Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! (Luke 2:14)

The birth of Jesus, who is called the Prince of Peace, brought peace on earth. As the source and sustainer of peace, He made possible four kinds of peace to mankind.

First is peace with God. By dying on the cross on our behalf, He took away our sins. This paved the way for harmony between God and human beings (Romans 5:1). Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Second, we have peace within ourselves as a result of our peace with God. We are able to confidently approach God and make our requests made known to Him, thus we can spare ourselves from being anxious about anything. Moreover, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

Third, we have peace with other people. This enables us to relate harmoniously with our fellowmen (Ephesians 2:14). When Jesus gave Himself on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility between human beings and now we can genuinely accept and love each other as Christ loved us.

Finally, we have peace with the whole of God’s creation (ecological peace) (Romans 8:21). Creation was subjected to decay when men sinned. As we are set free from our sinfulness by the sacrificial death of Jesus, we can become better stewards of creation and be agents of its responsible and sustainable care.

Families, communities, and our nation as a whole need peace—the kind of peace that can only be experienced when we recognize Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and put our trust in Him. This Christmas let the peace that comes from Jesus rule our hearts and minds.

Merry Christmas!