159 The Advent of the King: Joy
In the beloved telling of the Christmas story in Luke 2, the angel gives this amazing message: “Don’t be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (vs. 10-11)
Good news… of great joy… for all people.
That sounds wonderful, but all you have to do is look at the news today and it seems that we are surrounded by bad news! In our world, in our city, and even in our own lives.
If you find yourself wondering where the good news is, it might interest you to know that the context within which the angels gave their message was to people just like you who lived in a world not much different from yours. For example, then as now…
There were real forces that sought to stifle the good news.
This Christmas story was set in a specific historical context. There were very real tyrants ruling in a world that was characterized by violence, oppression, and perversion.
The angel’s message of good news came right in the midst of all the bad news. It didn’t deny that reality; but neither did it surrender to it.
See, God is not afraid of a mess. He came to a messy, bad-news world. But He didn’t come to simply experience what we experience in that world – though He did. He came to help us walk through that world, make a difference in that world, and ultimately to take us out of that world.
There were real faces that struggled to believe the good news.
This message of good news of great joy came to shepherds. Shepherds in that day were nomadic, poor outcasts. They epitomized the least and the last.
It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, what you’ve done, or how others might view you. It doesn’t matter how hardened you’ve become, or how soured you might be that life could ever be different. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve messed up your life or been messed with by others. The fact is there is good news of great joy – for ALL people. And friend, that includes you!
Look at the angel’s message again: “Today… to you… a Savior.”
Today. Christmas joy is present.
To you. Christmas joy is personal.
A Savior. Christmas joy is powerful.
Shepherds were a highly suspicious lot. They didn’t trust easily. You have to wonder if they thought all of this wasn’t simply too good to be true. But the angel challenges their doubts by inviting them to make their own investigation.
There were real facts that served to verify the good news.
Only after having investigated the angels’ words for themselves, did the shepherds agree that the evidence was undeniable.
Let me just say to those of you with more questions than answers regarding the event we celebrate and the One we worship: go to Bethlehem. Make your own investigation.
After finding the baby, the shepherds returned to their flocks. Outwardly it appeared that nothing had changed. But inwardly, everything had changed.
Text: Luke 2:1-11
Originally recorded on December 18, 2011, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.