“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’” —Luke 2:10

It was at nighttime, when things were darkest, that the shepherds had their typically mundane routine hijacked by the angelic host from heaven, heralding the glorious news about the birth of a Savior. Have you ever wondered why lowly shepherds were chosen as the first on earth to hear the glad tidings, or “good news,” of Jesus’ arrival?

Shepherding is one of the world’s oldest occupations. By trade, their lifestyle would’ve been one of humble and meager means. In some regards, they were marginalized people held in low estimation by others in society. For example, in the Talmud, we read that shepherds were not allowed to be considered witnesses in the legal system of that time. If you were brought before the courts on a criminal charge and your only alibi happened to be a shepherd, you were in trouble. Your witness wouldn’t be acceptable.

Shepherds were not only seen as unreliable, but as unclean nomads. And yet God looked down on a people whose word wasn’t treated as reliable and entrusted them with the amazing news of Christ’s birth—the hope of the world. They weren’t exactly the most influential of their day. They weren’t the power brokers, the politicians, or the change-makers. They were just keepers of the sheep. In the great adventure of fleshing out God’s missional mandate, He chose the weak, the not yet, and those on the outside, to further His kingdom. As Paul would later write, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are.”

Luke 2:10-14 records it this way:

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!”

Three verses later we see that God was pleased to use these men, the bottom of the social class in Israel, to be the very first human preachers of the newborn King. The original text in verse 17 has been translated: they “spread the word,” “told everyone,” “made known abroad,” “publicized widely,” and “spread the message.”

As you read this passage, consider how God is calling you to be His messenger in a world that needs the hope of Jesus. How can you join God on His mission in the coming new year? Maybe you feel unqualified to make a difference. Think about those shepherds. They were so overcome with the consciousness of the Good News that they didn’t have any room left to be self-conscious about their doubters and haters. They were so lit up about the message that they didn’t consider the world thought of them as unworthy or uninfluential messengers. They made a difference anyway!

Perhaps you feel like your world is too dark to make a difference. Remember that the glorious invasion of the Gospel came to those shepherds at night, when things were the darkest. When the hour is the darkest, the light is the greatest! Advent reminds us that the light has invaded the darkness and hope has come. Peace has come. Joy has come. And we have been tasked with the Great Commission of heralding the Gospel in this hour. God has a mission that needs you. Never let the haters marginalize that truth! Go, and “spread His message” to those around you.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for invading the darkness of my sin with the light of your salvation. Thank you for the Good News of Jesus, that all who put their faith in Christ have been born again to a new and living hope. Expose any fears I have, or any areas where I am too preoccupied with self to make a difference in the world. Empower me to live on mission with you, being your messenger in the places where you are pleased to use me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.   

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. What typically comes to mind when you think about shepherds?
2. When has God invaded a dark time in your life?
3. In what ways have you felt unqualified or unworthy to share the Good News of Jesus with others?
4. What can we learn about God from this passage in Luke 2?
5. What does obedience to God’s mission look like in your life right now?

The post Advent Week 3: Good News Came at the Darkest Time appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” —Isaiah 26:3

How can I find peace in a world rife with war, hatred, violence, and suffering? Or as someone said to me, “It’s hard to be at peace when it feels like all of humanity has lost its humanness.” Peace is something we all want, yet few seem to find.

As churches around the world are lighting the advent candle of peace today, it’s important to consider what peace is, and what it isn’t. It is a gift from God, and therefore cannot be manufactured by man. Even if political leaders leveraged all their power to end all the military conflicts in the world today, that would not permanently remove chaos from the hearts of man. It would only be a pseudo, fragile, external, and temporary peace, until those hearts raged again as we’ve seen repeated throughout history.

The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. This word occurs over 250 times in the Old Testament. It refers to relationships between people (Genesis 34:21), nations (1 Kings 5:12), and God with men (Psalm 85:8). In the New Testament, God commands us to seek peace (Psalm 34:14; Matthew 5:9), and we should “make every effort to do what leads to peace” (Romans 14:19). We are also reminded that there is no peace for the wicked (Isaiah 48:22).

Peace is a gift from God. Peace is NOT dependent on external circumstances; it is the fruit of internal connection—more specifically the result of abiding in the word of God and resting in the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. This is real and lasting peace, that which carries the meaning of completeness or well-being. We get this peace by putting our faith and trust in Jesus, and we abide in that peace by daily leaning upon Him rather than our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Humanity lost peace with God when sin entered the world. From the moment that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, all of humanity became sinners (2 John 1:8). This put us in conflict with God. The “flesh,” in the sense of sinful desires, became what we follow (Romans 8:7-8). No human being, since Adam and Eve, has been righteous (Ecclesiastes 7:20), which means we are all in a state of rebellion against God. This lack of peace presented a dilemma that the Messiah came to solve.

When Isaiah prophesied in ancient Israel about a future Messiah, or Savior, he declared:

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Advent reminds us that peace is the direct correlation of being in a right relationship with the “Prince of Peace,” the Jesus who promised a peace that transcends the chaos (John 14:27) and surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). The embodiment of peace isn’t packaged in a pill or a bottle on some shelf at the pharmacy but came to us as “a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” This newborn Prince of Peace was also called Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” He came to shed His blood for our reconciliation with God, to pay the penalty for our sins and to make us a new creation clothed in His very own righteousness. He desires to establish His kingdom rule in our hearts and governing reign over our daily lives.

God doesn’t offer us a pseudo, fragile, temporary, or surface peace, He offers us true, lasting, and indomitable peace. Are you experiencing that peace today? If not, advent is a great time for surrender. Will you wave your white flag today, and yield your life to God’s control? His gift of eternal peace is available right now.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you that there is a peace that surpasses understanding. You promised that I can know that peace, found in the person of Jesus. Prince of Peace, rule in my heart today. I relinquish control. I confess my sins. I surrender shame, guilt, regret, anger, depression, anxiety, and anything that rivals the peace you have promised. I receive your peace as a gracious gift, one that may well be the best gift I can receive this Christmas. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:

1. If you could sleep out under the stars anywhere in the world, where would you put down your pillow?
2. What message did the angel tell the shepherds? (Luke 2:10, 12) How do you think God might translate that message directly toward your circumstances, fears, or worries today?
3. What does it mean that Mary “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart”? What is required to transfer head knowledge about peace into real life experiences with peace?
4. What is the responsibility of those who “discover” the good news about Jesus and his embodiment of peace?
5. Where do you need to shift your focus so that you can live in the fullness of God’s shalom this Christmas season?

The post Advent Week 2: Perfect Peace appeared first on Jimmy Larche.