December 19, 20109 GOOD NEWS OF A GREAT JOY
Luke 2:8-10,14 “And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night. And as angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. And the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people.’” ‘”Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’”
Because of familiarity, it is possible, if not likely, that we read verses surrounding the birth of Jesus with a ‘ho-hum’ approach-like ‘I know all about the birth of Jesus.’ It is good that we know about His birth, but at the same time, we need to not lose the freshness, the glory, and the impact of the Son of God being born in a lowly manger-the story should never grow old to us. In all of human history, starting with Adam and Eve, this one event, the birth of Jesus, is the single greatest event of all times. The birth of Jesus, and the sinless life He lived and His giving of Himself as the sacrifice for the sins of man, is the one thing that reconciled man to God. The birth of Jesus meant that mankind was not doomed to be separated from God and doomed for hail, but instead, could enjoy fellowship with God in this life, and spend eternity with God. The birth of Jesus, was not just celebrated on earth, but it brought ‘Glory to God in the highest.’ The ‘good news of great joy’ was that man could now be reconciled to God-and that is indeed great news for you and me. It is difficult, if not impossible, to comprehend God becoming man in the person of Jesus-that Mary actually carried the Son of God in her womb! Someone put this in real life perspective and gave a clear picture of God becoming a man when they made the statement that ‘Jesus at one time wore diapers.’ Man did not find God; man was lost, but God reached down to man. So it is with us, we cannot find God or work our way to Him; only by receiving Jesus as the Son of God who came to redeem us, can we be reconciled to God. If not careful, we can let the cares of this world, the disappointments, and etc. rob us of the good news that the angels proclaimed to all mankind. Note the phrase in the verse above-“peace among men with whom He is pleased.” God is not against us, it is not His desire to rob us of life; He loves us and His desire is that we experience the abundant life that comes only from Him; the life Adam and Eve enjoyed before the fall is the life that God had in mind. By rejecting God, man sentences himself to a life separated from God and all of His blessings. Whatever our circumstances may be at the present, let us focus on the really good news-that Jesus, the Son of God, took on flesh and blood, was born in a stable, lived a sinless life and gave His life for you and I that our sins might be forgiven and that we might enjoy a relationship with Him-that is what Christmas is all about. Let us enjoy the season of joy and celebration, the season of giving-not just at Christmas, but as a way of life.
Luke 2:11 “Today, in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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