The King Who Brings Peace

Good morning, Church! If you have your Bible—and I hope that you do—please turn with me to Luke chapter 2.

Last week we looked at Isaiah 9 and the promise of a coming King. A King who would be called the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. Isaiah spoke into a world filled with fear, darkness, and turmoil—and he told God’s people, “Nevertheless… a great light is coming.”

Today, in Luke 2, that light arrives. The promised King steps into the world—not with military parade, not surrounded by royalty, but in quiet Bethlehem… and the first words the angels sing about Him is peace.

But here’s the irony: Christmas is the season when most people feel anything but peace. Think about your schedule, how busy have you been since Thanksgiving? Consider your budget, are you following it or are you spending too much? Think about your home, how noisy has it been? What about your heart? Are you finding peace or is there restlessness there?

We talk about “peace on earth,” but for many families this is the most stressful, anxious, or even lonely time of the year. We hang lights, but many still feel darkness. We hear songs about joy, but many feel sorrow. We see “PEACE” written on decorations, but we struggle to experience it.

And if we’re honest, much of what our culture calls “peace” is really just temporary distraction—a few days off work, a decorated tree, a moment of quiet after the guests leave. That isn’t the peace the angels sing about.

The Bible’s word for peace, shalom, means something far deeper. It means wholeness, reconciliation, and Rest. Last week we saw the promise of the Prince of Peace. This week, we see the arrival of that Peace when the King is born.

And who does God choose to announce this peace to first? Shepherds. Men at the bottom of society. Men who lived in the dark, both literally and socially. Men who had nothing to brag about and nothing to offer. In other words—men just like us. Ordinary people who desperately need peace.

This morning we’re going to see three points in the passage about peace and my prayer is that by the end of this message, you will not merely hear about peace, but actually receive it from the King who brings it.

Let’s stand in honor of God’s Word as we read Luke 2:8–20

Luke 2:8–20 ESV

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The passage begins with some men that were in this region and I think we must take notice of who God chose to be the first to hear about the announcement of Christ’s birth. Verse 8 says: “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”

Shepherds were not influencers. They weren’t powerful or respected. In the first century, shepherds sat on the lower rung of society. Their work made them ceremonially unclean, their reputation was questionable, and their voices weren’t even accepted as witnesses in court. Yet these are the men God chose to first hear the message of the Messiah’s birth!

This brings us to the first point I would like to make

Peace Announced to the Least

That alone tells us something about the heart of God: The King who brings peace does not reveal Himself to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. God doesn’t reveal Himself to the self-sufficient, but to the needy. It’s not about you being impressive to God, but God delights to minister to the overlooked.

Notice how the peace breaks into the darkness. Verse 8 ends with the shepherds in the dark fields at night. That’s not accidental. Luke wants us to see that: Jesus entered a dark world.

This is Isaiah 9 all over again—the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

And then verse 9: “And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.” The contrast is striking: darkness, then glory. Silence, then announcement. Ordinary life, then heaven breaks open. And the shepherds respond exactly as every sinner responds before God’s holiness: great fear — “phobos megas.” Terrified. Overwhelmed.

This is the right posture before the Holy One. When God draws near, sinners tremble. But here is the surprise of grace: the angel does not come to destroy, but to announce peace.

The first words from heaven in the New Testament are not a command, not a threat, not a rebuke, but a gentle invitation: “Fear not.”

Why? Because the King who brings peace has finally arrived. This is one of the great themes of Scripture: God speaks peace into our fear.

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Luke 12:32 ESV

32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Revelation 1:17 ESV

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,

The gospel begins by addressing the deepest fear of the human heart: the fear of facing God without hope. But God has sent His Son to remove that fear completely.

The angel announces: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The angel tells us three titles about Who Jesus is… He is, 1) Savior- He rescues His people from their sins. 2) Christ- He is the promised Messiah. The One that all Scripture points to. 3) Lord- He has divine authority. He rules all things in creation.

The angel’s are tell us that this peace is not sentimental, shallow, or seasonal. The peace that Christ brings is Kingdom peace. Peace brought by a King who saves, a King who reigns, and a King who reconciles us to God.

