Have you heard about the young woman who lived on a large ranch in West Texas? She had fallen in love with a local cowboy named Tex...and she wanted to get married. But Texas was inexperienced in the world of romance...and to make matters worse, he was extremely shy. She realized that she needed to help him a bit to move this courtship along.., so she took matters into her own hands.
“Oh, Tex,” she said, “Do you think my eyes are like glittering stars?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“And,” she asked, “Do you think my teeth are like a beautiful string of pearls?”
“Yep,” he answered.
“And do you think my complexion is like gorgeous rose petals?” she questioned.
“Yep,” he answered.
“And do you think my hair shines like gold in the moonlight?”
“Yep,” he answered.
“Oh, Tex,” she exclaimed, “You do say the most wonderful things!”
Well, let me tell you something... Christmas has some wonderful things to say to us. Christmas has some wonderful things to do for us. Christmas has some wonderful things to give to us. But we have to have the ears of faith to hear them, the eyes of faith to see them, the heart of faith to feel them, and the grace to accept them.
One of the best gifts Christmas gives us is the gift of peace. This is one of the key themes, isn’t it? “Peace on
earth, good will toward all.” Christ is the Prince of Peace. He brings the peace that passes all understanding.
He comes to visit and redeem His people... and to guide our feet into the way of peace...
That’s the way the Bible puts it.
This is precisely what happened to George Frederic Handel... Christ brought peace to his anguished spirit. He was frustrated with himself, cut off from other people, at odds with God. He was sick; his eyes were beginning to fail him. He was out of money. He felt empty, dejected, lonely, hopeless and miserable, his creativity had disappeared — but then Christ was born anew in his heart and Christ stilled those storms in his life that were tearing him apart... and he became a new person... And where there had been strife, now there was peace. Where there had been fear, now there was courage... and where there had been emptiness, now there was incredible creativity. He grabbed his pen and paper and composed one of the most beloved pieces of music ever written.., the Messiah.
That’s the way it works. Christmas is the dramatic reminder that Christ came into this world to redeem us and to bring peace to our troubled souls. If in faith we will accept it, Christmas has a great gift for us — the Gift of Peace. Let me outline it like this... Christmas offers us peace within, peace with others, and peace with God... but we have to accept the gift. Let’s take a look at these three ideas.
I. FIRST, CHRISTMAS GIVES US PEACE WITHIN
In the original hit movie, “Home Alone,” a little boy named K evin is accidentally left behind when his family leaves for a European vacation. On Christmas Eve, K evin begins to feel sad and lonely.., so he goes to church. There he meets an older man who is also unhappy because of family problems. As they engage in conversation, young K evin admits that he feels guilty because he knows that he didn’t always treat his family right, but now
2he misses them terribly. “Well,” says the older man, “You’re in church now... and this is the place to come when you’re feeling bad about yourself.”
He was right, wasn’t he? The church, which exists because of Christmas, is indeed the place to come... when we need comfort, when we need forgiveness, when we need to make a new start, when we need peace for our troubled souls. The Christ of Christmas is our personal Savior.., because there is a hole in our souls that only He can fill.
Remember how Augustine put it: “Our souls are restless, 0 Lord, till they find their rest in Thee.” And the poet described it like this:
“Though Christ a thousand times In Bethlehem be born, If He is not born in you... Your soul is all forlorn.
One day very close to Christmas, a young boy was coming down the hallway at church. He had in his hand a little ceramic tray that he had made in Sunday School. It was to be his Christmas gift to his mother. He had been working on it for several weeks and he was so proud of it.
As he ran down the hall, he tripped and fell. The tray crashed to the floor and broke into several pieces. The little boy was devastated. He began to cry loudly and uncontrollably. He was absolutely heartbroken. People tried to comfort him with all kinds of counsel: It was just a tray. Not worth much. No big loss. Besides, you can make another one. It’s nothing, forget it. You can give your mother something else. Don’t worry about it.” But nothing helped. The child was inconsolable.
