“GOD’S GLORY AND GODLY PEACE”

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2:14

The very purpose of worship is to glorify God. We learned in our previous study that only God is worthy of such renown and prestige. Glorifying God is the main reason why He created us. When God is glorified, the immediate result is peace. But what is peace? Is this the absence of war and crime? Is it the normal functioning of society without the threat of economic sabotage? Or is there more to peace than meets the eye?

Today’s verse was taken from Luke's account of the birth of Jesus Christ. This is the part where an angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds, announcing the good news of the Incarnation of the Son of God. The angel was followed by a multitude of angels praising God, declaring His glory, and pronouncing “peace among those with whom he is pleased”.

What do these things mean? To start off, this announcement shows that God cares about the poor and lowly. Due to the nature of their work, the shepherds were generally considered unclean, preventing them from participating in Temple worship. They were practically outcasts in the Jewish nation. The shepherds, being the first recipients of the news of the birth of the Savior, demonstrates God's mercy on those whom society has counted unimportant. 

Isn’t it a wonder why our Lord called Himself the Good Shepherd? These shepherds took care of the flocks that would provide sacrifices at the temple services. True enough, Jesus provided the satisfactory offering for our sins by giving up His life for us.

The presence of the angels put an end to a long period of the absence of God’s glory on earth. God revealed His glory in the Tabernacle and the Temple but has since distanced Himself because of Israel’s sin.

The peace that the angels spoke of comes from the Hebrew “shalom,” which refers to relationships between people, nations, and God with men. It goes far beyond worldly peace and order. This peace is tied to the New Covenant, which God established with His people—Christians were God’s enemies but are now at peace with Him. This peace overflows into a person’s behaviour and attitudes, which is a result of a personal relationship with God. With this in mind, we come to an understanding that true believers are the only ones who possess godly peace.

The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ restored the relationship between the eternally holy God and sinful man, specifically those who put their trust in the Son of God. The rest of the world does not have this kind of peace. Their idea of peace is what this world promotes: an artificial hush.

If you possess God’s peace, you have every reason to worship God daily. You are no longer His enemy but His child. You are no longer condemned but forever treasured. For me, that’s a great motivation to live a life of worship to the God who saves. His glory gives you and me genuine peace.

Pursue the Saviour today!