Peace on Earth
Peace. It is something we all long for, something we especially anticipate with the coming of Christmas. Yet, peace is elusive, especially with the coming of Christmas. With so much to do, this time of year when we expect to experience peace can often be filled with anxiety and stress. Jesus came to bring peace on earth, but his arrival was surrounded by turmoil and strife. How can we find the peace Jesus came to bring in the midst of a troubled and turbulent world?
Discussion Questions
What place or person or time of your life do you most associate with peace? What was it about this place/person/time that you associate with peace?
Read Luke 1:26-38. What about this scene might seem at odds with the idea that Jesus came to bring peace? In what ways does it line up with this idea?
Read Luke 2:14. What does the angel specifically say? What do you think this means?
Read Matthew 10:34-39. How does this passage square with the angel’s proclamation that Jesus would bring peace? How do you reconcile this?
Read Luke 24:33-36 and John 14:26, 27. How does this passage help us to see how peace is possible in the midst of a troubled world?
To what degree would you say that you are experiencing the peace of Christ? What is one thing that you could put into place in your life that would allow you to experience more of the peace that Jesus came to bring us?
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