Peace On Earth

The Christmas season has just ended, but I'm still thinking about a common theme for Christmas... peace on earth. What does that mean? What type of peace does Jesus bring? What conflicts, what wars does he end?

What war did Jesus talk about? Did he tell the Romans they must stop their conquest of the world? No. Think about it. What things did he specifically condemn the Roman's for doing? (Nothing.)

Roman's 5:10 tells us who was fighting: "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son."

Philippians 3:18 talks about those who are not saved... "For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ."

The world war that is going on is the war between mankind and God. The peace on earth Jesus Christ brings is peace between us and God. Through Jesus Christ we are no longer enemies of God... we are no longer at war with God. That is the peace on earth the Bible talks about.

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." - Colossians 1:19,20

What Is Peace On Earth?

It's the Christmas season and a common theme is peace on earth. What does the Bible mean when it talks about peace?

For a long time I found this to be a confusing question. On the one hand, peace... the end of all war... seemed like a good thing. Yet Jesus said: "Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! No, I came to bring a sword. I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

We think of Jesus as being all about peace and love, but that does not appear to be true.

In Luke 22:36 Jesus tells his followers that to have a sword is so important that they should sell their clothes to buy one. The Book of Revelation describes a future time filled with war and death. Romans 13 tells us one purpose of government is to oppose evil with the sword (war). This all seems at odds with our general understanding that Jesus brings peace. Yet, the truth is Jesus does bring peace. We're just not thinking about the right war.

What is the greatest war? What war has been going on continuously for 6,000 years? Romans 5:10 tells us that before we are saved we are enemies of God. The greatest war is our opposition to God. That is the war Jesus came to end. Jesus came to bring peace between us and God. Through His death on the cross He brings peace between us and God, for all those who accept this gift He has given us.

This is what the Bible means by peace on earth. It is peace between mankind and God. This is the peace we are to work for, by our sharing the gospel with others. Until there is peace between mankind and God, there can be no peace among mankind... in fact Jesus makes it clear that as He brings peace between man and God, He brings war even within families.

What can you do to help bring peace on earth? The Bible tells us what we are supposed to do.

Go out and share the gospel. Tell people about their need for a savior. Share the good news that Jesus died to pay the penalty they owe for disobeying God. Tell them how on the third day He rose from the dead, showing us that we too will live. That is the way, the only way to true peace.