Romans 5:1 ESV

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

The angels are declaring that peace with God is no longer a promise in the distance, it is a Person in a manger. And this peace is only given to those who belong to Him.

Luke 2:14 ESV

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

This is not a generic promise of world peace. It is a specific promise that peace rests on all whom God graciously saves. Not on everyone—but on everyone who comes to Christ in faith. Some translations like the King James translate this in a nominative which would be “goodwill toward men”, but the older manuscripts put this in the genitive rendering it the way the ESV puts it.

You see, peace is not automatic, universal, or earned by us. Peace is a gift of God’s grace to those upon whom His favor rests.

So the King who brings peace has arrived, and heaven has made the announcement not to the powerful, but to the poor; not to the proud, but to the humble. But here’s the question: How do you receive this peace? How do you go from hearing about it to actually possessing it?

The angels declared that God’s peace has come into the world through His Son. But that raises a crucial question: How is this peace received? Luke answers that by showing us the response of the shepherds.

The pattern is simple, but it is profoundly theological: Revelation → Faith → Action → Peace

Peace Received by Faith

This is how God has always worked with His people. Notice that their faith immediately moved them toward Jesus.

Luke 2:15 ESV

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

1. They believed the message

They don’t treat the angel’s announcement as an idea to evaluate but as a reality to obey. They don’t say: “Let’s go see if this happened.” They say, “Let’s go see this thing that has happened.” This is faith!  Taking God at His word.

2. Their faith is active

Verse 16 says, “And they went with haste…”. Faith is not passive. When God speaks, faith moves in our hearts and moves us to action. This is the same pattern seen throughout Scripture: Abraham went when God called. Israel went through the Red Sea. The disciples left their nets and followed Jesus. Faith has feet designed to move us.

3. Their faith is personal

They don’t say, “Someone should go.” They say, “Let us go.” God’s peace must be received personally. No one can receive peace with God for you—not parents, not pastors, not tradition. You must come to Christ yourself.

But we also learn that you will always find Christ exactly where God said He would be. Verse 16 continues: “…and they found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.” The shepherds did not discover peace by wandering or guessing — they followed the sign given by heaven. God told them where the Savior was, and they found Him exactly as God said.

This is how salvation works today Jesus is not found in your feelings. Salvation is not found in your performance. Peace is not found in your religious rituals. Peace is found in the place where God has revealed His Son, the Gospel.

Salvation is not a mystery hunt. It is a divine promise!

Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

The shepherds found the Savior because God keeps His word. So what does that mean for you? It means that

1. Peace with God comes only when we personally respond to Christ. It’s not about admiring the story, lighting the candle, celebrating Christmas or singing the songs. You have to come to Jesus Christ.

2. Peace increases as we keep moving toward Christ. Some believers wonder why they feel spiritually cold or anxious and its because they have stopped moving toward Christ “with haste”.

Peace is not a one-time moment; Peace is the fruit of a life continually drawing near.

3. Peace is strengthened when we trust God’s Word above our circumstances. The shepherds believed the angel before they saw the child. Likewise, Christians live by believing what God says, not by what we see.

The shepherds have received peace by believing the message and coming to Christ. But peace is not meant to be hidden or hoarded. If this King truly brings peace, then those who receive Him become messengers themselves.

That leads us naturally to Point III:

Peace Shared With A World In Need

The shepherds heard the message. They responded in faith. And now Luke shows us what always happens when someone truly encounters the peace of Christ. Peace received becomes peace proclaimed. Salvation experienced becomes salvation shared. This is the Christian pattern — from the first century to today.

Look, they made known the message. Verse 17, “And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.”

The first evangelists in the gospel of Luke are not priests, scribes, or kings… but shepherds. Men who were not allowed to testify in court are the first witnesses of the King of Glory. This is how God loves to work! He uses ordinary, overlooked people to carry extraordinary news.

They didn’t put off sharing the news. They didn’t complicate it. They didn’t soften it. They simply told people what God had told them. This is the essence of evangelism: Tell people what God has said about His Son. Nothing more. Nothing less.

And notice what happened when people heard the shepherds, “And all who heard it wondered,” Their words stirred curiosity, amazement, and reflection — not because the shepherds were persuasive, but because the message was powerful.

God does not need impressive messengers. He needs faithful ones.

