13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” ~ Luke 2:13-14
By the time the angel appeared to the shepherds, Jesus had already been born. The angel told them that a Savior was just born. Then, a great multitude of heavenly hosts appeared with the angel praising God and declaring peace to those on earth with whom He is pleased. Isaiah prophesied that when Jesus, the coming messiah, is born, He will be called Prince of Peace.
On the night that He was betrayed, Jesus told His disciples,
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you … (John 14:27a).
Jesus gave us His peace so that we are not shaken no matter what comes against us, so that in all situations, no matter what, we can have peace because peace comes from Him.
I read a story once about a king who loved paintings. He announced that any artist who could paint a picture depicting peace would be greatly rewarded. The day came, and many paintings were presented to the king. After examining them, the king chose two. One was a scene of a beautiful calm lake, with water so still and so clear that even the inner surface of the lake was visible. The sky was blue with white fluffy cotton clouds floating and drifting lazily overhead. The air was so still that not a leaf was waving.
The second was of mountains, which were completely dry and lifeless. Over the mountains were thick, angry black clouds with lightning flashing and the wind blowing. The heavy rains were pelting down on the landscape, causing the river to swell and overflow. The storm swept over the scene, causing the trees to sway terribly. Everyone thought the first picture would surely win.
After a few days of being on display, the king announced, to everyone’s shock, that the second picture would be the winner. When questioned about his decision, he said, “Look at this tree bent to one side by the wind on the left side of the waterfall. Look at the nest on its branch. See how a bird is feeding its chicks with such tenderness, calmness, and love.”
That is the kind of peace that the Prince of Peace gives us. Even amidst the haste, noise, and confusion, even when problems threaten to topple our stability and our whole world comes crashing down, the Shalom Peace of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, will keep us and preserve our joy. We are not alone, the Prince of Peace is with us, therefore, we will say, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus Christ, Your Son. Thank You, LORD Jesus, that You give us Your peace that passes all understanding and will keep us calm and at peace even in the most difficult times. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.