When we were in Israel, we followed the path taken by the shepherds and went to see where the Prince of Peace was born. But we did not find peace in Bethlehem.

Sin separates us from God and our neighbors

As we approached Bethlehem, we saw the concrete barrier that separates the Palestinian West Bank from Israel. Armed guards asked to see passports. Our Israeli tour guide and bus driver were not allowed to enter. There was no peace. 

We stooped to enter the Church of the Nativity. Did we bend low out of reverence for Jesus’ birth? No, we stooped because the church door was so small. Centuries before the large door had been sealed to keep invaders from riding into the church on horseback. There was no peace.

In the ancient Orthodox church, the traditional site of Jesus’ birth was being used for worship. Fortunately a portion of the cave is accessible from the Catholic church next door. In that side of the grotto we noticed a passageway that seemed to link the two sides. “Can the Orthodox priests come through here?” we asked. “Oh no! If we allow them to come over once, they’ll think they can do it all the time.” Even in the grotto where the Prince of Peace is said to have been born, there was no peace.

What happened to “peace on earth”? Sin separates nations, cultures, and denominations. That separation reflects the lack of peace that exists between sinful humans and the holy God.

Jesus brings peace with God and our neighbors

But 2,000 years ago the angels were right. There is “peace on earth.” Whether it was in the cave that we saw in Bethlehem or in some other place nearby, the Lord himself came into this world, “making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:20). Your sins have been paid for by the God who became a human being so he could shed his blood for you. In your relationship with God the separation of sin has been removed. There is peace.

That peace with God creates peace among Christians. “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14). We experienced that peace in Bethlehem. The Palestinian Christian shopkeeper asked if he could pray for us and asked us to pray for him. Our cultural differences were vast, but he recognized us as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Christians from a variety of denominations could not worship together for the sake of a clear confession. Yet their faith was clear by their presence in that Church of the Nativity. We recognized the peace that Jesus brings.