THE SETUP
Nick 'Santa' Claus: “I never realized. You hate me.”
Fred Claus: “I don't hate you, Nick. I just wish you'd never been born.”
Fred Claus tells us the story of the Claus brothers, Nick and Fred, who had a falling out as kids. When Fred realizes that he will never be able to live up to the reputation of his younger brother, Nick, he distances himself from Nick and the rest of the family. Fred grows up to be a lonely and cynical repo man, while his brother becomes you-know-who.
As adults, Fred and Nick are reunited and all their old issues resurface. No matter what Nick does to try and win Fred over, Fred isn’t interested. Nick can’t figure out why Fred hates him, and Fred doesn’t know why Nick won’t just leave him alone. There is clearly no peace between the two brothers.
During this week of Advent, as we celebrate the peace that Jesus brought into the world, we can focus on the peaceful stillness of the moment we sing about in Silent Night. But the peace that the Scriptures describe is bigger than that.
The Old Testament prophets wrote that one day a Messiah would come into the world who would restore peace between God and humanity. The gulf of sin, our rejection of God and his ways, would be bridged and we could be reconciled to God. In the New Testament, we learn that peace has come through Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection. The peace that we experience at Christmas is more than good feelings or a sense of calm. It is the peace of being reconciled to God through Jesus.
PASSAGE TO READ
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Has there ever been a time in your life when you needed to “make peace” with someone? How did you handle it?
When you read Romans 5, what captivates you about what Jesus has done for you?
How do you think peace with God can impact your sense of peace this Christmas?
PRAYER IDEA
“God – thank you for loving this world so much that you would send Jesus to bring peace to us. Thank you for doing for me what I could never do for myself. I don’t have the ability to be self-righteous, to be good enough, but you have made it possible for me to experience your righteousness through Jesus. Thank you for that indescribable gift! Amen.”