Jesus Isn't Decaf (By Naomi Meyers)

A nearly palpable ripple of excitement flowed through the assembled congregation as the announcement rang through Heaven. The news was exhilarating. Invigorating. Intoxicating. They had been chosen. All of them. Everyone was going to participate. Their joy could barely be contained. They were going to earth. Sort of. Far enough to catch a glimpse of humanity in their natural habitat. Close enough to give a group of men hunkered down in a hillside meadow the concert of a lifetime. It would be a night of firsts. The angel choir’s first trip to earth. The shepherd’s first concert. Carefully planned down to the finest details, the event would be flawless. Perfect, even. Perfect timing. Perfect pitch. Perfect harmony. Sounds no human ear had ever before heard. Sounds they wouldn’t hear again. Not that side of Heaven, anyway. It would be unforgettable. So would the sight. 

When the heralding angel ended his speech, the curtains of inky sky would roll back even further, revealing the enormity of their visiting group. Their multitude could not be numbered. It would be futile to try. Light would surround them as if mid-day had broken hours prior to its appointed time. Before the astonished humans could close their gaping mouths, the entire angelic choir would lift their voices in glorious, harmonious music. Perfectly on cue. No director in sight. No trailing. No errors. No miscues. Their words of praise and prophecy would float down to rest on the ears and soothe the souls of the world-weary humans below. Glory to the God who dwells in the highest heaven. The One seated between the cherubim. The Lord of Armies. The Almighty God who sends His perfect peace. To you. On earth. Tonight. Right now. It is here. In Bethlehem. Gifted in the form of a human infant, God has sent His Son, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to the anxious soul of every person inhabiting the tumultuous, troubled, turmoil-filled globe of earth. (Psalm 24:8-10; Isaiah 6:3; 14:24; 37:16; 47:4)

Bearing the message was more exciting than traveling to earth. It was more important, too. Centuries of watching the shenanigans of humanity had convinced the angels there was no reason to visit. The sight was disheartening. Society was slipping. The church wasn’t what it should have been. Lost and confused, everyone appeared to be following the desires of their own hearts. Arrogance and pride ruled the day. Bitterness and anger flowed unchecked. Jealousy and hate ran rampant in the streets, encouraging fighting, inciting wars. Fear was etched on every face. Hopelessness and despair lined every brow. Evil was clearly having its heyday. From humanity’s standpoint, things were the darkest they had ever been. From Heaven’s vantage point, earth was the closest to peace it had been since nearly the dawn of creation. 

It was this message the angels brought to the shepherds camped out with their sheep. A message of hope to a lonely group of forgotten men engaged in a thankless task. Their silent nights spent wrestling with inner demons no one knew existed. Their monotonous days plagued with worries and cares even as they searched for good pastures and clean water. Every waking moment consumed with the ever-changing religious, political, and social landscape so far beyond their control yet so personal in its repercussions. The elusiveness of peace. The shepherds weren’t sure it existed. Anywhere. For anyone. They certainly didn’t believe it existed for them. They’d never found it. Not in the quiet grazing of the sheep. Not in the trickling sound of a dancing stream. Not in the gentle breeze rustling the tall grasses of a fresh meadow. In the quiet of all those places, their minds continued with relentless reels of uncertainties and fears. No. Peace didn’t exist. At least not for them. 

The angels respectfully disagreed. Peace existed. They knew it did. In the best of times. In the worst of times. When everything in the world was full of upheaval, peace was still available. For all people. Everywhere. Everyone who heard their message. Anyone who would listen. In every corner of the earth. Peace was possible. Because the Prince of Peace had come. To the earth. For all on earth. His promise of peace was for everyone. No matter who they were. No matter what their occupation. No matter whether they were socially acceptable or politically objectionable. The good news that would bring great joy was for all people. Everywhere. There were no exceptions. They didn’t have to live in despair and fear, bitterness and hate, greed and pride anymore. Born in a humble Bethlehem stable without fanfare or paparazzi, the Prince of Peace had come. To them. The poor. The lonely. The brokenhearted. The distressed, discouraged, depressed. Those living in darkness with no earthly hope of finding light. To them. For them. The Prince of Peace had come. The light of salvation, the bright star of morning, Jesus was born into a sin-darkened world, offering hope and peace amid the crushing circumstances of their lives. Not just for that day, but for our day as well. (Luke 2:9-14; Isaiah 9:2-6; II Peter 1:19; Revelation 22:16)

No better news could fall on our ears and sink into our hearts than that delivered to some unimportant shepherds on a forgotten hillside centuries ago. The Prince of Peace has come. To earth. For you. Wherever you are. Whatever your past looks like. However, your present appears. Whatever your future seems it will hold. Jesus came to bring peace. To you. He came to offer you peace with God through forgiveness of sins, peace with others through obedience to His Word, and peace of heart and mind that transcends the terror and horror and breath-stealing evil inhabiting every corner of our globe. The Prince of Peace has come to give you peace. On earth. (Romans 5:1; 12:17-21; II Corinthians 13:11; John 14:27; 16:33; Philippians 4:6-7)

In our world of incessant news updates pinging our phones and blaring from our televisions, it is nearly impossible to miss the horrific state of our world. There is so much to worry about right now. Angst, unrest and uncertainty are everywhere. Like a string of dominoes, it seems someone has tapped the end, causing a cosmic collision. Wars are raging. Governments are falling. Threats are flying. Yet our sovereign Prince of Peace sits calmly on His throne. He is not worried. He is not scared. He is not building a heavenly bunker and stocking up on canned goods. Our God is not surprised, shocked or stymied by the chaos on earth. He is busy. Offering peace. To us. On earth. (John 14:27; Isaiah 57:19)

You see, friend, we are God’s greatest investment. So important to Him was our peace that He sacrificed His only Son to make it happen. The baby announced to the shepherds was only the beginning of the story. Peace with God is available to us because the Baby in the manger grew up to be the Man on the cross. He deemed our peace worth it. Worth His life. It’s the reason He came. To give us peace. Peace with God. Peace in God. The peace that far surpasses all human comprehension. Peace that transcends the fear and hate and evil of our world. Jesus. A piece of God. The peace of God. Heralded by angels, witnessed by shepherds, laid in a manger, hung on a cross. For your peace. For my peace. For the peace of every human being dwelling among the darkness and depravity of earth. Jesus came that we might have peace, not just in eternity, but on earth as well.  (II Corinthians 5:15-21; Ephesians 2:14; Colossians 1:19-20; Romans 5:8-9)