Learning From the Angels
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! What struck me this morning as I read these words is that the angels are the only ones who really know what is going on here. They are the only ones who really understand what the birth of this baby truly means for all of mankind. Yes, Joseph and Mary were told in broad terms what Jesus would do but they couldn’t have understood it, at least not completely. The shepherds who heard these words didn’t understand what they had heard. But the angels did. They knew that this baby was the Father’s instrument to bring peace to all mankind.
Through this baby, God is going to offer genuine peace between Himself and man. This “peace process” is necessary because of our sin which separates us from God. Our sin causes us to be an enemy of God but through Jesus we can have our sin forgiven and we can become a child of God. Paul writes about this in Colossians 1:19-22: 19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— The angels understood the true meaning of Jesus’ birth. Let us understand it as well, receive the peace that God offers, and share this peace with all we come in contact with.