Glory to God! I trust you’re well and denying yourself, taking up your cross and following the Lord Jesus Christ.

The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ was foretold by the prophets of old as a momentous occasion that will accomplish something very specific on planet earth.

Isaiah 7:14 says, ‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’

The prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. He told of a sign, which means something supernatural. That a virgin would conceive, in other words, a woman would fall pregnant supernaturally and bear a son, His name would be Immanuel, which means, God with us.

This supernatural miracle baby would be God Himself. A miracle of miracles would occur, God would reproduce with a human being, a woman. But after conception, this woman would remain a virgin. Glorious!

But why would God want to step into the world in such a manner?

Isaiah 9:6-7 says, ‘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 coming of the Lord Jesus Christ was prophesied as bringing PEACE. He Himself is called the PRINCE OF PEACE. Of His government and PEACE there shall be no end.

This is tremendous!

Notice how, even though He would bring healing, deliverance, prosperity and the rest of it, those are not the main reason for His coming. He’s mainly coming to bring PEACE.

When He finally arrived on the scene, angels of God spoke of the same phenomenon of PEACE.

Luke 2:8-14 says, ‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth PEACE, good will toward men.’

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The glad tidings or good news of the gospel is this PEACE the angels of God speak of. But what do they mean? They speak of PEACE on earth and good will toward humanity. Glory to God!

When he describes the gospel, the apostle Paul uses the same language.

Romans 10:15 says, ‘And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach THE GOSPEL OF PEACE, and bring glad tidings of good things.’

In Ephesians 6:15 he says, ‘And your feet shod with the preparation of the GOSPEL OF PEACE.’

Above all, the gospel of the kingdom is a gospel of PEACE. But why PEACE and not everything else that the church keeps emphasising about our Lord Jesus Christ?

Colossians 1:20-22 says, ‘And, having made PEACE through the blood of his cross, by him to RECONCILE all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

And you, that were sometime alienated and ENEMIES in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he RECONCILED in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.’

When the prophets of old prophesied about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, they saw that He would make PEACE between God and man. The apostles preached this PEACE that the Lord Jesus Christ made.

Through His cross, the Lord Jesus Christ died as a sacrifice for sin. We were enemies of God because of our sin, but through His blood shed on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ made PEACE between us and God so that we might be reconciled to Him.

Isaiah 59:2 says, ‘But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.’

Man’s sin had separated man from God. Through His cross, the Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood and forgave us our sins. He did so to make PEACE between God and man so that man and God might be reconciled. Glory to God!

Ephesians 2:13-17 says, ‘But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. FOR HE IS OUR PEACE….for to make in himself of twain one new man, SO MAKING PEACE. And that he might RECONCILE both unto God…And came and preached PEACE to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.’

The Lord Jesus Christ came to make PEACE with the blood of His cross so as to RECONCILE God and man. He came to end the enmity between God and man created by sin. He forgave that sin on the cross so that God can accept us again and war against us with His wrath no more.

Isaiah 53:4 says, ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our PEACE was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.’

Our transgressions and iniquities ensured we were in a permanent state of war with God. Without their removal, God would have to destroy us for sure. He would have to judge us and sentence us to the lake of fire.

We would have to face His judgment because of our many sins, but because of His great love, God in His mercy sent His Son who died on the cross for our sins and forgave us our sins to make PEACE between us and God so that we might be reconciled to God.

After dying on the cross and coming back to life, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke of what should be preached. Luke 24:47 says, ‘And repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.’

Those who want their sins remitted must first repent of those sins and then those sins will be removed. For there to be PEACE between God and man, man must first repent of his sin. Man must first turn from his wicked ways.

Mark 16:16 says, ‘He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned.’ We must repent of our sins and then be baptised for them to be remitted. That’s what the Lord Jesus Christ commanded and that’s also what the apostles preached and practiced.

Acts 2:38 says, ‘Then Peter said unto them, REPENT, and be BAPTIZED, every one of you, FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS…’ Repentance is proof of belief and those who believe must be baptised for the remission of their sins.

Acts 22:16 says, ‘And now why tarriest thou? arise, and BE BAPTIZED AND WASH AWAY THY SINS, calling on the name of the Lord.’ Those who repent of their sins must be baptised for those sins to be washed away, for them to be remitted.

Acts 13:38-39 says, ‘Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness (remission) of sins: And by him all hat believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.’

When your sins are forgiven, God justifies you. In other words, God makes you righteous. He gives you right standing with Him because your sins have been washed away, they’ve been remitted and forgiven through the cross.
Those who believe and are baptised are saved and are therefore justified and made righteous before God. They therefore enjoy this PEACE with God.

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Romans 5:1 says, ‘Therefore being JUSTIFIED by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Glory to God!

This is why the Lord Jesus Christ came, to justify us and make us righteous before God so that there may be PEACE between us and God, thereby reconciling us to God.

The birth of the Lord Jesus Christ is not about trees, elves, santa and the rest of it. It’s about the coming of the Prince of PEACE would make PEACE between God and man so that we might be reconciled to Him through the blood of His Cross.

We cannot tell the story of our Lord’s birth and leave out His death. He was born to die for our sins on the cross so that there might be PEACE between us and God.

That’s why we must as His disciples also make PEACE and be reconciled with others in this season. If there’s anyone who has wronged you, forgive them as in Christ God forgave you.

Call your mom, your dad, your sibling, your friend, colleague or enemy who has wronged you and whom you have wronged. Forgive your husband or your wife. Forgive your son or your daughter. Forgive others their trespasses as God forgives you your trespasses. If you don’t forgive others their trespasses, God will not forgive you your trespasses.

Make PEACE and pursue RECONCILIATION in this season because you’re a follower of the PRINCE OF PEACE.

Glory to be to our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory be to His holy name forevermore. Glory to God! THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER FOR YOUR INDESCRIBABLE GIFT!

Here is a carol titled ‘Hark the herald angels sing’ that you can listen to.