Tag Archives: reconcile

Singing with the King @ Christmas (2)

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Christmas Star

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”

Charles Wesley penned these words in the early 1700’s. And this hymn is rife with inspiration and insight.

The 1st line tells us who delivers this great message: the angels.                                           The 2nd line reveals Who is the content: the Christ child.                                                       The 3rd line shows results of this miraculous birth: peace and mercy incarnate came to earth.                                                                                                                                             But the 4th line exclaims what has happened; that which mankind has been incapable of doing, and centuries of sacrifices could not accomplish: God and sinners were reconciled.

Reconciliation literally means “according to change”. The situation between God and man had to be changed; both parties who were at enmity with one another, needed to be reconciled.

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach. (Colossians 1:21-22)

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Romans 5:10)

On that angel-filled night, we became witnesses to the first step of this reconciliation: The Son had come in the flesh, to earth!

Don’t miss what the Apostle Paul and Wesley were saying about our condition: we were sinners and we were enemies. But now, we are reconciled.

Our reconciliation, our salvation, became incarnate; that’s why He was named Jesus; “For He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

When you ponder His birth, may you recognize your salvation.

What God Gave Up for Lent – Day 27

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27. Peace & Healing

Jesus World

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5

To conclude this portion of Isaiah, here again, are the six substitutions:

 

  • Surely our griefs He Himself bore.
  • Our sorrows He carried.
  • But He was pierced through for our transgressions.
  • He was crushed for our iniquities.
  • The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him.
  • By His scourging we are healed.

Not only did Christ die, so that we might have peace, He is our peace.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. ( Luke 2:14)

All these years when I have listened and read the nativity story, I have always thought the peace mentioned here was a result of God’s pleasure resting upon men. But what if it is more personal than that? What if peace among men that night literally came among men.

The prepositional word “in” when found in Greek has some interesting translations:

  • It could be translated as peace with men (e.g. – Emmanuel, God with us)
  • It could also be translated as peace in men (e.g. – Christ may dwell in your hearts)
  • It also is translated as child: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” ( Matthew 1:18,23) The peace among men was literally Jesus.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.  ( Ephesians 2:13-18)

Not only did Christ die so that we might be healed, He is our healing (and our salvation).

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” ( Acts 4:8-12)

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. ( 1 Pet 2:24)

Take the World2

If you’re asking God for peace, He’ll give you Jesus. If you’re asking God for healing, He’ll give you Jesus. As the old spiritual said: You can have all this world, just give me Jesus.