11/29/2020 - Advent Peace - Luke 2:1-14

I was thinking about this Christmas season and its potential for greater impact than many others. The reason is simple - we are a world and a country that continues to be filled with anxiety. What is the cure? The cure came 2000 years ago but not in the way anyone anticipated. A world changer would be expected to come from behind palace walls and certainly from a family of great influence. Instead, Jesus was born in a lowly stable and placed in a manger and his parents were unwed and poor teenagers. The baby would grow to be a man and that man had the most significant impact of anyone who has ever walked the earth. Lest we forget - Christmas holds the word “Christ.”

Jesus came to bring what we want in this world and what we need right now. Soon you will be receiving Christmas cards and letters that have a peaceful theme and we will sing songs that speak of "peace on earth." But you know I’ve found that the concept of peace means different things to different people. We find ancient distractions to relieve ourselves of our modern pain. Spend money, have a few more drinks, go all out and indulge in something you know you'll really regret. Meanwhile, there is a peace that lasts...

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 among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:13-14

The word 'multitude' describes a huge number...like hundreds of thousands. It seems each angel in heaven could not contain his enthusiasm. So as we enter this season, let's remind ourselves of where lasting peace is found. Look inside that lowly stable and stare into the worn-out manger in the little town of Bethlehem. Doesn't the simplicity of it all tell you something? Your peace has arrived.