Finally his mother arrived on the scene. Q uickly she realized what had happened. K neeling down beside her crestfallen, distraught son with his broken gift, she hugged him tightly and said, “Well, now, I think this is fixable... Let’s pick up the pieces and take it all home. We’ll put it back together and see what we can make of it.” The little boy hugged his mom back and smiled.
Isn’t that exactly what the Christmas message is about? The world is broken into many fragments, as are our lives. And God stoops down beside us. He hugs us and says, “Well, now, this is fixable. Let me help you pick up the pieces. We’ll put it back together and see what we can make of it.”
This is Number One. First of all, Christmas offers us the gift of inner peace, peace within.., but we have to accept the gift.
II. SECOND, CHRISTMAS GIVES US PEACE WITH OTHERS.
Isn’t it sad when you stop to think about it... how “out of sorts” people can get with one another, how estranged people can become, how hostile they can feel toward one another?
When will we ever learn? When will we ever learn? We spend weary days and sleepless nights brooding over our resentments, calculating ways to get even. We demand our pound of flesh, seethe over our grievances, and wallow in our self-pity — shackled by our silly pride — unbending, unmerciful, unable, and unwilling to forgive and reconcile. Isn t that tragic?
A cruel word is finally only an echo. Revenge actually is never sweet; it ultimately becomes a sour stomach and a bitter memory. Violence only breeds more violence. Hate poisons the soul. Resentment, jealousy, bigotry, prejudice — these are spiritual viruses that will absolutely make us sick! Jesus knew this... and He came into this world to show us how to be peace-makers, bridge-builders, reconcilers; how to seek forgiveness and to offer it. That’s why we call Him the Prince of Peace.
3Some years ago, the superstar baseball player, Hank Aaron, was checking into a hotel up east. The young desk clerk told him they were full up and there were no rooms available. However, the hotel manager recognized the sure-fire Hall of Famer. He rushed over to the desk clerk and said, “Don’t you know who this is? This is the great Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves. Hejust broke Babe Ruth’s homerun record.” “Oh, I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Aaron,” said the desk clerk. “Of course we can find a room for you.” And then he said, “Why didn’t you tell me you were somebody?” I love Hank Aaron’s response. He said, ‘Son, everybody is somebody!”
That’s what Christmas tells us... everybody is somebody! But more, everybody is somebody for whom Christ came and for whom Christ died. If we could always remember that.. and treat everybody we meet with that kind of love and respect, what a difference that would make in our relationships! What a difference that would make in our world! What a difference it would make in our society. Listen! If; you are estranged from anybody, at odds with anybody, don’t let that hostility go on! Go fix it today. Go set it right. With the help of God, go make peace today.
Christmas offers us the gift of peace within and the gift of peace with others, but we have to accept the gifts.
III. THIRD, CHRISTMAS GIVES US PEACE WITH GOD.
It was two days before Christmas. There was a long line at the post offIce as people were trying frantically to use overnight mail to get Christmas packages to people on time. A woman with three little girls in tow finally reached the counter. “Can you get this package to Phoenix, Arizona tomorrow?” she asked. “I can, lady but it will cost you.”
“How much?”
“$ 47.40”
“Gracious,” she said, “That’s a lot, but I’ve got to do it. This present is for my father. It has to be there before Christmas... because you see, Christmas is also his birthday.”
“Man! What a bum deal that is!” said the postal clerk. “I sure am glad I don’t know anyone born on Christmas I”
Someone in the line spoke up. “I sure am glad I do!”
Let me ask you something... do you know the one born on Christmas day? Do you? Do you really know Him as Lord and Savior? Do you know this One who came to visit and redeem and save? Have you accepted Him into your life? Has He been born in your heart?
The hymn writer put it like this:
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled.
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic hosts proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Born that we no more may die...
Born to raise us above the storms of earth
Born to give us second birth”
Born to give us -
Peace within
Peace with others
Peace with God