Peace…

Our reading is from Luke 2:8-20. The role the shepherds played in the Christmas narrative is vital. They were common laborers who were responsible for the sheep who were to be sacrificed in the temple. The animals were valuable, and their job was dangerous. They guarded the sheep against thieves and predatory animals. To the religious leadership of the day, the lives of the sheep were more valuable than the lives of the shepherds.

There was nothing special about that night. It was like any other night, until an angel appeared to them to make the great announcement, the long-awaited Messiah had been born! That announcement is underscored by a great company of angels singing “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Their words remind us of the greatness of God and His desire to reconcile with mankind. We find the same message of reconciliation in Second Corinthians 5:19, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” That is the Good News of Christmas. God came into the world to end the conflict with us. That divine truth changes everything. In this blog, I want to explore Jesus’ ministry of reconciliation. Consider three things with me.

First, because of Jesus we have peace with God. When you have peace with God, you have spiritual peace. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, wehave peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” On the day that I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, I experienced just one emotion – it wasn’t joy, it was relief. The battle was over. I was at peace with God. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) once said, “Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless, until they rest in Him.”

The founder of the great Methodist movement was John Wesley (1703-1791). His brother Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was a great hymn writer for the movement. He wrote more than 1600 hymns. The words of those hymns taught those early Methodists about God. Did you know he wrote the first hymn in every Methodist hymnal ever published, O For Thousand Tongues to Sing? This is what he wrote:

I rest beneath the Almighty’s shade,

My grieves expire, my troubles cease;

Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed,

Wilt keep me still in perfect peace.

Charles Wesley experienced the line he wrote, “keep me still in perfect peace.” Have you unwrapped the greatest gift you will ever receive? Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If your answer is anything but “yes”, don’t wait. You have been at war with God long enough. The gift of Jesus offers us spiritual peace. Jesus came to offer us peace with God.

Second, because of Jesus we have the peace of God. The peace of God is more than the absence of conflict. It is a deep-seated tranquility that comes from trusting in God’s sovereignty and grace. You can entrust this world to God. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This is important because some things are out of our control. Never forget, God is omnipotent.

I have a five-month-old granddaughter, Violet. She has a two-and-a-half-year-old brother, Romeo. My wife, Kathryn and I watch them once a week. God was very wise when he entrusted babies to young people. Our day of babysitting is exhausting, but it is also rewarding. I want to know them, and I want to be part of their lives. At the end of the day, we limp out of their home, but we are always excited about returning the next week. I love my grandchildren with my entire heart, and I cannot help worrying about the world they are inheriting. Our world is facing some massive problems, and it does not appear to be improving. I am thankful for the peace of God, because I can entrust my grandchildren to God. I will love my grandchildren for the rest of my life, but God will love them for eternity. Canadian theologian J. I. Packer (1926-2020) said, “The peace of God is first and foremost peace with God.” Jesus came to offer us peace with God, so we can experience the peace of God. Yet, there is one more.

Third, Jesus expects us to have peace with others. When the Civil War ended in 1865 there was a great amount of hatred in the country. Some feared it would never end. However, time has a way of healing old wounds. In 1885, former General-in-Chief of the Union Army and former President of the United States Ulysses Grant (1822-1885) died. Four years later, former President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) died. However, their widows, Varina Davis (1826-1906) and Julia Grant (1826-1902), lived on and settled near each other. As fate would have it, they became close friends. They did something their husbands with all their armies failed to do. They modeled peace for a new generation. Are you a model of peace for your world?

Do you have any broken relationships in your life? How would those relationships improve if you applied Christian principles to them? Christmas is a great opportunity to fix your broken relationships. It may not be an easy thing to do but it is an important thing to do. It takes two people to reconcile. God only expects you to do your part.

Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall inherit the Kingdom of God.” Have you done everything in your power to fix all your relationships? Jesus offered the world reconciliation. There is peace with God. There is the peace of God. There is peace with others.

