Hi all,
“Peace on earth, good will towards men” does not mean heaven is saying ‘Everyone just get along with each other’. Not understanding what it really means has contributed to a church culture that is focused on going to heaven. We WILL go to heaven and I’m not dismissing that. But that is not the only part of New Testament realities.
Peace on earth, good will towards men
Luke 2: 8-14 tells us a lone angel appeared to shepherds outside of Bethlehem, announcing the birth of Jesus. “And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly (host) armies saying; ‘Peace on earth, good will towards men.'”
The word ‘host’ in the King James and other versions is old English for ‘army’, and there are several translations who got it right. These were the angel armies appearing to the shepherds saying in essence: We aren’t here to fight mankind, we are announcing a peace treaty, heaven has good will towards mankind.
When we live focused on the fact we will one day go to heaven, it can cause us to neglect the larger truth: Heaven has come to us. “Fear not little flock, the Father took delight in you, giving you the kingdom.” Luke 12: 32, Greek translation. In The Revelation 21 heaven comes to earth. Our visit to heaven when we die is temporary, as heaven itself with its citizens, the heavenly Jerusalem, will come to earth. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2: 22 we believers, Jew and Gentile alike, are built up for a habitation of God – through Christ in us.
The larger truth is not that we go to Him, rather that He has come to us and set up His kingdom in each person who is born again. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” If we make that shift in our thinking, that we right now have Christ in us, then the truth that God’s kingdom is being seen in my life now, changes how we view life. The kingdom of heaven is growing and spreading outward to others right now through Christ in me. Knowing we have Christ in us makes us unafraid of demons. It means we are a majority in any situation, any meeting, any circumstance. We have Christ in us, the kingdom of heaven lives in me. What can man do to me? The absolute worst thing that could ever happen to me is I end up in heaven. But right now, the kingdom of heaven is in me must be our thinking: I have the authority backed up by the Father’s power to use His Son’s name against demons, to empower healing in others, to let people know God has called a peace treaty between Him and earth through the birth and sacrifice of His Son as all God and all Man.
Therefore we are Ambassadors for the kingdom of heaven that has come to live in me. Paul wrote this in II Corinthians 5: 16-19, in part: “God (Father) was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not charging their sins against them, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. We are therefore ambassadors for Christ saying, ‘Be reconciled to God’.
Every evangelistic effort, every miracle He does in our lives and in the lives of others, how we handle adversity, even the grace and timing in our lives observed by unbelievers around us, are the Father’s efforts to get people to be reconciled to Him – For at the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, He sent His armies to earth proclaiming heaven says a treaty now exists between heaven and earth. God the Father from heaven says ‘Peace on earth, good will towards men.’
How did Christ become Jesus? Isaiah 9: 6-7:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father*, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
The son existed with the Father before time was created, and was given to become the child born. His title is therefore ‘anointed one’ or ‘Christ’. He was the Son given. He became the child born. Jesus is the name assigned Him by Gabriel when he told Mary what was going to happen. Luke 1: 31: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb a son, and you will call His name Jesus.”
*Another detail is that in some English versions like the King James Version and those translated from it, part of Isaiah 9: 6 says the Son given who becomes the child born will be called ‘the everlasting Father’. This is an unfortunate translation of the Hebrew, ‘Avi Ad’, which means ‘possessor of eternity’ or ‘possesses everlasting’. The use of ‘father’ in the year 1611 when the King James Version was published meant the source of, the master of, in the same way Paul told the Corinthians: “Even if you have had ten thousand teachers in Christ, you haven’t had many fathers. For I have birthed you through the gospel.” It is not literal father, but describing Jesus as the Author of our faith, the first and foremost.
Hebrews 10:5-10 – When Christ left heaven to be conceived in Mary:
“When Christ came into the world, He said (to His Father), Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In whole burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not delight. Then I said, ‘Behold, I come to do Your will, O God (in the scroll of the book it is written of Me). (v10) By His will we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” And with that, He was conceived in Mary’s womb.
Paul writes of Christ emptying Himself to become a man in Philippians 2: 6-8:
“Who, though existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal to God a thing to be grasped. But He emptied Himself—taking on the form of a slave, in the likeness of men. And finding Himself in appearance as a man He humbled Himself— becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Why a divine conception? He needed a human body. He needed to fertilize Mary’s egg with Himself, making Christ Jesus fully God and also fully man. The father provides at conception the gender of the child as well as the blood. Therefore Jesus lived and ministered as a Man filled with the Holy Spirit, not as God’s divine Son. No, He had emptied Himself of all the rights and privileges that went with being God’s Son, so that He could be fully man. Amazing grace.
Jesus told the disciples in John 16:12-13 He had many more things to say, but He would wait until the Holy Spirit who is Truth has come. Then Jesus said, “He will guide you into all truth for He won’t speak of Himself, but only what He hears, and He will show you things to come.” Jesus now ascended is still a man, still God, and directing us by the Holy Spirit into His truth. The Father’s kingdom has come to mankind. I Corinthians 15: 28 says when all things have been subdued under Jesus, He will then give the kingdom back to the Father God that He may be ‘all in all’, or ‘the whole of the whole’. It will all then return to being about the Father God, Source of all good.
Christmas; pagan roots, not His real birth date
Some take issue with Christmas for reasons ranging from it isn’t really His birth date to the pagan roots of the holiday. But we don’t always celebrate our birthdays on the exact day either, so it is hypocritical to use that reason.
Once a person starts measuring Christmas by pagan roots, they must first examine, discover, and then not partake of everything around them with pagan roots. How to do that? Even our months and days of the week have pagan roots. January is named for Janus, February for a pagan festival called Februa, March is for Mars the god of war, and so on. Tuesday through Saturday are name for gods or goddesses (Sunday for the sun, Monday for the moon).
Birthday cakes are round and have candles because the ancient Greeks made round cakes to honor Luna the moon goddess, and lit candles and the birthday person blew them out as they prayed to her, ‘make a wish’ – their prayers in the smoke rising to Luna.
We aren’t ancient Greeks, Romans, Germans, or other pagans. What we do, we do unto the Lord, honoring and remembering the great gift of God’s son becoming man and being born in the most humble of circumstances.
Paul was asked about the same issues: Holidays and food that had first been dedicated in a temple to the gods and goddesses of the day. He said for each to be persuaded in their mind, for ‘we know there are no gods, but one God whose we are and who we serve.’ (I Cor 8: 4-7) He also said not to find fault with those who are persuaded differently than us, but to walk in love.
Amazing Grace! What’s wrong with picking a day and celebrating that! I don’t care what ancient pagans did on that day, or with their trees, they are not me! I know gods and goddesses are nothing for as Paul wrote, we have Christ in us. Celebrate as you wish, or not. Be fully persuaded in your own mind, but don’t find fault with others for their choices. They answer as Paul said, to Jesus, not to you. (Romans 14: 10-14)
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Fenn family: We are thankful for you. As the year draws to a close, we do ‘call to remembrance’ His faithfulness demonstrated through your faithful prayers and donations. Paul wrote in II Corinthians 8: 4-5 their giving caused them to join with Paul’s ministry, and so it is to this day with your support and the ministry the Lord has given us. Thank you! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! John, Barb, Brian, Amy
