The 12 Gifts of Christmas
12 days featuring 12 gifts we receive because of Jesus.
Gift #4: The GIFT of Peace!
On that starry night, an army of powerful Angels proclaimed that this holy Child would be the Prince of Peace, saying “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth PEACE among men with whom He is pleased!” (Luke 2:14)
Over and over again, in His Word, we see the eternal promise of “peace with God” promised to those who repent of their old sinful ways, love God, and trust in Him.
Yet, there are so many who are not at peace with God. Why is this? Jesus said “He who hates Me hates My Father also.” (John 15:23)
In other words, if you don’t believe and trust in Him as the Son of God, you don’t have peace with the Father. But if you love Jesus and love His teachings, and set about to learn and do His ways, you have a supernatural peace that nothing can disturb.
Jesus gave us a clear example of this when He said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.“ (John 14:21)
After saying this, he comforted His disciples with “PEACE I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
This Peacemaker, Jesus, is not merely leaving you with a warm fuzzy in your heart, but moreover a peace that reconciles you to your Heavenly Father; a peace that restores you to sweet and peaceful fellowship as a son or daughter of God!
When you continue to place your trust in Jesus, the wrath of God is replaced with the warmth of His Fatherly love. As a believer, you have been adopted as His son or daughter. You were born a second time: this time to Father God! And it’s all due to the Prince of Peace brokering a peace agreement when He went to the cross for our sakes, to bear the payment of our sin and to satisfy God’s wrath against all unrighteousness and ungodliness.
Paul puts it this way: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Romans 5:8-9)
And to the believers at a city in Greece, Paul wrote “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9) and “and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:10)
Therefore Messiah Jesus is the Prince of Peace, bringing true peace (aka, reconciliation) to all who need to restore their relationship with the Father. “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)
Thank Jesus for the Peace He purchased for you on the cross!
With much peace, grace, mercy, and love in Christ,
Jeff
