Peace on Earth

Peace ON Earth

OUR DAILY BREAD Reflections to Help You Experience Peace at Christmas

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.

LUKE 2:14

Peace ON Earth

OUR DAILY BREAD Reflections to Help You Experience Peace at Christmas

EDITORIAL TEAM: Anne Cetas, Becky Knapp, Dave Branon, Tim Gustafson, Alyson Kieda, David Sper, Chris Wale.

Biblica. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica UK trademark number 1448790. ©️ 2024 Our Daily Bread Ministries. All rights reserved. • Printed in Europe.

THE ONE WHO GIVES Lasting PEACE

Where do we find peace? It seems like it only exists when everything is right with the world. When we’re contented. When there’s nothing to worry us. Which makes peace precious, but fragile; liable to shatter in a split second. Is the peace on earth promised by Christmas like this too? Does it disappear from our lives as soon as the lights and tree are taken down?

Nothing God promises is temporary. When peace on earth was announced at Jesus’ birth, it was because the Prince of Peace had come. He is the One who promises “in me you may have peace”, even when our world is full of trouble (JOHN 16:33). The peace He gives us surpasses understanding, circumstances and even fear. For it is found in the One who is always with us and will never change. His peace is as permanent as He is.

Our prayer is that the readings, reflections and prayers in this booklet will help you come aside with the Prince of Peace this Christmas season. No matter what life looks like for you right now, peace is His promise to you.

In Him,

Your Friends at Our Daily Bread Ministries

1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honour Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.

4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.

5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

The Prince of Peace

He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [ ISAIAH 9:6 ]

When John’s cold turned into pneumonia, he ended up in the hospital. At the same time, his mother was being treated for cancer a few floors above him, and he felt overwhelmed with worries about her and about his own health.

Then on Christmas Eve, when the radio played the carol “O Holy Night,” John was flooded with a deep sense of God’s peace. He listened to the words about it being the night of the dear Saviour’s birth: “A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” In that moment, his worries about himself and his mother vanished.

This “dear Saviour” born to us, Jesus, is the “Prince of Peace,” as Isaiah prophesied (ISAIAH 9:6). Jesus fulfilled this prophecy when He came to earth as a baby, bringing light and salvation to “those living in the land of the shadow of death” (MATTHEW 4:16; SEE ISAIAH 9:2). He embodies and gives peace to those He loves, even when they face hardship and death.

There in the hospital, John experienced the peace that passes all understanding (PHILIPPIANS 4:7) as he pondered the birth of Jesus. This encounter with God strengthened his faith and sense of gratitude as he lay in that sterile room away from his family at Christmas. May we too receive God’s gift of peace and hope.

AMY BOUCHER PYE

REFLECT: How have you experienced God’s peace in the midst of a difficult situation? Which aspect of God in Isaiah 9:6 do you most need today? Why?

PRAY: God of peace, when I’m anxious and fretting about many things, help me to turn to You and receive Your gift of peace.

3 Promises about the Difference God’s Peace Makes

in Our Lives

1 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:30

2 The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7

3 The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.

Lasting Peace

He himself is our peace.

[ EPHESIANS 2:14 ]

On Christmas Eve 1914, during the First World War, the guns fell silent along a 30-mile stretch of the Western Front. Soldiers peered cautiously over the tops of trenches while a few emerged to repair their positions and bury the dead. As darkness fell, some German troops set out lanterns and sang Christmas carols. Men on the British side applauded and shouted greetings.

The next day, German, French, and British troops met in no man’s land to shake hands, share food, and exchange gifts. It was a brief respite from war that soon ended when the artillery and machine guns roared to life again. But no one who experienced “The Christmas Truce,” as it became known, would ever forget how it felt and how it fuelled their longing for lasting peace.

In Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah we read, “He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (ISAIAH 9:6). By His death on the cross, Jesus removed the “no man’s land” between us and God. “For he himself is our peace” (EPHESIANS 2:14).

In Jesus we can find lasting peace with God and harmony with each other. This is the life-changing message of Christmas!

DAVID MCCASLAND

REFLECT: In what ways are you experiencing tension and turmoil? How does the gift of Christ offer hope?

PRAY: Dear Jesus, thank You for coming to earth to make me Your own. May Your presence and love bring me peace, even on hard days.

