We love the Christmas story. Every year we revisit it, but whatever happened to the peace on earth part? Was it just an idle, sentimental hope, a dream, wishful thinking, escapism, unrealistic? What is this peace? Jesus spoke about this later in his own life and ministry in John 14:27, speaking to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Let not your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Notice the contrast there: The peace the world gives is external, but the peace Jesus gives is internal. The diagnosis of the Bible is that the biggest problem we have in our world today is not out there. It’s in the human heart.