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Good News of Great Joy


“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’”
Luke 2:10-11

            The story of Christmas is a key part in the gospel and is more marvelous and incredible than any work of fiction. Yet many times Christmas seems like old news to us and while we enjoy the season, the story of God coming to earth and being born as a man does not seem to captivate us and cause us to rejoice as much as it should. I see this in myself; it is so easy to get distracted at this time of year. So, let us take time to look at the good news of Christmas and the joy it should bring those who have been born again, and let us praise and glorify God for it.

            The angels came bearing good news. This good news is the gospel which simply means “good news”. And this is the good news: a Savior was born. He would be called Jesus, for he would “save His people from their sin.” (Matthew 1:21) The angels said that this child was a Savior who is the Christ (the Messiah). The Jews had awaited this Christ for many years, and now He was here! Still, this child was not only a Savior and the Christ, but He was also the Lord; He was God. Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel,” which means “God with us”. Jesus is God, yet He humbled Himself and became a man! Paul says in Philippians 2 that even “though [Jesus] was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8) He came, not to overthrow the Romans, but to die. He did not come as a conquering king, but as child. And this child would grow up like a young plant. He would have no form or majesty that we should look at Him nor would he have any beauty that we should desire Him. He would be despised and rejected, a man of sorrows well acquainted with grief, for He would bear our grief and carry our sorrows. He would be wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. We had all gone astray like sheep. Yet the Lord would lay upon Him our iniquities. And by His stripes would we be healed. (Isaiah 53) Those who turn to Jesus, the Savior who is Christ the Lord, repenting of their sins will be saved. How amazing is the grace of God, that He would send His Son to bear our sin! Jesus came so that we might be saved; and this is the gospel, the good news.

            This news that the angels brought was not just good news, but good news of great joy, joy that stems from the good news. A Savior has come and brought redemption and we who know Him should rejoice in the salvation He has brought us. John Calvin comments on this passage saying, “By calling it great joy, he shows us, not only that we ought, above all things, to rejoice in the salvation brought us by Christ, but that this blessing is so great and boundless, as fully to compensate for all the pains, distresses, and anxieties of the present life. Let us learn to be so delighted with Christ alone, that the perception of his grace may overcome, and at length remove from us, all the distresses of the flesh.” So let us rejoice in Christ and be delighted with Him alone, especially in this season. But what does this joy look like? How do we rejoice in Christ? Again, before can rejoice in Jesus we must understand something of the good news of redemption. We must also realize that joy is not a mere fleeting feeling, but rather a state of the heart and mind that is lasting. To rejoice in Christ is to delight in Christ and to have pleasure in Christ that is not momentary but lasting. To have more joy in Christ, we must know Him more. We must also understand more of His work of grace and mercy. If you wish to have more joy in Christ this Christmas (as we all should), take time to open the Word of God and read the Christmas story and  read of the work of Christ on the cross. Cry out to God for more understanding. Maybe, instead of spending an evening watching a classic Christmas movie, spend it reading and meditating on the birth and work of Christ. This will help your joy in Christ grow.

            As the shepherds we should praise and glorify God for this good news of great joy. The shepherds reacted to this news by making haste to see the Christ-child. Luke 2:15-16 says, “When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.” The shepherds did not seem to doubt the angels, but trusted their message, making haste to see the child. They did not doubt like Zechariah did in Luke 1 when an angel told him he would have a son in his old age. May we, like the shepherds, have faith in the promises God has given us in His Word. After seeing Jesus, the Shepherds left proclaiming what they had seen and heard, praising and glorifying God. “And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:17-20) As we see Christ in the scriptures we should come away glorifying and praising God as the Shepherds did. When we see the grace of God in Christmas, may we praise and glorify God for it, and not only on Christmas but every day! So, our joy in Christ should result in worshiping Him and praising and glorifying His holy Name, for He is infinitely worthy of our worship! 

            So meditate on the gospel this Christmas. Remember the good news of the grace of God! And if you have never turned to Christ and believed on Him, may today be the day: Turn to Him! Rejoice in the gospel and in Christ, and glorify and praise God for His grace. All of this may seem like old news, but let it sink in again. Even though we may have heard the Christmas story thousands of times, may it not be old news to us, but good news of great joy as fresh and meaningful as ever, causing us to praise and glorify God.
           
              

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