WHEN THE SET TIME HAD FULLY COME, GOD SENT HIS SON, BORN OF A WOMAN, BORN UNDER THE LAW, TO redeem those under the law, THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE ADOPTION TO SONSHIP.

Galatians 4:4-5

6 Verses about Our Peace with God

1 The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11

2 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests. Luke 2:14

3 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. John 14:27

4 Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

5 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. Colossians 3:15

6 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 2 Thessalonians 3:16

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

Unwrapping Great Joy

Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. [ LUKE 2:10 ]

“Open it! Open it!” shouted my son one Christmas Day, jumping up and down by the Christmas tree while my father fumbled with the tape on his present. The wrapping paper was still intact when the secret became too much. Like a pressure cooker bursting, my boy exclaimed in delight, “It’s a pen! A pen! We got you a pen!”

When it’s really good news, we simply can’t wait to share it.

When the shepherds hear about Jesus’ birth, a single angel instructs them not to fear God’s glory because “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (LUKE 2:10). Then, “suddenly”, as if they couldn’t hold it back any longer, the host of heaven joins the party and praises God for this wondrous news (VV. 13–14). The angels cannot restrain their joy.

Amongst the busyness and festivities, I often lose sight of just how good the good news of Christ’s birth really is. Whenever I find day-to-day living hard, I consider how Jesus can empathise, having grown up as fully human, knowing hunger, frustration, pain and sorrow. Whenever I’m troubled by conflict, I remember how Jesus’ death enabled peace between us and God, something that can’t be taken away from us. Having a Saviour who understands is a gift so huge that we can be as giddy as children on Christmas Day, feeling the “great joy” once more. TANYA MARLOW

REFLECT: What aspects of God becoming human do you most appreciate? What can you do to immerse yourself in the joy and peace of God this Christmastime?

PRAY: Dear Jesus, like the shepherds, may I know again the wonder and awe of Your birth. Like the angels, please fill me with joy because of Your coming to earth.

A Prayer to Stand on the Rock of Christ

Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus has overcome this world. When it threatens to overwhelm me, help me run to the Rock that is higher than I am. He is never overwhelmed; He is never shaken; He never loses His footing. My salvation and peace are held safely by Him for all eternity. Praise His wonderful name!

However my life may change, and whatever seasons I endure, Jesus is here to hold my hand and guide me through it all. Amen

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Pitching His Tent

The Word became human and made his home among us. [ JOHN 1:14 ]

When my brother wasn’t well enough to go camping, my dad brought the camping trip to him. They pitched a tent behind our house, underneath the stars. Together they made their dwelling on the bumpy ground, reminiscent of the shepherds watching their flocks by night, taking in the outdoor sounds and waking with the dawn.

John, in the poetic opening to his gospel, describes how Jesus came to earth and pitched His tent with us: “The Word became human and made his home among us” (JOHN 1:14). The Greek word here for made his home means to pitch a tent, and it’s the same word used elsewhere in the New Testament for the tent—the tabernacle—where God dwelled with the Israelites in the Old Testament (ACTS 7:44). As God camped out with the Israelites, so too has Jesus set up His tent to be with His people.

When you have a few moments, read through the opening verses of John’s gospel slowly and let the amazing truths sink in about the Word made flesh, Jesus who came to earth to dwell among us. As the inspiring song “Angels from the Realms of Glory” says, “God with man is now residing.” He who was with God before the creation of the world has come to be the light shining in the darkness.

AMY BOUCHER PYE

REFLECT: What does it mean for you that Jesus “pitches His tent” on earth? How might you share His light today?

PRAY: Dear Jesus, You came from the Father, and You take us to the Father. Thank You for pitching Your tent among us, bringing us grace and truth.

GOD HAS SAID, “NEVER WILL I

Hebrews 13:5

6 Promises about God’s Presence from His Word

1 You are my hiding-place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7

2 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. Psalm 139:7-8

3 The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

4 Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20

5 God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

6 I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” Revelation 21:3

1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’ 4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.

5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.

6 My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon –from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my Rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?’ 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.

The Light of Hope

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God. [ PSALM 42:11 ]

My mother’s shiny red cross should have been hanging next to her bed at the cancer care centre. And I should have been preparing for holiday visits between her scheduled treatments. All I wanted for Christmas was another day with my mum. Instead, I was home . . . hanging her cross on a fake tree.

