We’re continuing our look at Hark, the Harold Angels Sing as our hymn of the month. The line we’re looking at today is “Peace on earth and mercy mild.”
The phrase “Peace on earth” is quoted a lot at Christmas time. Sometimes it is quoted with great cynicism because we look around and see very little peace. In fact the song, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by Henry Longfellow contains the stanza:
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
What the angels said to the shepherds as quoted in Luke 2:14 is “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” The announcement is being made that a savior has been born. We need a savior because of the fact that we have sinned against God and there is nothing in ourselves that we can do to rectify the situation. But God suddenly sends the announcement to some poor shepherds on a hillside in a tiny country. The announcement comes by means of a multitude of angels giving mankind the good news that someone has been born who is a savior. In other words he is the one who will rescue us from our primary problem – a death penalty hanging over our heads because of sin and rebellion against God.
This announcement of peace is not a declaration that there will be peace among the people of the earth immediately. It is an announcement that there is a peace available with God.
Isaiah the prophet wrote in his book (9:6) that this child who would come would be called the Prince of Peace. The Bible tells us in Romans 5:1 that having been justified we have peace with God. This peace is available, but it is only available to those who have been justified by faith and it is available through our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who was born on that first Christmas.
What does it mean to be justified? It means to be declared righteous by God. Our sin is a serious problem to God. It’s not just some light thing that God can dismiss with the wave of his hand. Our sin requires punishment and Jesus came to take that punishment himself so that we could be declared righteous. God has announced that this “swap” is available as a gift, but it must be accepted, received and believed by faith.
Paul writes in Romans 10 that his people, the Jews, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
He goes on in verse 9, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Paul told the Philippian Christians that he wanted to be found in Christ, “not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”
So on that first Christmas, an announcement was made that a savior was born, a child who would provide peace between God and all those on the earth who receive him as savior and trust God to give them Christ’s righteousness as a gift of his grace.
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