1. I would like to preach today about the birth of our Lord, and I would like to draw your attention to Luke 2:14.
2. Around this time of the year we often hear this Scripture quoted – "Glory to God in the highest" (2:14). The chorus in that great Christmas hymn, "Angels We Have Heard on High" is "Gloria in excelsis Deo" which is Latin for "Glory to God in the highest."
3. But it is the second part of Luke 2:14 that I would like to focus on – "and on earth peace, good will toward men." It might seem strange to hear these beautiful words ringing down through the ages, or "echoing their joyous strains" as the hymn writer put it.
4. It may seem strange when we think of the awful condition our world is in. Look where you will – the Middle East, Bosnia, Africa, Northern Ireland – there is no peace on earth.
5. Even here in our great nation, there is little peace – there is strife and unrest, violence and crime, misery and wretchedness everywhere – from the White House to the poorhouse.
6. Millionaires put guns to their heads and poor people stick needles in their veins. There is no peace on earth.
7. Another great Christmas hymn was written by the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." He wrote:

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth" I said,
For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

8. But the angel said, "Glory to God in the highest (heaven), and on earth peace, good will toward men." Therefore, it must be true. But how?
9. This is the answer: peace on earth is dependent upon receiving "the Prince of Peace" (Isa.9:6,7).
10. But since most people have refused Him and rejected Him, the world remains in its unhappy condition.

I. MAN HAS TO FIRST MAKE PEACE WITH GOD BEFORE HE CAN EXPERIENCE THE PEACE OF GOD.

1. The Bible says, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom.5:1). Have you experienced this peace? Have you been justified by faith?
2. This peace with God can only come "by faith" (Rom.5:1,2).
3. Our faith must be based upon the substitutionary death of Christ (Rom.5:6-9).
4. This time of year, there are multitudes of people celebrating the birth of Christ. They get sentimental over the baby in the manger but do not want to think about the Saviour hanging on the cross, shedding His blood for our wicked sins (Rom.5:8,9).
5. Have you been "saved from wrath through Him"? If not, you can never experience peace with God. In fact, the Bible says: "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked" (Isa.48:22; cf. 57:20,21; 59:7,8).
6. Some would object and insist that they are not wicked, they are not so bad. But the Bible says: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom.3:23), and "the wages of sin is death" (Rom.6:23).
7. According to the Bible, all those without Christ are "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph.2:1). That is why Jesus said one must be born again.
8. Only after a sinner is born again, only after he repents of his sin and receives the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour – only then is he able to make peace with God. Then he will understand the words of the heavenly host: "And on earth peace, good will toward men."

II. MAN HAS TO BE RECONCILED TO GOD BEFORE HE CAN MAKE PEACE WITH GOD.

1. Man is a rebel at war with God. The Bible says that before our conversion "we were enemies" (Rom.5:10). How little of this is understood by most church-goers today, who have been lulled to sleep by false prophets and wolves in sheep’s clothing.
2. When we were His enemies, "we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son" (Rom.5:10; cf. Col.1:20,21).
3. Have you been reconciled to God? You cannot experience the peace of God until you are reconciled to God.
4. To be reconciled means to bring into harmony. God does not have to be reconciled – man needs to be reconciled. God does not change – man needs to change. Sinful man needs to be reconciled to a holy and righteous God.
5. The great hymn writer, Charles Wesley, put it this way: "Peace on earth, and mercy mild: God and sinners reconciled."
6. God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins. God offers reconciliation and pardon to all who come to Him in simple faith.
7. A number of years ago, a young man lost his temper in a card game and shot and killed his opponent. He was arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to die in the electric chair. Because he had no previous criminal record, petitions for his pardon were gathered by friends and relatives. Eventually it was brought to the governor’s attention. Consequently, a Christian gentleman went to the prison to visit the young man. As he approached the death cell, the prisoner noticed that he was wearing a black suit and carrying a Bible. He assumed he was a preacher and started shouting at him, "Get out of here! I don’t want to talk with you!"

• "But wait a minute, young man," the gentleman said.
• The prisoner yelled again: "You heard me – beat it! I have already seen seven different preachers, get out of here!"
• "Now please wait a minute, young man," replied the friendly visitor. "I have some very good news for you -- you will like what I have to say. Please allow me to tell you about it."
• The young man became more abusive and so with a heavy heart the visitor walked away.
• A few minutes later, the warden appeared and said: "Well young man, I see that the governor stopped by to see you."
• "What?" exclaimed the prisoner. "Was that really the governor?"
• "Yes, he certainly was. He had a pardon in his pocket but you wouldn’t even listen to him!"
• The young man wrote the governor an apology. The governor read the letter and wrote on it: "No longer interested in this case."
• On the day of his execution the young man was asked if he had any last words. "Yes," he replied. "Tell people I am dying because I refused the governor’s pardon."

8. Many souls are in hell today because they refused God’s pardon!

III. ONCE A MAN MAKES PEACE WITH GOD, HE WILL WANT TO GO OUT AND TELL OTHERS.

1. The angel of the Lord said to the shepherds, "Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10,11).
2. "Good tidings" means the Gospel. It is a gospel of "great joy." Later on in the Gospel of Luke, our Lord says: "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15:10).
3. And this good tidings of great joy "shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10).
4. After hearing this good news, the shepherds went to Bethlehem to worship our Lord (Luke 2:14-16).
5. And then they went out and told others the good news (Luke 2:17). Those here that are saved: Are you going out and telling others?
6. Once a man has made peace with God, he should go out and tell others (cf. II Cor.5:20).

CONCLUSION:

1. Let us turn back to our text (Luke 2:14,15).
2. The shepherds said, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem…" The name Bethlehem is precious to every Christian. It is the birthplace of our Saviour.
3. Way back in 1247 a hospital was opened in London, England named "Bethlehem Hospital." Two centuries later it was turned into a mental hospital for the insane.
4. Back in those days, mental patients were chained and they could be heard for miles around screaming and crying. Bethlehem Hospital became known for noise and confusion, and later the name was corrupted into "Bedlam Hospital."
5. Eventually the word bedlam became synonymous with wild uproar and chaos, disorder and confusion, turmoil and pandemonium. How sad that a beautiful place like Bethlehem, a name associated with the birth of our Lord, could degenerate into a horrible place of bedlam.
6. That is the way the world is – they take something good and beautiful and peaceful, and ruin it and defile it and eventually destroy it.
7. This Christmas I hope you have your eyes on Jesus and not on the bedlam of this world. Then you can experience "peace, good will toward men."