Luke 2:8-14 (NLT) The Shepherds and Angels
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

“Though Bethlehem was small among the clans of Judah, its significance lies not in its size but in the extraordinary things God chose to do there.” —(Author unknown)

Micah 5:2 (NLT)
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
whose origins are in the distant past,
will come from you on my behalf.

1.God’s promise of peace was for

and for

Reveal Answer

. (Peace Foretold)

God’s peace is not just the

of conflict but the

Reveal Answer

of wholeness.

Micah 5:3-5a (NLT)
3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen
will return from exile to their own land.
4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
for he will be highly honored around the world.
5 And he will be the source of peace.

John 14:27 (NLT)
27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

The peace God promised through Bethlehem is a peace that

,

Reveal Answer

, and fulfills His redemptive purposes.

2.God’s promise of peace was meant to be received by

Reveal Answer

. (Peace Realized)

Peace begins when Christ

in your

Reveal Answer

.

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)
3 You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Colossians 3:15 (NLT)
15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

John 6:35 (NLT)
35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

The peace we receive from Christ is

and

Reveal Answer

, flowing out of our trust in Him.

3.God’s promise of peace is meant to be

. (Peace Lived Out)

We are called to be

in a broken world.

Matthew 5:9 (NLT)
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.

Numbers 6:24-26 (NLT)
24 ‘May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
25 May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
26 May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.’

God’s peace is not meant to stop with us. Like Bethlehem, we become

of His peace to a needy world.

“Bethlehem is proof that God brings peace to the humblest places, transforming the world one heart at a time.” —(Author unknown)