And at the end of eight days… he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Luke 2:21
In those days, there was political turmoil. In those days, there were men and women and children whose lives were affected by war. In those days, there were people who looked for God—and weren’t sure where (or who) He was.
The people of Israel knew a creation story that told them they were made on purpose; that they were loved and placed in a beautiful world which their ancestors broke, through sin and deception. And they had gotten along over the generations, sometimes better than others; and sometimes God had stepped visibly in, and spoken, and led, and loved.
But there wasn’t peace, because they’d never found a way home—back to the beautiful place where their relationship with their maker began. Can you ever go home again? Can you ever repair the damage you did before you left? Humanity couldn’t. Sometimes they tried harder than others, but even on their best day—people couldn’t repair the breach between themselves and God.
Until in those days, God extended peace. Not a frosty, superficial peace, not a temporary cease-fire, not a brokered agreement that told humanity how much they owed to make things right. He offered his peace, the kind that cannot be disrupted or destroyed. He offered it freely, even though he wasn’t in the wrong. He reconciled himself to his children through his Son, sent to earth at Christmas to make peace.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! … Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4, 6-7
Or as one of our best-loved carols says:
Peace on earth, and mercy mild: God and sinners reconciled!
Let your heart sing—because peace has come. No matter what troubles the world around us, we have peace with God through Jesus, so we can endure. In the highest places—in the attic, in the heavens, in the skies—God is glorified!
And on earth? It’s Christmas.