ is exactly the same. But notice that in the two more recent translations, there is a condition which limits those to whom this ‘peace’ is proclaimed. In the NIV translation, peace is proclaimed to those on whom His favor rests. In the ESV translation, peace is proclaimed to those with whom God is pleased. The later translations have the understanding that God did not unconditionally promise peace to every person, or to every family, or to every nation.
This proclamation of peace, announced to the shepherds on the eve of Christ’s birth, is heard and read and sung every year during the Christmas season, in Sunday School pageants, Christmas carols, Bible readings, sermons, and Christmas cards.
We want to ponder these wonderful words of the angels, so, as with every good story, let’s start at the very beginning.
Let’s start in the Garden of Eden when there was perfect harmony and peace between God and man, between man and woman, between mankind and nature, and when there was even a personal peace within the hearts of the people whom God had lovingly created.
Genesis 1:31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.
In the Garden of Eden, because of the perfect peace and harmony between the Creator and all of His creation, Adam and Eve were able to walk and talk with God in His presence.
BUT … disobedience, sin, ruined absolutely everything. Adam and Eve could no longer ‘draw near’ to God. Sin changed that perfect close relationship. Being able to ‘draw near’ to God is a sign of perfect peace between God and mankind. Instead of harmony, there was now conflict and shame between the two people whom God had created for each other. Instead of harmony with nature, there was pain and danger. Instead of peace with oneself, there was insecurity, dissatisfaction and guilt. Worst of all, instead of close friendship between the Creator and the created, there was a separation that could have lasted forever. The perfect peace and harmony between God and mankind was shattered when Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
From the Garden of Eden in Genesis, let’s pass over to the book of Exodus, where the children of Israel, who had recently been delivered from slavery in Egypt, were encamped before Mount Sinai. When God instructed Moses to go up Mount Sinai to receive His Law, the people were instructed not to approach the mountain, lest they incur the wrath of God and perish.
Exodus 19:12 And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.
Exodus 19:16-20 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Notice how drastically the relationship between God and His people had changed. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve enjoyed being in God’s presence. They walked and talked with Him, they drew near to Him, as friends, in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8).
When God descended on Mount Sinai, He did not come near. He came down only to the top of the mountain while the people were required to stand at the foot of the mountain, a far distance from His presence. When Moses spoke to God, God did not answer with a friendly, gentle, comfortable voice. He answered in thunder and all the people in the camp trembled.
This is a stark picture of the separation that now existed between a Holy God and a sinful people. There was a great distance, not a close friendship, between God and mankind. This was not a picture of peace and harmony, but a picture of God’s power and majesty that was overwhelming, striking fear into the hearts of all who were there. Sin was the cause of this fear. Sin was the cause of this distance and separation between the Creator and HIs created ones.
On Mount Sinai, God revealed His law to Moses and gave him the building plans to construct the tabernacle. This tabernacle, or portable ‘temple’, was God’s dwelling place during the years when the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land.
Exodus 26:30-31, 33-34 Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain. And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. … And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place.
The mercy seat represented God’s presence among the children of Israel. It was regarded as God’s footstool or throne from which God spoke to Moses. It was placed on top of the ark of the testimony (the ark of the covenant). God forgave sin when the high priest sprinkled or ‘covered’ the mercy seat with the blood of the appointed sacrifices. The two tablets of stone, on which were written the ten commandments, were placed inside the ark, underneath the mercy seat, so the blood of sacrifice would cover them, signifying that the blood of Christ covers, (and forgives), the breaking of God’s Law. The ark with its mercy seat was placed inside the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle. No one was able to ‘draw near’ to the Mercy Seat, to the presence of God, except the High Priest, once a year, on the Day of Atonement.
The veil separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place which contained a table for the bread of the Presence, a golden lampstand, and the altar of incense. Only the priests could enter the Holy Place. The veil, with its blue, purple and scarlet yarns, fine linen thread and embroidered cherubim, must have been very beautiful. Its beauty may have represented the beauty of the forgiveness of sin which Jesus would provide with His willing death on the cross. But the veil was also very large, very heavy, and very thick. It was impenetrable. The mercy seat represented the presence of God. No one but the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. The veil was a constant reminder of the total and complete separation between a Holy God and a sinful people. It warned all sinners that God was not approachable. Sinners (that’s everyone) were forbidden to draw near to Him.
The severity of punishment for any defiance of this separation between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place is shown in Leviticus 16:2 The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.”
From the strict separation that was pictured in the tabernacle in the Old Testament, let’s move forward with joy to God’s invitation and promise to us in the New Testament. Both in James and Hebrews, God invites His people to draw near to Him.
James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts
sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
What caused this change in the relationship between God and His people?
Why did God move from ‘keep your distance’ … to ‘draw near to Me’?
The answer to this mystery was revealed to us on Good Friday.
Genesis 3:14-15 The LORD God said to the serpent, … I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Matthew 27:50-51 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
The tearing of the curtain, the veil, which separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place, is extremely significant. It pictured the end of separation between the Creator and His created ones. It pictured the opening and restoration of fellowship between God and mankind through the life and death of His only Son, Jesus the Christ. The old system of sacrifice was no longer required. Jesus’ sacrifice opened the way for every repentant sinner to enter into God’s presence. Once again, God’s people could approach Him without fear. They are allowed, even invited, to draw near to Him. The prophecy in Genesis 3 had been fulfilled. God the Father had torn the curtain from top to bottom, from Heaven to earth, so we can come to Him.
By His death on the cross, Jesus fulfilled all the legal requirements of God’s justice toward sin. By His perfect obedience to the Father, Jesus restored peace and harmony between God and His people. As our substitute, Jesus paid the price for Adam and Eve’s sin, for your sin and mine.
Why was the angel’s announcement of peace proclaimed on the eve of Jesus’ birth?
The Savior’s birth was promised thousands of years before that special night. All God’s people had been waiting with eager anticipation for the fulfillment of His greatest promise. At last! Glory be to God! The promised Savior, the spotless Lamb of God, had arrived! Everything that was required for our salvation would be accomplished by Jesus. All those prophecies for the restoration of peace between God and mankind would be fulfilled with Christ’s death.
At this time, the Roman world was experiencing the Pax Romana (the peace of Rome), which was marked by external tranquility. But the angels proclaimed a deeper, more lasting peace - a peace of mind and soul made possible only by the Savior. Peace with God is received by faith in Christ, and it is on believers that ‘His favor rests’. This peace with God is not assured to all, but only to those who believe in His name. For those, He is pleased to bless with His peace. John 1:12 To all … who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
How does a Christian view of peace in Luke 2:14 differ from an unbeliever's view of peace?
Pilate asked during Jesus’ trial, what is truth? We want to answer the question, what is peace?
Ezekiel 13:10 They have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace.
Declaring ‘peace’ when there is no true peace, is misleading, deceptive, and gives a false sense of security. It’s a lie from Satan, the father of lies, and offers only false hope.
Judges 6:22-24 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.” But the LORD said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD is Peace.
Luke 24:35-36 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”
‘Peace to you’ is a traditional Israelite greeting. But greetings delivered from the Lord are not mere formalities. They actually impart a blessing. Jesus actually gives what the Word says, perfect peace between God and His people, of every tribe, and tongue, and every nation.
1Peter 5:14 Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Did Jesus come into the world for the purpose of bringing ‘political’ peace on earth?
John 18:37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”