Find Peace in Christmas

The weeks leading up to Christmas are known as Advent in traditional Christianity, which means it is a time of preparation for recognizing and celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It’s important to acknowledge this season as a time of preparing for the arrival of Jesus, thinking about what it means for God to put on flesh and come into our world as a human baby. On the night of Jesus’ birth, we usually envision that as a quiet and peaceful time.
 
Why is it, then, that so often peace is lacking in our lives during the season of Christmas? Christmastime can get so busy and so hectic that we forget what it’s all about. The story is told about a wife who one night found her husband standing over their infant’s crib. As she watched him looking down at their very first baby, she saw on his face a mixture of emotions: disbelief, doubt, delight, amazement, enchantment, and skepticism. Touched by this unusual display of deep emotions, with eyes glistening she slipped her arm around her husband and said, "A penny for your thoughts." He said, "It’s amazing...I just can’t see how anybody can make a crib like that for only $46.50."
 
Sometimes we focus on the unimportant, rather than on the important things that really matter. At Christmastime it’s easy to get distracted and miss the big picture of how Jesus has come into our life to bring us peace, a peace that is intrinsically tied with salvation and life. God’s presence at Christmas brings peace because his light dispels gloom and darkness. Jesus is the Light who came into the world at Christmas. John 1:4-5 tells us, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
 
The good news at Christmas is that we are not doomed to live in darkness and turmoil. We are in need of someone to rescue us from the chaos, bringing us into the realm of light and peace. The Bible says Jesus “rescues us from the present evil age” (Galatians 1:4), bringing us “safely to his heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18). The question is, will I choose to believe God has visited this earth in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died for our sins and arose from the dead? Will I choose to believe God has revealed the truth about Jesus in the Bible, which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, the inspired Word of God? The presence of God brings us peace and flourishing.
 
Let’s celebrate together the Christ of Christmas, and have his peace.
 
Tyler

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