“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” While the shepherds proclaim, Mary ponders. Both are legitimate responses to the peace Christ brings. She does not rush past the truth or forget it quickly. She turns it over and over again in her mind because there is something different about her baby.

This is the heart posture of every believer who wants to grow in the knowledge of Christ. A superficial Christianity will never sustain deep peace. Peace grows where truth is treasured.

Look with me at verse 20, “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen…”

Here is perhaps the most beautiful part of the story: They returned. In other words, the peace Christ brings does not remove us from ordinary life — it transforms how we walk through ordinary life.

They went back to the same field, routine, work, and responsibilities but the difference was that they were changed men. God’s peace transformed their ordinary work into extraordinary worship because they glorified and praised God in the very place they had been when the angels appeared.

This is how the gospel transforms us! It sends us back home to be different than we were. We become different and better workers. Our schools, marriages, responsibilities and sufferings become things that we can praise God through. We become people who carry the peace of the King wherever we go.

So what does this peace mean for you and I today? Well last Sunday, our church voted to change our mission statement. Our new mission statement is Rooted in Christ. Reproducing Disciples. Renewing Lives for God’s Glory.

What this sermon means in light of our mission is that we are all called to speak about the peace that Christ has brought into our lives. We’re not called to harbor it. We’re called, each one of us in Christ, are called to speak about the peace God has given to us through His Son.

1. Peace speaks. If Christ has brought you peace, share Him. There is someone in your life who is walking through darkness and needs the message the shepherds carried and the message of hope that Christ has given to you. It’s not just the church’s responsibility, or the pastor’s. It’s yours.

2. Peace considers. Don’t rush through the Christmas message — treasure it. Take time to slow down, meditate, let it take root. Think about the truth of Christ being born for you.

3. Peace praises. Your worship on Sunday should shape your life on Monday. The shepherds teach us that worship is not a location; it’s a lifestyle. It’s not about what happens in these walls, it’s about gearing up to go out and share Christ with the world.

The story of the shepherds shows us a complete picture: The peace in Christ is announced to the least. The peace that is offered must be received by faith. And that truth of peace must be shared with others in need. But listen, as much as you may want someone to know the peace that Christ has to offer, they must come to the King of Peace themselves.

When we step back and look at this passage, we see more than a familiar Christmas scene. We see the entire gospel story in a brief section of Scripture. Heaven comes into the darkened world. The King arrives in humility. Peace is announced to the unworthy. Those with faith run to Christ. Hearts are transformed and lives are changed by testimonies of God’s grace.

So here’s the truth I don’t want you to miss here… the peace Jesus brings is not a seasonal feeling, it is a supernatural reality for all who come to Him in faith.

Christ’s peace is not a peace that avoids suffering, but peace that overcomes it. The peace of Christ is not some shallow, sentimental calm, but deep, saving reconciliation with God Himself. The angels were not offering a vague wish for mankind to have harmony but they were announcing that the war between God and sinners was put to an end because the King who brings peace has come, and His name is Jesus Christ.

If you are in Christ, the peace the angels proclaimed is already yours. But like Mary, you may need to treasure that truth again. Like the shepherds, you may need to move “with haste” back toward the Savior. You won’t find peace anywhere else. Peace is found only in Christ.

If you have never truly turned to Christ, the message of the angels is for you! “Unto you is born this day… a Savior.” Jesus wasn’t a life coach or a moral example but He is the Savior because you need saving. He’s Lord, because you need to be ruled. And He is Christ, because He alone fulfills the promises of God. The peace of God can be yours today if you turn away from your sin and trust in Christ alone today. Turn to Him. Trust Him. Seek Him like the shepherds did — and you will find Him.

The King has come, the good news is announced, and the peace of God is offered—now come to Christ and worship Him, for He alone is the Prince of Peace.

Head: God wants you to know that Jesus is the King who brings true peace!

Peace with God that the world cannot give and cannot take away.

Heart: God wants you to believe that this peace is yours through faith alone in Christ alone.

Believe that He has reconciled you to God and invites you into His rest.

Hand: God wants you to seek Christ, speak of Christ, and worship Christ this week.

Share His peace with someone who needs to hear the good news.