Peace on earth and goodwill to men is often quoted especially around Christmas time. However, people do not finish the verse and so it leaves people wondering why there is not peace on earth. The verse says, “Peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Jesus Christ did come and bring peace to us but only those with whom He is pleased will experience that peace. Who is the Lord well pleased with among men? There is only One who lived a life pleasing to Him.
Matthew 3:16,17 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
Again, the Father reaffirmed His total satisfaction with Jesus and the life that He lived on earth. The Father was well pleased with Jesus before He did any ministry. He was pleased with the life of faith and obedience that Jesus lived as the Son of man.
Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”
Jesus laid aside His being God and lived in the flesh a perfect and sinless life.
Philippians 2:5-8 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus lived a perfect life and had a perfect record of no sin at all. We have lived a sinful life and we have all fallen short of God’s glory.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
He offers His life and perfect standard of living in exchange for our life and our sinful record. It is not fair. It was God’s will to show us mercy and grace rather than fairness.
Isaiah 53:4-6 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.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
If the Lord gave us what is fair then we would not be able to receive the life of Christ. The Lord was well pleased with this message.
I Corinthians 1:21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
If we will believe the message that God loves us and receive the gift of His Son then we will receive also the affirmation that God is well pleased with us. Not because of any righteousness of our own but because we have trusted in Jesus Christ to take our sin and guilt upon Himself on the cross and to give us His righteousness. It was not fair for Him to take our penalty and give us God’s acceptance of us through Him, but He did it anyway because He loves you. He came to bring you peace.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
He gave us the greatest gift of all when He gave us His Son. Will you receive Him today?
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
Will you thank Him and share this amazing gift with someone else? Will you tell someone else what He has done for you?
II Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
Peace on earth, goodwill to men with whom He is pleased and that is those of us who are in Christ Jesus and Jesus Christ is in us.
Instructions To A Young Life 