It really is quite a story. The shepherds were just common laborers working the night shift. Without warning their entire world changed in an instant. An angel appeared and told them the big news – the long-awaited Messiah had been born! That is the Good News of Christmas. God came into the world to end the conflict with us. The angel choir sang it then, but it is still true today, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

December 19, 1974

One of the great names in French history is Napoleon Bonaparte (1756-1821). History tells us his soldiers were extremely devoted to him. During one of his battles, one of his marshals was mortally wounded in battle. As death drew near, he sent for Napoleon, believing he could do anything. He earnestly pleaded with his leader to save his life. The emperor sadly shook his head and turned away. But as the dying man felt the cold, merciless hand of death drawing him irresistibly behind the curtain of the unseen world, he was still heard to shriek out, “Save me, Napoleon! Save me!” In the hour of death, that soldier discovered that even the powerful Napoleon could not give him physical life. There is only one name that will save you. His name is Jesus. That takes us to our scripture reading.

In the second chapter of Luke, we find one of the great scenes in the Bible. Every church visits it annually. The shepherds are out in the fields in the hillside surrounding Jerusalem. For the shepherds the day was nothing special, until an angel appeared to announce the birth of the long-awaited Messiah. Luke 2:11 quotes the angel, “Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord.” Did you hear what the angel said? A Savior had been born. Later we are told the baby would be named Jesus. The name Jesus means, “The Lord is salvation.” There is no way to talk about Jesus and not bring up the complex topic of salvation. In this blog, I want to talk about Jesus as our Savior. Consider these three things with me. They are not original. They came from Rick Warren (born 1954) of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.

First, Jesus came to save us from sin. Romans 8:23 says, “All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” In other words, you are a sinner. Everyone you know, regardless of their nice personality and good deeds, is a sinner. We cannot help sinning; it is all part of the human experience. It is a flaw each person carries from Adam. You will never discover your sinfulness comparing yourself to others. You will discover your sinfulness when you compare yourself to Jesus. However, Jesus came to save us from our sins.

Second, Jesus came to save us by his grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” In other words, your good deeds are not enough. There is nothing you can do to earn your salvation. It is a gift. It isn’t just true for you; it is true for everyone. We are saved by grace and by grace, alone.

Third, Jesus came to save us for a purpose. Ephesians 1:11-12 says, “In him we were also chosen,having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” In other words, we are not to just live our lives waiting to die to go to heaven. Once saved, you are to live in a way that is pleasing to God, responding to human need and thanking God for his grace. Jesus came to save us for a purpose. Is the way you are living pleasing God?

On July 2, 1505, Martin Luther (1483-1546) was traveling back to school after visiting his home and family. On that day, he was a law student at Erfurt University in Germany. History tells us a great thunderstorm struck as he traveled. A lightning bolt nearly hit him. Terrified, Luther knelt and cried out, “Help! Saint Anna. If I survive I will become a monk.” Those words not only changed Martin Luther’s life, but the history of Western Civilization. He was good to his word and went into the ministry. Luther considered that experience his conversion experience, the day he was saved. Do you have a date you can point to and say that was the day that you were saved?

My date is December 19, 1974. It was on that date I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. That means I will celebrate my fiftieth birthday as a Christian in a few days. I have told my story many times to many churches. I was led to Christ by a friend during my senior year of high school. She told me how Christ died on the cross for my sins. All I needed to do was accept Christ as my Lord and Savior. I did. There is no drama in my story, but it was a pivotal moment in my life. Everything good in my life can be traced back to that experience. I have always been humbled God called someone like me into the ministry. However, in the past fifty years, I have learned having a date is not as important as being saved.

While my friend uttered the words on that day, many played a role in my conversion. I was fortune to have been born into a Christian home. Central Christian Church in Warren, Ohio was not just a holiday experience, it played a major role in my life. The church supported Christian education programs to teach me about the faith. I have fond memories of patient Sunday School teachers, youth group advisers and sincere ministers. One of my cherished possessions is the Bible I received from that church in the fifth grade. Each one of those people set the tone for my conversion. However, there is more.

