It is always exciting when people make special announcements, such as an engagement or that they have a new baby on the way. But when God announces something big, He goes all out. Yet He also does it in very unexpected ways, often using methods that don’t seem to make much sense from an earthly perspective.
For instance, the Christmas story is amazing. God sent messenger angels from Heaven to personally visit at least three people. He placed a unique star in the sky which guided foreigners to worship Jesus. He even sent an unconventional prophet (John the Baptist) to prepare the way, calling the people to repent. However, God’s most glorious announcement was carried out in the countryside and witnessed only by shepherds.
There, a great army of possibly hundreds of thousands of angels gathered to sing and proclaim praises to God and declare “PEACE on earth” (Luke 2:14). It must have been a truly amazing sight. The angel’s decree went far beyond the shepherds who witnessed it. This was a heavenly declaration that was pronounced over the whole earth. It would have resonated in the spiritual realm with immense power and forceful authority.
PEACE was the decree proclaimed by Almighty God, and it heralded a new era on earth. This decree ushered in a profound initiative by God the Father that would change everything.
The decree of Shalom
We usually think of “peace” in terms of an absence of conflict. Peace is often equated with tranquility, calmness and quietness. However, this is not the biblical definition of peace.
The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom. Shalom is an incredibly complex and all-encompassing concept. It has to do with wholeness, completeness, harmony and fulfilment in every sphere. Shalom has been likened to a key that opens the door to God’s purpose for His creation. This includes taking what is damaged to bring it back to health and wellbeing. It incorporates working with what is broken and restoring it to wholeness.
Most importantly, Shalom is anchored in the Kingdom of Heaven, rather than on earth. It therefore transcends anything available in this world. This is the kind of peace that was gloriously announced by God’s angelic army at the birth of Jesus.
It is important to realise that peace, or Shalom, is not passive. It is very powerful and has tremendous authority over chaos and disruption – because it comes from the throne of God. It was decreed at Jesus’ birth, and completed with Jesus’ death and final pronouncement, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
The peace Jesus accomplished through the cross was so great that every impediment to reconciliation with God, and every barrier to every human relationship, was flung completely out of the way forever (Colossians 1:20; Ephesians 2:14-17). This was followed by Jesus’ grand ascension to sit enthroned above every ruler and all authority in heaven and on earth (Ephesians 1:20-22). The absolute completeness of God’s Shalom is so mind-blowing, we can hardly comprehend it. This is what God’s angel-army announced the night Jesus was born.
Shalom continues
But it does not stop there. As Jesus prepared His disciples for His death, resurrection and ascension, He declared,
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27
In fact, wholeness, restoration, and wellbeing through Jesus Christ, continues for all His disciples, including you and I. The fullness of all that was announced at Jesus’ birth is fully present and available to each of us.
This Christmas, let’s grasp the reality that Shalom is fully ours. This is the good news of the Kingdom! It was initiated by God Himself, and gloriously decreed by an army of angels at Jesus’ birth – and will never end (Isaiah 9:7).
