Have you ever noticed that when we celebrate Christmas, everything is so cute, quiet, beautiful and sweet?

Yet, what happens during, around, and after the birth of Jesus is anything but peaceful.

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 'Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.'

-Luke 2:28-32

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: 'This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.'

-Luke 2:33-35

Those are words associated with conflict, not peace.

In fact the events around the birth of Jesus reveal significant conflict.

... An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.' ... When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

-Matthew 2:13, 16

We cannot overemphasize how important it is to understand this relationship between peace and conflict.

Lesson One: Christianity does not only bring peace, but also strife.

When Jesus Christ comes into your life, He brings new peace, but he also brings new war.

There is a vast quantity of religion current in the world, which is not true, genuine Christianity. It satisfies sleepy consciences but it's not good money. It's not the real thing which was called Christianity 1800 years ago. There are thousands of men and women who go to churches and chapels every Sunday whose names are in the baptismal registry, they are married in Christian marriage services, they are buried in Christian funeral services, but you never see any fight about their religion. A spiritual strife, exertion and conflict into self-denial and watching and warring they know little or nothing at all. It is not the Christianity of the Bible. True Christianity is a fight. The children of God have two great marks about them. They may be known by their inward warfare as well by their inward peace.

-J.C. Ryle

Suppose further that he does all this, not as we like to imagine, tormented by remorse or even misgiving, but, eating like a schoolboy and sleeping like a healthy infant, a jolly ruddy-cheeked man, without a care in the world, unshakably confident to the very end that he alone has found the answer to the riddle of life, that God and man are fools, whom he has gotten the better of.

-C.S. Lewis

When you meet the real Jesus, you get a new radical peace, but you also get new radical fights!

First: An inward peace that kills the guilty conscience

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

-Romans 5:1

For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb.

-Revelation 12:10-11

Second: A peace of identity

Third: A peace that kills anxiety

When Christ comes into your life, he brings new fights.

First: You are going to feel the inner conflict of sacrifice and generosity - the very basic spiritual discipline.

There are thousands of men and women who go to churches and chapels every Sunday whose names are in the baptismal registry, they are married in Christian marriage services, they are buried in Christian funeral services, but you never see any fight about their religion.

-J.C. Ryle

Greed surrenders to generosity at the point of conversion.

Do not quench the Spirit.

-1 Thessalonians 5:19

Second: Because the world rejects Jesus and His claims, all who believe and follow Him will experience conflict.

Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: 'This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.'

-Luke 2:34-35

There will be internal conflicts.

There will be external conflicts.

I know of no other hope in this world than the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

-Konrad Adenauer

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

-2 Chronicles 7:14

The Christmas narrative says Jesus Christ comes into your world, into your life, not in the way you think. He will bring both peace and war.

However, the kind of war Jesus brings is redemptive.

Questions to consider after hearing the illustration Jeff told us from The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis:

1. Are there any dark places in my life?

2. Are there places in my life that are destroying me?

3. Am I willing to give those areas to God and allow Him to destroy them?

4. Do I truly understand that conflict and death may come, but the death will be redemptive?

Make A Decision