Looking back, I can see my conversion was not just a one-day experience, but a lifelong journey. I am thankful for the people who prayed for me when I enrolled at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio and Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. I am thankful for the people of the Pleasant Grove Christian Church in Lancaster, Kentucky who encouraged me in every possible way during my seminary years. Without them, I would have never entered the ministry. I am thankful for the people of the old Morristown charge in the East Ohio Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, who helped me during the darkest days of my life. Daily, I am thankful for my wife Kathryn who loved me at a time when I had nothing, and who saw something in me the rest of the world ignored. I am thankful for my children who I refuse to disappoint. My family has made me a better Christian. I am thankful for the people of the Western Reserve United Methodist Church in Canfield, Ohio who gave me the freedom to do ministry my way for decades. I am thankful for the countless people who prayed for me and helped me when I was sick and recovering from surgery several years ago. I am thankful for my grandchildren who give me a purpose today. It has been a wild ride, and it all began on December 19, 1974.

For on that day Jesus took centerstage in my life. I see it clearly now. My conversion experience had a ripple effect on my whole life. On that day, I knew I was going to heaven, but I didn’t know how Jesus would influence my time in this world. Salvation is more than a date. It is a lifelong experience. This is the question you must answer. Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Martin Luther once said, “The life of Christianity consists of possessive pronouns. It is one thing to say, “Christ is a Savior”; it is quite another thing to say, “He is my Savior and my Lord.”

Love is a Verb

We find ourselves in the second chapter of Luke. The story is familiar. The law required every man to return to his hometown to be counted in the national census. That was done for both military and taxation purposes. However, the Jews were excluded from military service. That is why Joseph took Mary, who was with a child, to Bethlehem. When they arrived, the town was crowded. The only place they found to rest was in a barn or cave. Timing is everything. The child came and Mary placed her newborn in a feeding trough, surrounded by animals. They named the little one Jesus, which means “God saves.” The world thought Joseph was Jesus’s biological father, but they were wrong. Jesus’s biological father was God, which made Jesus the son of God. The world would never be the same again. The word of his birth did not grab the headlines. Instead, the news was spread by word of mouth. That takes us to our scripture reading.

According to our text, verses eight through twenty-one, there were shepherds in nearby fields watching the sheep. They were not just working an eight-hour shift. The text says that they were living with the animals. The sheep are a big part of the story. There are two things you need to know about them. First, the sheep were valuable. They were reserved for temple sacrifice, so they had to be flawless. Second, the shepherds did not own the sheep; they were hired to protect the sheep against thieves and predatory animals. This is the only thing you need to know about the shepherds: They were second-class citizens. In their society, they were low on the social ladder. Through the eyes of the religious purists, the shepherds were despised, because they couldn’t follow the letter of the law, so they were dispensable. The sheep, on the other hand, were revered and indispensable. Yet, they were the first to hear about the birth of Jesus.

An angel suddenly appeared. Remember, in the Bible, angels are not protectors, they are messengers. The unnamed angelic messenger encourages them to fight back against their natural response of fear. This is going to be a red-letter day in their lives. The announcement they are about to hear will not just be remembered by them and their generation – the announcement will be remembered by the generations to come. You know the announcement: In the town of David, Bethlehem, the long-awaited Messiah has been born. He didn’t enter this world surrounded by the aristocrats of society. He entered this world surrounded by people like us, commoners. The fact that the shepherds received such an announcement was incredible, but what is truly miraculous is what happens next – they were invited to go and see the newborn with their own eyes. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Leaving the valuable sheep unprotected or under-protected, they go to visit the baby. It was really quite a moment, they risked their very lives to see the newborn. No one could question their devotion or love. The shepherds illustrate for us that love is a verb. If you want to discover the person who loves you the most in this world, then find the person who has sacrificed the most for you.

