Two things are presented in Luke 2:13-1413And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:13‑14). The angel who comes to the shepherds of Judea announces to them the fulfillment of the promises of God to Israel. The choir of angels celebrate in their heavenly chorus of praise all the real import of this wondrous event. “Unto you,” says the heavenly messenger who visits the poor shepherds, “is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” This was proclaiming good tidings to them and to all the people.
The Fullness, Sovereignty and Perfection of God’s Grace
But in the birth of the Son of Man, God manifest in the flesh, the accomplishment of the incarnation had far deeper importance than this. The words, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good pleasure [of God] in men,” embrace such widely extended thoughts that it is difficult to speak suitably of them. First, it is deeply blessed to see that the thought of Jesus excludes all that could oppress the heart in the scene which surrounded His presence on earth. Alas, sin was there, but if sin had placed Him there, grace had placed Him there. Grace super-abounds; that which God is in grace absorbs the mind and possesses the heart and is the heart’s true relief in a world like this. We see grace alone, and sin only magnifies the perfection of that grace. Jesus, come in grace, fills the heart. It is the same thing in all the details of Christian life. It is the true source of moral power, of sanctification, and of joy.
“Glory to God in the Highest”
We see, next, that there are three things brought out by the presence of Jesus born as a child on the earth. The first is glory to God in the highest. The love of God, His wisdom, His power, the fulfillment of His eternal counsels, the perfection of His ways where evil had come in, the manifestation of Himself amid the evil in such a manner as to glorify Himself before the angels — in a word, God had so manifested Himself by the birth of Jesus that the hosts of heaven, long familiar with His power, could raise their chorus, “Glory to God in the highest!” What love like this love? What a purely divine thought, that God has become man! What supremacy of good over evil! What wisdom in drawing nigh to the heart of man and the heart of man back to Him! What fitness in addressing man! What maintenance of the holiness of God! What nearness to the heart of man, what participation in his wants, what experience of his condition! But beyond all, God above the evil in grace, and in that grace visiting this defiled world to make Himself known as He had never yet been known!
“Peace on Earth”
The second effect of the presence of Him who manifested God on the earth is that peace should be there. The heavenly choir is occupied with the fact of His presence, and they celebrate these consequences. Manifested evil should disappear; Jesus, mighty in love, should reign and impart His character to the whole scene, according to God’s heart.
The means of this — redemption, the destruction of Satan’s power, the reconciliation of man by faith and of all things in heaven and earth with God — are not here pointed out. Everything depended on the Person and presence of Him who was born. Presented to the responsibility of man, man is unable to profit by it, and all fails. But, grace and blessing being attached to the Person of Him just born, it was the intervention of God accomplishing the counsel of His love, the settled purpose of His good pleasure. And, Jesus once there, the consequences could not fail; whatever interruption there might be to their fulfillment, Jesus was their surety. The presence of the Son of God in the midst of sinners said to all spiritual intelligence, “On earth peace.”
“the Good Pleasure
of God in Men”
The third thing was the good pleasure of God in men. This is the same word as when it is said of Christ, “In whom I am well pleased.” It is beautiful to see the unjealous celebration, by these holy beings, of the advancement of another race to this exalted place by the incarnation of the Word. It was God’s glory, and that sufficed them. This is very beautiful.
It was a glorious testimony that the affection, the good pleasure, of God was centered in this poor race, now far from Him, but in which He was pleased to accomplish all His glorious counsels. So in John 1 the life was the light of men. In a word, it was the power of God present in grace in the Person of the Son of God taking part in the nature and interesting Himself in the lot of a being who had departed from Him and making him the sphere of the accomplishment of all His counsels. What a position for man! The whole universe was to learn in man that which God was in Himself, and the fruit of all His glorious counsels, as well as its complete rest in His presence, according to His nature of love. All this was implied in the birth of that child of whom the world took no notice. Natural and marvelous subject of praise to the holy inhabitants of heaven, unto whom God had made it known! It was glory to God in the highest.
J. N. Darby, adapted