Luke 2:13-14
Peace On Whom God's Favor Rests
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.”
John 14:27
Peace Jesus Gives Us
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Isaiah 9:6
Prince of Peace
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
John 3:15-21
God Loves the World
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
The angels tell the shepherds and us, when Jesus is born that peace is given to men on whom God's favor rests...This is an internal peace and is different than an external earthly type peace...Jesus gives us this type of peace, this internal peace...This peace is different from this world's type of peace, and was different how the Roman's thought about peace...
The Romans called peace, pax romana, which meant Roman Peace...This peace was a peace of non-wars, a peace of Roman military force -which kept peace in their country and their empire was not at war...This peace was for the Roman citizens who could go about their day peacefully and calmly and not be concerned with war and law breakers...It was an external, earthly type peace...When the Romans could live without threat, it was peace and peaceful for the Roman citizen...
The type of peace Jesus talks about is an internal one...It is the peace, like the angels told the shepherds...The angels, from God, were talking about believers of God and His Son...God's favor rests on those who believe in Him and the One He sent...God's peace does not dismiss or try to avoid conflict...God's peace does involve conflict with evil and the evil one...The evil one can challenge us through temptations and through his evil...God does not want to condemn the world, but He sees the evil around the world and condemns the evil in it...But whoever believes in Him and the One He sent is not condemned...God's peace is an internal spiritual and sacred peace...God's peace comes from His Love for this world...
Jesus is called the Prince of Peace...His followers are given a wholeness, a completeness, an abundant life -where He is a part of the believer's life...He is compassionate in Spirit and offers love, forgiveness, grace, and truth...The peace He gives is of the heart, the center of our spirit and spiritual needs, and is this spiritual peace...This peace is the sacred and spiritual peace He offers, and it is not of this world...It is a peace of and is for the soul and spirit...Jesus brings peace to the soul...His peace gives complete rest to both our soul and our spirit...It is complete fellowship with His Father...This peace is a peace of God and is given to believers on whom His favor rests...It is not a peace like pax romana or how the Romans thought of peace...His peace is not of this world, but a peace in the Kingdom of Heaven...His is the peace our soul and spirit yearns for...Or soul will remain restless until it finds this peace...We remain searching, and the mind is always looking for the next thing, or for something else...But there is no peace found in things or material things...His peace is the answer to our question "is that all there is"...The answer to is that all there is -is His peace...Jesus' peace is found in Him, His Father, and in Heaven...