Peace on Earth

<p>PEACE ON EARTH Luke 2:8 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly angels praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, Peace on earth, goodwill toward men!” </p> <p>THE SIGN – life and growth A newborn baby, born from above (John 3:8) safely wrapped and cradled, ready for life and growth. God in Heaven could now be seen on earth in human form. It was the beginning of the plan of God to join his life to humanity and to live his life through those who believe in him. Jesus would live a life of struggle and challenge conquering evil and adversity as a forerunner on behalf of us who were to follow him. His eternal oneness with his Father gave the human spirit for the first time a new perspective of ‘aboveness’ – called transcendence which is not just a consciousness of being born from above but also a conscious experience of living from above.  He would die and rise again and send his Holy Spirit for his ‘born from above’ life to dwell in us. It is from this living from above life in people that peace on earth and goodwill toward men can occur. </p> <p>When we look at the Old Testament prophecy of Christmas (Isaiah 8:22-9:1) we see a world that was in great darkness waiting for a great light.  The background to this prophecy was something that was happening in real time for Israel as Assyria was about to attack them from the north, but Israel and their king could not accept God’s ways and his plans for them, and so they were left without hope.   Isaiah 8: 22. People will look up to heaven and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. They will be thrown out into the darkness. Chapter 9:1 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. There will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies