Does Christmas Convey Peace or Struggle? – Ask Pastor John
“Pleased Monday and Merry Christmas! On this final episode earlier than the vacation, we’re coming in with a Christmas meditation on happiness and nervousness, all spurred by this query from a listener named Derek: “Hiya, Pastor John, and Merry Christmas to you! Through the Creation season annually, I like to sing the hymn ‘Pleasure to the World.’ However the extra I learn my Bible, the extra I ponder if Jesus got here to carry world peace or not. It looks like the world is changing into extra unstable and fewer comfortable. It has definitely by no means felt extra fractured to me.
“But at his start, a mess of angels praised God by saying, ‘Glory to God within the highest, and on earth peace amongst these with whom he’s happy!’ That’s Luke 2:13–14, and it’s fastidiously certified — not pleasure to the entire world, however pleasure to those that please God. After which in fact later in his ministry, Jesus mentioned of himself, ‘Don’t suppose that I’ve come to carry peace to the earth. I’ve not come to carry peace, however a sword.’ These are his recorded phrases in Matthew 10:34. As we put together to rejoice our Savior’s start once more, I’ve to ask: Does Christmas sign peace or conflict? It appears to be each. In that case, what sort of conflict did he begin on earth? And what sort of peace did he carry to earth?”
I feel Derek is correct, completely proper, in every little thing he simply mentioned. And what I might add is that the dominant notice that must be struck at Christmas time, at Easter time, and each different time within the Christian life is the notice of God-exalting happiness. “Happiness” as a result of the very first thing the angel says to the shepherds in Luke 2:10 is “Behold, I carry you excellent news of nice pleasure” — big happiness, huge happiness, God-sized happiness. That was the primary phrase out of the angel’s mouth. And I say “God-exalting happiness” as a result of the very first thing out of the military of angels once they begin speaking in Luke 2:14 is “Glory to God within the highest.”
So, the start of this child is about your huge happiness and God’s heaven-sized glory. That’s the abstract of what Christmas is about — your huge, huge happiness in God’s excessive, excessive glory. That’s the message of the angels on the start of Jesus — God-exalting happiness. That’s the dominant notice that I feel must be struck at Christmas. Not the one notice — Derek makes that plain in his query — however the dominant notice.
The opposite notice that must be struck, and comes a number of verses later, is Luke 2:34–35, the place Simeon says to Mary, “Behold, this baby is appointed for the autumn and rising of many in Israel, and for an indication that’s opposed (and a sword will pierce via your individual soul additionally), in order that ideas from many hearts could also be revealed.” So, the dominant notice of Christmas: God-exalting happiness. The subordinate notice of Christmas: many will reject this happiness and perish. We received’t have this God-exalting happiness if we desire one other sort of happiness.
So, the dominant notice of Christmas, to make use of John 3:17–18: “God didn’t ship his Son into the world to sentence the world, however so that the world could be saved via him. Whoever believes in him just isn’t condemned.” That’s the dominant notice of Christmas. The subordinate notice is, to maintain studying in John, “However whoever doesn’t imagine is condemned already, as a result of he has not believed within the title of the one Son of God.”
“Jesus is the Prince of Peace for individuals who love him greater than they love different paths to peace.”
Once more, the dominant notice of Christmas, utilizing Isaiah 9:6: “His title shall be known as Great Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” — peace. And the subordinate notice, utilizing Matthew 10:34, 37: “Don’t suppose that I’ve come to carry peace to the earth. I’ve not come to carry peace, however a sword. . . . Whoever loves father or mom greater than me just isn’t worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter greater than me just isn’t worthy of me.” In different phrases, he’s the Prince of Peace for individuals who love him greater than they love different paths to peace.
So, Derek is correct. Christmas brings peace, and Christmas brings conflict. And what I’m stressing is that when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, got here into the world, his dominant mission was to glorify God by making peace with insurgent human beings and giving God-exalting happiness to everybody who would welcome the phrases of his amnesty. So, the dominant notice is that Christ introduced peace, and the subordinate notice is that, for individuals who is not going to obtain this peace as their treasure, there shall be conflict.
So, what sort of peace and how much conflict? That’s his fundamental query. When the angel armies mentioned, “Glory to God within the highest, and on earth peace amongst these with whom he’s happy,” I feel that peace had a minimum of three dimensions.
1. At the start, it meant peace with God. God himself was creating in Christ a means for him to be reconciled with a rebellious world. Second Corinthians 5:19: “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses in opposition to them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” When insurgent human beings lay down the arms of their revolt and embrace the phrases of God’s reconciliation, it’s amnesty. Right here’s what Paul says: “Due to this fact, since we’ve got been justified by religion, we’ve got peace with God via our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). That could be a candy, candy phrase: “peace with God.” That’s the primary and best dimension of peace that the angels introduced.
2. The second dimension of the peace that Christmas brings is between hostile teams of individuals. Ephesians 2:14–16: “He [Christ] himself is our peace, who has made us each [Jew and Gentile, and all other factions in Christ] one . . . that he would possibly create in himself one new man instead of the 2, so making peace, and would possibly reconcile us each to God . . . via the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” That’s superb in a world like ours. This isn’t getting together with one another with out Christ. That’s not the purpose. That is Christ at the price of his life enabling hostile camps to get alongside — due to Christ, in Christ. That’s the second glory of Christmas peace.
3. The third dimension of peace that Christmas brings is aid from nervousness. Philippians 4:6–7: “Don’t be concerned about something, however in every little thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made identified to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” If conscience troubles us, we preach peace to ourselves due to Christ. He paid for our sins. They’ll’t condemn us. And if circumstances make us anxious, we preach peace to ourselves as a result of God promised that he’s going to provide us every little thing we want for each scenario — as a result of he didn’t spare his personal Son however gave him up for us all.
The dominant notice of the angels at Christmas is peace to these with whom he’s happy — that’s, to those that adjust to the phrases of his amnesty. They lay down the arms of their revolt, and so they belief him. They treasure him. And the peculiar conflict that Christmas brings doesn’t intention on the destruction of individuals however on the destruction of what destroys folks.
We don’t wage conflict in opposition to flesh and blood, however in opposition to principalities and powers and demonic forces (Ephesians 6:12), or as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3–5, “Although we stroll within the flesh, we’re not waging conflict in keeping with the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare will not be of the flesh” — that’s, not merely pure and human — “however have divine energy to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and each lofty opinion raised in opposition to the information of God, and take each thought captive to obey Christ.” This can be a conflict during which we are attempting to rescue prisoners. We are attempting to defeat God-diminishing unbelief, and subsequently we make conflict utilizing the weapons of the gospel of peace.
So, sure, Christmas introduced each peace and conflict. However oh, how dominant is the notice that the angels strike — God-exalting happiness via peace with God, and merciful warfare in opposition to every little thing that destroys folks’s God-exalting happiness.” from the Transcript
John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and trainer of Wanting God and chancellor of Bethlehem Faculty and Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He’s creator of greater than 50 books, together with Wanting God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most just lately Foundations for Lifelong Studying: Training in Critical Pleasure.
