The End at the Beginning
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Luke 2:14
Peace – You’re a shepherd on the hillside. In the days before fossil fuels, the night sky is clear and dark. One star is particularly bright. Centuries later your fellow humans will discover it is a supernova, but tonight it is simply a sign. Something is happening.
The sheep are quite. The wind subsides. Suddenly the sky is filled with a host of angelic beings, singing praises to the great God Yahweh, the God of your ancestors. And then you hear the voice. Peace on earth. You are stunned, afraid to look and afraid not to look. You are overcome with excitement and dread at the same time. The world has just been shaken apart. You must travel to Bethlehem to see what this is all about. And on the way, your mind comes to rest on the real question: Peace? You didn’t know you were at war. What can it mean to have peace when there is no battle raging?
The Greek word eirene isn’t the right word for this verse. It’s the word written in the text but it is obviously not the word spoken that night. These men spoke Aramaic and they undoubtedly heard the word shalom, the Hebrew word for peace. There is a world of difference between the Greek idea of peace and the Hebrew idea of peace. You can examine that difference by looking at past Today’s Word studies. What is critical here is this: on this night shalom is the word for surrender. God’s proclamation of peace implies only one thing for those who accept His peace: total surrender. If you want to enjoy the new world order of shalom, you must lay down your arms, your agenda and your life. This peace is only for those who recognize that death of self is the way to life with God.
Now it is Christmas Day. The announcement of shalom is over. Now shalom is a daily reality. The King has come. Peace with God is the only present worth having on this Christmas Day. If you cannot whole-heartedly embrace this peace, then Christmas is not for you. You are still at war. You are still occupied with battle plans for personal victory, with tactics to get what you want, with hopes and dreams of your own kingdom. Last night God announced the end of all conflict. At the moment of Jesus’ birth, victory was accomplished. But not for everyone. This victory is God’s complete dominion. This victory demands unconditional surrender of all the opposing forces. And God does not take POW’s. Unconditional surrender means death. Peace on earth is the announcement of death to this old planet and all who inhabit it. The gift of life requires the death of self. There is no other way.
Shalom is the picture of the grave . . . and the empty tomb.
Shalom, my friend, shalom.
