"And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.'" (Luke 2:13, 14)
The prophet Malachi revealed to Israel that the Sun of Righteousness would arise, with healing in his wings. God had promised his people a Messiah, and they were to keep looking for him in the way of remembering his law; after all, everything in the Old Testament order pointed to him.
The coming of Christ into the world was accompanied by many amazing sights and sounds. The time had come in the plan of God for the prophetic revelation to begin again. It is clear that this new revelation began with Mary and Joseph, and with Mary's sister Elizabeth; and her husband Zacharias the priest. God was bringing something to pass which would have a profound effect in all the world.
As we think about the advent of our Savior Christ, we think about the reason for his coming. We commonly believe that the purpose for Jesus' coming terminates in us. While it is true that the Savior came to redeem sinful men, this is not the ultimate purpose. It is a bit of a strain to keep our thinking in line when so much commotion at this time of year is about us-what we want, what we like, what we've always done before, etc.
But the purpose of God in redeeming us is truly apparent in the announcement of the angels.
Glory to God in the Highest
The designed end of redemption is not the happiness of man, but God's glory.
We see in the Word of God that this glory is defined by the ‘heaviness or weightiness of God.' One of the things which is to be mourned in our present age, says author David Wells, is the "weightlessness of God." People may mention God, even say that they believe in him, but really, they manifest in their lives that God carries very little weight in their daily pursuits.
How shall we who know the reality of redemption from sin and misery deal with this pervasive weightlessness of God? Gratitude demands that we live for his glory, and if you will, demonstrate the holy weightiness of God in our lives as his people, together, and as families and individuals. The angels who spoke these words know well the weight of glory which belongs to the Almighty God. They know this as His willing servants. What a better season than this, to commit ourselves to the same motivation of the angels, "Glory to God in the highest."
It is the first thing which the angels say. The angels do not come from heaven shouting "happiness to man! O happiness to man!." Now it is a fact that God's people do enjoy the greatest happiness that can be known to man - if they know and love the Savior. However, this happiness is not the thing which we need in itself. We need to see God's glory. Sin and corruption has blinded our eyes to it so that we can only see as far as our sin-darkened minds will allow us. Our own sinful self-centeredness is the center of our world. The Bible says that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." We know, then, without a doubt, that this is our problem. We need to see the glory of God, and the apostle Paul says that believers see the light of that glory only "in the face of Jesus Christ."
This glory or weightiness is given to God "in the highest."
What in the world is not meant for God's glory? We know that the teaching of the Bible is very clear on this point. "Whether you eat, drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." There is nothing exempt from this requirement. But here we see the nature of the angels announcement. It is to declare the coming of the Savior into the world. The highest glory of God is that he brings redemption to the world. It is so from the standpoint of the angels, and it is announced as such to shepherds in the fields. Once again we are brought face to face with the greatness of redemption: the angels say that the highest glory belongs to God on this account.
How could it be otherwise? Is it some small insignificant thing that God is doing in sending the Messiah to his people? Sadly, people act as if it were no more important than any other event or activity in life. The glory of it all must get through to us. Jesus told the parable of the sower to describe the responses of men to his glory: with some the Word finds no entrance at all; for some it looks good for a while, but when the going gets tough, they bail out; for many his word looks great but other things ultimately win out for the place of most importance; and then with a very few, the Word is received with joy and bears a hundredfold in the fruit of thankfulness and commitment. You can be sure that this final group sees the glory for what it is: Glory to God in the highest!
First in the Minds of the Angels Is God's Glory, and Then, ‘Peace among Men'
Only the Prince of Peace can bring peace to men through his work of mediation. The Scriptures teach us that there is an enmity that exists between God and man. God's justice is not sidestepped in his redemptive plan. The work of a Mediator is to bring God and man together again on the basis of God's standard of righteousness. This is not a negotiated peace. We may rightly call it a unilateral peace, because from his side man can do nothing to contribute to the peace which he desperately needs. It is all of God's doing. The only things which man brings to the table is his sin and corruption.
Peace is not only the absence of the enmity but also the positive communion which was forfeited by Adam in his covenant-breaking. Peace, then, is more than a lack of conflict; it means that the Redeemer has brought about a new realm in which the redeemed enjoy a restoration of life with God. It means that God is our God, and that we are his people through his Son Jesus Christ.
We must understand that this is not simply a general "good will" to everybody. A misreading of the text has led to all sorts of mistaken notions of salvation. On the other hand it is the Savior for all people, that is, for all kinds of people worldwide, that the angels announce.
Peace, to Those with Whom He Is Pleased
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased," (lit. ‘Of His good pleasure')
When Gabriel spoke to Joseph, he told him "You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." The purpose of God to save a people through the work of his Son was certain. The glorying of the angels was not in man and his merits, but in God and his grace.
The meaning of the words "of his good pleasure" has to do with the Sovereign grace of God. The statement by the angels is such that we may understand that peace is to be bestowed upon those vessels of his mercy which he calls ‘men of his good pleasure.' Knowing the sinful depravity and inability of man, there would be no glad tidings if this Savior had to depend on the activity of impotent men. No, the possession of this peace doesn't depend on the work of man, but on the work of the Savior. It is God's work, and he will bring it to pass. The Apostle Paul speaks of this in Ephesians: "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ... having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself...." (Eph. 1: 4, 5, 9)
It is a humbling thought: all who know the grace of God in Christ are the objects of his mercy. They are people "of his good pleasure," which is another way of saying, people of His choice. The glory goes to God, because redemption is his work. The angels gloried in His saving activity through his only begotten Son. Why should God bestow His grace on miserable wretches like me and you? No reason. Only mercy. Only grace. Only his Sovereign choice. Nothing else.
Conclusion
We sometimes get the idea that people aren't really interested in the Sovereignty of God in bestowing his grace on sinners; they're only interested in the fact that they have salvation in their possession. You know, just so they have it. But the angels had it right. Glory to God in the highest! And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. May our hearts be filled with a sense of this glorying in God's Sovereign mercy this season; what a wonderful time to remember his electing love to people like us.
