Remember the song, I think in 1955 or so, that began, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me”? Does that come o mind when you hear the angel chorus “Praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men”. Luke 2,14
It’s not the same peace. The song speaks of peace between men, neighbors, countries, factions, quarreling families, or whatever. The angels speaks of the peace we have, now, as His children. Paul says it very plainly, “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with god through our Lord Jesus Christ?” Romans 5,1
That fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah (53,6). “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”
It is the very same peace that the Lord Jesus speaks about when He said on leaving them, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.: John 14,1.
The peace speaks about the rift that was torn between man and God when Adam and Eve left the perfect world, dissatisfied that God was doing what was best for them, and followed the devil’s tempting. That created a rift, tore them apart, and Jesus, by His coming, living, dying, and rising again, healed that rift by paying for the sins we are guilty of. So brining peace.
That is the peace the angels sing about.
Now, as we come to the end of this year, may I just close with words you have heard many times at Funerals “For as much as it has pleased Almighty god, in His wise providence, to take out of this world the soul of the departed, we therefore commit the body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change this vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself.
May God the Father, who created this body,
May God the Son, who by His blood redeemed this body together with the soul,
May God the Holy Ghost, who by baptism has sanctified this body to be His temple,
Keep these remains unto the day of the resurrection of all flesh, Amen."
May the Lord ever bless all who remain in the faith.
GPD 12/29/08
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