And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
                 and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

– Luke 2:8-14

This is THE moment. When a private, sacred story, held by Mary and Joseph, burst into the world, it was a dramatic, God-filled, God-fuelled event. An angel, magnificent and wondrous, shines with the Lord’s glory. A great choir of angels praises God. The angel announces to a group of astonished shepherds that a Saviour has been born, and born to you! Jesus, the bringer of peace, God with flesh and bones, hands and feet, love and compassion, grace and mercy, has entered the human story, and nothing will ever be the same again.

In the familiarity of this passage, which is so well known to many of us, we can lose sight of the wonder of Jesus, the bringer of peace, coming into the world, announced in such a spectacular way. We can have a sentimental ‘Nativity Play’ perspective of this part of His story: complete with tea towel headdresses, out-of-proportion stuffed animals, tinsel halos, crooked angel wings, and awkward youngsters on stage, stumbling over their lines. We can forget that the course of human history underwent a seismic shift on the night of Jesus’ birth.

In our troubled world, we might cynically doubt the idea of peace on earth. We see tragic, escalating conflicts and everyday brokenness. We might think peace is for a distant future in heaven. Or, we might think the “peace to those on whom his favour rests” was only for a special time, on a special night.

The reality is more radical and utterly life-changing. Jesus is our saviour, the Messiah, the Lord, and our pathway to right relationship with God. He is the rescuer of all humanity. Consider for a moment what that means for your life right now. Because of Jesus, you can have the freedom to be fully forgiven, fully restored to Him, and secure in your identity as His much-loved child.

And He brings peace to everyone who calls out to Him as their Lord. No more internal chaos. No more searching for significance in all the wrong places. No more looking for meaning and purpose driven by the values and priorities of the world. Instead, there is shalom: peace with God, peace with one another, peace with the world.

How could you, today, step back into the wonder of God’s promises fulfilled to a weary world through Jesus, and truly rejoice in the promise of peace?

“Lord, thank You for the peace You bring into our lives when we open our hearts, our minds and our spirits to receive from You. Thank You that we can have peace in all circumstances, however challenging they might be, because of Your presence that is with us always. Thank You that Your peace transcends all of our human understanding.”