When my son Xavier plugged in the lights, I whispered, “Thank You.” He said, “You’re welcome.” My son didn’t know I was thanking God for using the flickering bulbs to turn my eyes towards the ever-enduring Light of Hope—Jesus.

The writer of Psalm 42 expressed his raw emotions to God (PSALM 42:1–4). He acknowledged his “downcast” and “disturbed” soul before encouraging readers: “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God” (V. 5). Though he was overcome with waves of sorrow and suffering, the psalmist’s hope shone through the remembrance of God’s past faithfulness (VV. 6–10). He ended by questioning his doubts and affirming the resilience of his refined faith: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God” (V. 11).

For many of us, the Christmas season stirs up both joy and sorrow. Thankfully, even these mixed emotions can be reconciled and redeemed through the promises of the true Light of Hope—Jesus.

XOCHITL DIXON

REFLECT: How has Jesus helped you process any sadness while celebrating Christmas? How does His faithful presence comfort you?

PRAY: Dear Jesus, thank You for carrying me through times of grief and joy all year round.

THE Prince OF PEACE

The twinkling tree casts a soft light on the opened presents. Bellies are full of turkey and trimmings, and the dishes are back in their cupboards. It is Christmas and everyone is at peace—in their own way.

Mum is lost in a jingling feel-good movie, the impending results of her medical tests quite forgotten. Dad is tinkering on his phone, delighted to have switched off all work emails for the week. The twins are playing with their new toys in a surprising spirit of co-operation. And even the ordinarily fretful Auntie Edna dons a festive glow as she glugs through her second bottle of mulled wine.

Is this what is meant by “Peace on earth”? A peace snatched in moments before it escapes us once again? The peace of Christmas seems as temporary as the season itself. We dress up our homes with lights and tinsel and slip into the festive distractions. But life’s inevitable anxieties lurk behind the baubles, ready to confront us as soon as the season passes.

All too soon, the hospital rings Mum, Dad’s backlog of emails must be answered, the twins fall out about who broke whose toy, and Auntie Edna’s monumental headache begins.

We all want peace. To feel safe. To be at rest. We try to grasp it by saving up our finances, eating healthily, getting wide-ranging insurance policies . . . But, like this little family, our peace is temporary—it only lasts while life is going well.

When our peace is dependent on our circumstances, it is fragile; and we are understandably anxious. We can save our money, yet still get scammed. We can eat healthily and still succumb to illness. Our perfect partner can walk out, our new car can get bashed,

and our promising career can fizzle out when the company goes bust. We can do everything right, and still see it all go wrong. A happy Christmas Day doesn’t change anything.

Jesus’ birth was announced by the angels at that first Christmas with these famous words: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests” (LUKE 2:14). This wasn’t just a temporary moment of peace; some escapism for a night because a new baby had been born. This was a promise that peace—true, lasting peace—had now come to earth.

Jesus healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind and raised the dead. His works revealed that His eternal kingdom had come to this world. He even defeated death when He rose from the grave after His crucifixion, opening the way to eternal life. He demonstrated His total authority over all the things that rob our peace. He truly lived up to His promised name: “Prince of Peace” (ISAIAH 9:6).

“Prince of Peace”. What a title! Jesus doesn’t just give peace; He is peace. As a Royal Prince, peace is the hallmark of His rule and His presence for those who trust in Him rather than in our ever-changing circumstances.

Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (JOHN 14:27 NLT).

We look for peace in our home lives, our health, our relationships and our finances. Having the Prince of Peace with us doesn’t mean that all those things will be perfect, but it means we can have His supernatural peace, no matter what life throws at us. The peace He gives comes from the promise that He is with us, He will provide for us and He will work everything out for good—even the seemingly disastrous stuff. Where else can we get such assurance?

When our peace is found in Jesus, it is truly secure. Even if all hell breaks loose on earth, Jesus Christ is still on the throne. He is still in control. He is still able to transform circumstances, bring us through bad situations, and use the worst times of our lives to bring about great good.

The peace of earth is fragile. But peace on earth from Jesus is strong, solid, enduring—so much so that it guards our hearts and minds through everything (PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7).

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When peace on earth was announced at Jesus’ birth, it was because the Prince of Peace had come. He is the One who promises “in me you may have peace”, even when our world is full of trouble (John 16:33). The peace He gives us surpasses understanding, circumstances and even fear. For it is found in the One who is always with us and will never change. His peace is as permanent as He is.

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