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“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).
“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division” (Luke 12:51).
When the Lord Jesus was born into this world, the angels praised Him, saying the words of our first verse today. The Lord Jesus had come into the world as the rightful King, and He had come to bring peace. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah had called the Lord Jesus “the Prince of peace.” (See if you can find this verse in the book of Isaiah.)
But sadly, the Lord Jesus was rejected right from the very beginning. Herod the king tried to kill Him when He was only a small child, and throughout His earthly ministry the Jewish leaders were against Him. Finally they plotted to kill Him, and eventually delivered Him over to the Roman authorities to crucify Him.
That is why the Lord Jesus had to say (in our second verse today) that He was not come to give peace on earth, but rather division. We might ask, Why would His coming bring division? It would bring division because there would be some who accepted Him, and many who rejected Him. Now the world is divided between believers and unbelievers, and there is no real peace. True believers can have peace in their hearts, for they know that their sins are forgiven. However, real peace on this earth will never happen until the Lord Jesus has His rightful place.
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