Peace and Good Will

Luke 2:9-14

I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play

And mild and sweet their songs repeat

Of peace on Earth, good will to men

And in despair I bowed my head

"There is no peace on Earth, " I said

For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on Earth, good will to men

These words were penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863. It was a tumultuous time for both Longfellow and all of the United States. In 1861 he had lost his wife to severe burns from a fire. Then, in late November 1863 his oldest son, an officer in the Union Army was shot in the back and almost paralyzed. On December 25, 1863 Longfellow wrote the poem we know as "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day".

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And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 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, goodwill toward men!”

Luke 2:9-14

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Like Longfellow, I wonder if the shepherds were sitting in the field wondering about the idea of peace in their world. For a Jew, the way they greeted one another was a desire for peace. Jews would greet one another with "Shalom" or "peace". I wonder if those shepherds might have been saying, "With Rome ruling us, there is no peace on Earth. Hate is strong. How can we do anything but despair until Messiah arrives?" There is no Biblical reason to suspect this, but it is fun to think about.

We do know that the shepherds were sitting in the field with their sheep when suddenly they were interrupted. An angel spoke to them and said, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." The angel told them how they would recognize the baby and then the Hosts of Heaven proclaimed, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men".

The first angel told them who had arrived. This was the Messiah who had been promised to them. He was born to the family of David, and therefore had a right to the throne of David. This messiah would be a savior. While most did not understand what this meant, there was a hint in the message of the Heavenly hosts.

When the heavens opened, and heaven rang out, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men", they were stating the mission of this baby that had been born. First, His life would glorify the Father. They were glorifying God because this Child was being born who would live to glorify the Father. They also stated that this child would bring peace on earth and goodwill toward men. The ESV words it this way, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” While we may not like this different rendering at first glance, there is something we need to understand. Those who are outside of the Messiah do not have peace or goodwill from God. They are under condemnation and judgment from God.

This baby was born in Bethlehem for the purpose of making peace and goodwill available to all who would call upon the name of the Lord. It is for this reason that Heaven sang out. It was for this reason that the Shepherds would go see the child, and then praise God on the way home. Something changed that had never been available before this moment. Salvation had come. The Prince of peace had arrived. There had been talk in the Old Testament, but now there was action. Heaven was moving and God was being praised.

When it may not have looked like there was any peace, suddenly men could proclaim:

"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

Father, thank you for sending Your Son. It is so easy to look with despair on this world. May we always remember that there is peace on earth and Your goodwill towards those who are redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Like the angels that night we too should sing, "Glory to God in the Highest!"