Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 and Luke 2:1-20 – Christmas Eve: Peace

Lectionary Readings for Dec 24, 2021                  Christmas Eve
Isaiah 9:2-7  v2 The people who had been living in darkness have seen a great light. The light of life has shined on those who dwelt in the shadowy darkness of death.
Psalm 96     v1 Sing a new song to the Eternal; sing in one voice to the Eternal, all the earth.
Titus 2:11-14   v11 We have cause to celebrate because the grace of God has appeared, offering the gift of salvation to all people.
Luke 2:1-20 v11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,[a] the Lord.

Read Isaiah 9:6 and Luke 2:1-20 now and the rest of Chapter 2 when you can.

Any time I preach or lead a group, regardless of age, I start the same way. I’m going to say three short sentences. Please repeat each sentence, with enthusiasm.
God made me. God loves me. God has plans for me.

Earlier this week, I met a dear friend for dinner. We spent hours catching up on each other’s lives. My friend is about two decades ahead of me and centuries wiser than I am. As we swapped stories, he held my hand and said “Charles, for most of my life I’ve sat in church services nearly every week. No matter how well or how poorly my business or my personal life was doing, I came back every week hoping for one thing: peace. Charles, we all want peace. Remind us where to find it; remind us how to feel it; remind us how to share it.”

2,000 years ago, the greatest messenger of peace arrived in the most inconspicuous and unexpected way. Except for a handful of nameless shepherds and wisemen, the world completely missed a mysterious comet and a few thousand angels announcing the fleshy collision of Divinity with humanity. But even those select witnesses needed peace. When angels appeared to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, they all started with the same line, “Do not be afraid.” What a sight it must have been!

Joseph found peace through a brief message from a mystical angel, “Joseph, do not be afraid to stay with Mary and bring her into your home and your family as your wife” (Matthew 1:18-21).
Mary found peace knowing that she was not alone – neither Joseph nor God would abandon her.
Baby Jesus found peace nursing in his mother’s loving arms. (Imagine that!)

In the Hebrew Bible (aka Old Testament) book Leviticus 26:12, God says, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.” Jesus’ birth made that ancient promise a tangible reality to tens of thousands of people who met Him. His stories, His parables, and His message of faith, hope, and love continue making God’s presence and peace a tangible reality for Christians around the world.

Like Joseph, today we can find peace in words of encouragement.
Like Mary, we can find peace knowing that we are not alone.
Like baby Jesus, we can find peace when loving arms wrap us tightly. 

We can also share peace with others in the same ways – through our words, through our committed relationships, and through our embraces. This is how we let God’s Spirit move in and through us. This is how we become the hands and feet of Jesus in our homes, our schools, our workplaces, and throughout our communities. This is how we make Jesus’ words – “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you” (John 14:27) – this is how we make that gift of peace a reality for ourselves and the people around us.

The story of Christmas, the message of Christmas IS the Good News that God loves us SO MUCH that God would make Himself into flesh (however that works!) so that God could walk and talk and eat and laugh and cry with us... that Christmas story and that Good News continues throughout the year when we allow God’s Spirit to fill us, to lead us, and to act through us.

Christmas has become a season obsessed with gift-giving. This year, I encourage you to look beyond the ribbons, and bows, and wrapping paper... celebrate the moments and spaces of peace in your life. And look for opportunities to share peace with your family and friends. When we do so, we will live into the beautiful lyrics, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”

Amen? Amen!