In 2011, Kim Kardashian (born 1980) and Kris Humphries (born 1985) proclaimed their love. Kris was an NBA player. Kim is a reality star, who does things to stay in the headlines. They did not have a simple private ceremony. They proclaimed their love for all the world to see. It was a two-day E-Special called “Kim’s Fairytale Wedding”. Their wedding cost $10 million. Do you remember how long Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries’ marriage lasted? It lasted 72 days. Many say they used the sacred institution of marriage as a massive publicity stunt. They may be right. Today, Kris Humphries has disappeared. Kim Kardashian married again three years later, but it ended in divorce too. She has had three marriages, each one ending in divorce. She is a young, beautiful, wealthy woman. I am sure she will marry again. I am confident the fourth time is the charm. Can I ask you a question? Do you consider Kim Kardashian a love expert? Or do you consider my friend John a love expert? This is his story:

John and his wife, Mary, have been married for over sixty years. There is nothing flashy about them. They are just good people who have worked hard. Together, they raised a family and dreamed of a carefree retirement. One day John noticed Mary was starting to forget things. At first, it was little things, like the car keys and where she parked at the grocery store. Then, she began to forget bigger things, like where she lives and her grandchildren’s names. One day, she didn’t recognize John. On a very sad day, the family moved her out of the long-time family home to a Memory Care Unit in a local facility. John visits Mary every day, but she doesn’t know him. Did you hear what I said? John visits a woman every day who doesn’t know who he is. Some have asked, why do you visit her daily? I know why. He visits her daily for one reason: John loves Mary. She is the love of his life. Let me ask you the question again. Do you consider Kim Kardashian a love Or do you consider my friend John a love expert? Remember, if you want to discover the person who loves you the most in this world, then find the person who has sacrificed the most for you. The Christian faith is built on this simple concept.

In my last church, there was a teenager by the name of Ricky. He was extremely bright, and he was not afraid to talk. He was not afraid to ask questions. He asked me many questions. Most of his questions were excellent. I did my best to answer them. One day Ricky asked me this question: what is more important, Christmas or Easter? I thought long and hard about that one. In many ways, Christmas and Easter stand side by side. You can’t celebrate one without the other.

Christmas is when we celebrate the incarnation of God. In other words, we are awed by the fact God became one of us. It has been said, it is beyond all human understanding. Everyone knows the scene, and what is more important, everyone loves the scene. For this reason, everyone has a nativity set in their home. There is the baby Jesus surrounded by his parents, Joseph and Mary, the shepherds, and the animals. Everyone loves Christmas because everyone loves the baby Jesus. Believers love Christmas because we understand the true meaning of the holiday. No one can tell me Christmas isn’t important! Yet, no one can tell me Easter isn’t important too.

Easter is equally important. You know the story. The baby Jesus did what all babies do. He grew up, but unlike us, he never committed a single sin. That made him the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. The drama played out during Passover. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a Sunday in front of a big crowd. As the week went on, the crowd got smaller. By Friday, the crowd was gone; there was just a handful of people left. They witnessed a painful scene. With a sinner on his right and a sinner on his left, Jesus was crucified. It was a Roman form of torture and death. They say that Jesus drowned in his own body fluids. It was an ugly death. Yet, on that Sunday morning, the great discovery was made. Miraculously, Jesus came back to life. I have never been able to explain the resurrection because I can’t explain a miracle. Yet, that miracle is the foundation of our faith. Without the resurrection of Jesus there is no hope of eternal life. No one can tell me Easter isn’t important!

It has been several years since Ricky asked me that excellent question, which is more important, Christmas or Easter? They are separate events. Both are important and both are major events in God’s plan of salvation for the world. I still don’t know how to answer that question. However, I do know this: If you want to discover the person who loves you the most in this world, then look for the person who has sacrificed the most for you. The shepherds were willing to sacrifice it all just to see the newborn Jesus. How can you question their love? If you want to discover the depth of God’s love, go to the cross. It is not pretty, but it is revealing. American evangelist David Wilkerson (1931-2011) once said, “Love is not only something you feel, it is something you do.”