Behold, the Lord will come descending with splendor to visit his people with peace, and he will bestow on them eternal life.
No earthly power can bestow peace from on high. Yes, nations and armies can be placed at the service of the public good, and a degree of tranquility is the hoped for outcome of modern citizenship. But, nations cannot settle the war that rages in the human heart, which is ultimately the root of all conflict.
Hence the Lord must bestow eternal life, at the root, in the heart, so that the fruit of peace may bud forth. What is eternal life? Friendship with the Savior who meticulously orders all the disorder of the heart so that it can receive the love that God wants to pour into it for all of eternity. This is the peace the world cannot give.
Advent Post Series, 2015