December 24th 2025

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. Luke 2:13-14

The birth of Jesus—the moment God humbles himself and takes on human flesh—is the ultimate sign that God’s peace, shalom, has come to rest among us.

The angels’ song carries a kind of holy logic to it. Glory to God in the highest… and on earth, peace. When God is rightly honored, peace follows. Not because we’ve earned it, but because God’s favor rests fully and finally in the person of Christ.

Jesus echoes this same truth later when he teaches, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you.” Our lives are meant to be ordered from the top down—glory first, then peace.

As you pause this Christmas Eve to reflect on your year—on what has shaped your days, your worries, and your hopes—remember the fountain-like shape of this message. When we lift our gaze to give glory to the Creator who came to be with us, peace flows downward into our lives.

This is the gift of Christmas: God with us, restoring what was broken, and offering peace—not as something we strive for, but as something we receive.

- Matt Fisher