“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)
In this second week of advent, our focus is on peace. Last week, we talked about hope and how we have a certain hope in Jesus Christ and the promises that God has given us. It is because of that hope that we can have peace - true and lasting peace - in Jesus Christ.
The verse I quoted above is a common one from the Christmas story in Luke 2, and it’s where we get the phrase “Peace on earth” that’s commonly spoken during this Christmas and Advent season. The angels proclaim this phrase in the presence of the shepherds who were among the first to hear of the birth of the Savior on earth.
But what exactly is this peace that the angels proclaimed? The Greek word for peace is eirene (pronounced like “ay-RAY-nay”), and it can mean peace, harmony, tranquility, safety, welfare, health, a lack of strife, or reconciliation in a relationship. It can also be used as a greeting for either hello or goodbye, just as the Hebrew word shalom. Using it as a greeting has the implication of wishing God’s peace on the person you are greeting, more than just a simple hello or goodbye.
In this world, we often think of peace as a sense of stillness or the absence of conflict. Perhaps if you have small children at home, you imagine peace as when the kids are sleeping soundly and you have a moment of rest. If you’re dealing with arguments or disagreements in life, perhaps you think of peace as a time when that is no more and everyone can just get along. If you’ve lived through a major war, perhaps peace to you is when that war is finally over.
But, we know from the Scriptures that that is not necessarily the kind of peace that Jesus came to bring us. Jesus’ arrival on earth did not bring a profound sense of quiet and calm to this world. Jesus’ arrival on earth did not cause all conflicts and disagreements to stop. Jesus’ arrival on earth did not end wars.
So what kind of peace did Jesus come to bring? He came to bring us everlasting peace, a peace that passes all understanding. We really can’t understand this peace that Jesus brings; it is supernatural and beyond the full comprehension of our finite human minds. This is a peace that is focused on eternity, not a peace that is focused on the immediate events of this world we live in.
Philippians 4:7 tells us, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When I read that verse again, it struck me that it begins with the conjunction “and.” In the original Greek, it’s significant that this conjunction is “kai,” not “de.” The conjunction “de” can mean and, but, for, etc. depending on the context. The conjunction “kai” typically joins two similar parts of speech (i.e., two nouns, two verbs, etc.) so that means that verse 7 is connected to the phrases before it.
So, the previous verses give us some clues about this peace spoken of that transcends all understanding: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:4-6).
How do we try and obtain this eternal peace that Jesus came to bring? Rejoice. Be Gentle. Don’t be anxious. Pray. Be thankful. Most importantly, note that the end of verse 5 says, “The Lord is near.” Near can mean that He is physically nearby, or it can mean that He is near in time. This particular use of the word means the latter, that He is close in time, referring to Jesus’ second coming. The Apostle Paul who wrote this letter to the Philippians believed that Jesus was going to return again in his lifetime. All Christians throughout the ages have believed similarly, and we should as well.
During this Advent season, we look forward to our annual celebration of Jesus’ birth as a baby in Bethlehem. We should also be looking forward to the time when Jesus will be physically near to us when He comes again at His second coming. Until that time, we will not be able to fully experience or even understand the eternal peace that He brings us. Once Jesus comes again to judge all people, those of us who have faith in Him and His sacrificial death and resurrection will finally understand and be able to experience His perfect peace for all eternity.
Do you have that saving faith in Jesus? He was that little baby born in Bethlehem, but He grew up and lived a perfect life to pay the penalty for the sins that every one of us has committed (and will commit). If you have not yet committed your life to faith in the Savior, I encourage you to do so this Christmas season.
For more on peace and how it’s spoken of in the Bible, check out this post.
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