
Against the backdrop of current events, Christmas may seem far from peaceful.
In Ukraine, in recent days, the Russians have unleashed what President Volodymyr Zelensky has described as one of… The heaviest bombing so far In a war that has been going on for nearly three years. In return, Ukraine launched drone strikes that killed a 9-year-old Russian boy, sent his mother and 7-month-old sister to the hospital and set an oil station on fire.
The war between Israel and Hamas is still ongoing, and President-elect Donald Trump has threatened dire consequences if that happens Hamas will not return Israeli hostages by Inauguration Day.
A student at a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, appears to have opened fire in a classroom, killing at least one teacher and one student and wounding others. The suspect in the shooting, a 15-year-old girl, was found dead.
“Every child, every person in this building is a victim and will forever be a victim.” Police Chief Shawn Barnes said.
What’s really sad is that these titles are not exceptional. Violence and war exist in abundance throughout the world.
Looking around, one can feel Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s agony, as he wrote the words of a poem that became known as “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” It was 1863. The Civil War was raging. Longfellow lost his wife in a fiery accident and his son was wounded in the war.
He wrote: “And in despair I bowed my head. I said: “There is no peace on earth.” Because hatred is strong, and it mocks the hymn of peace on earth and affection for people!
At this time of year we often hear the phrase “peace on earth.” We send them in Christmas cards or place them among decorations, whether inside or outside the home. But for it to have any applicable meaning, it must be defined.
The Bible records that Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Jesus was born into a world turbulent with violence, anger, avarice, and avarice. Before he was two years old, Herod the Great, fearful of the threat the Christ child might pose to his authority, ordered the slaughter of all male children two years of age and younger in the vicinity of Bethlehem.
Political and military conflict continued throughout Jesus’ life, and in the end he was betrayed by one of his apostles and crucified in a cruel and painful manner.
After Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension, the world continued in much the same way. Only a few years later, the future Roman Emperor Titus took Jerusalem by force, destroying the city and its temple.
Hate already seems powerful and terrifying. But the peace that Jesus offers, he said, is different from what the world offers.
Jesus offers holy peace that speaks to the heart and mind; An inner spring that cannot be polluted by any of the wars, disappointments, or desecration that the world has to offer.
It is the peace that comes from His perfect love, from the sacrifice that promises us both resurrection and the hope of a brighter future than our imagination can conjure.
It is the peace that wipes away the tears in the hope of eternal joy with loved ones. It is the only kind of peace that becomes stronger when those who have it give it up.
Longfellow understood this, as his poem turned from despair to joy. “God is neither dead nor asleep,” he wrote. “Falsehood will fall and truth will triumph.”
This is the truth of Christ’s birth, life, ministry, and final atoning sacrifice. No one, regardless of worldly power, military might, or technological prowess, can ever change this.
He made it possible to throw victory over the whole world our way. His peace cannot be subject to hatred, violence, or sadness. His sacrifice made the ridicule and insults he was subjected to appear as they really were – weak and insignificant.
This is the real reason families gather on Christmas morning to share gifts in honor of the gift of God’s Son. This is the reason why believers feel the joy of this holiday throughout the year.