Seth Udinski, FISM News
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
If you have grown up in the church, or at least grew up somewhat connected to a Christian culture, you understand that verse from Luke 2 is at the heart of the Christmas narrative. The angels appeared to the shepherds not to deliver them a message of doom and gloom, but one of “good tidings” as the King James calls it. This is a message of good news of great joy.
But why? Why is the birth of Jesus Christ such good news? And why should it fill us with great joy? Perhaps your heart has grown calloused to the Nativity story, coming back to it at the end of every year after another year of hardship, trials, and pain. Perhaps Christmas has become more to you about getting a break from everyday life than it is about the Savior of the world. Perhaps you, like so many in history, have chalked up the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ to a story of myth and fantasy, no different than Santa Claus or Peter Pan or Narnia.
But friends, this is truly good news of great joy. In fact, it is the best news a person could ever hear. This Christmas, let’s discover the beautiful truth of why we should take great joy in this good news.
The reason why we should take great joy in Christmas is because it is true. It really happened. Eyewitness accounts and biblical evidence proves it. It is miraculous, yes, that a baby could be born of a virgin. But it is even more miraculous that a perfect God would love wicked sinners. That leads to the second point as to why we should take joy in Christmas.
The good news of Christmas is especially good because of the bad news. Good news is especially good when told in context of bad news. What is this bad news? Romans 3:10 -11 tells us,
As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
You and I are hopelessly lost without God. We deserve wrath and spiritual death, eternal separation from God. This is not because God is evil, that He punishes sinners for their wrongdoings. It is because He is good.
He is good indeed, but He is also merciful. God delights in saving sinners, and this is why Christmas means anything. At Christmas, the great rescue plan of God to bring sinners back to Himself was set in motion with the birth of the One who would save them. Jesus was born in Bethlehem to die at Calvary. He was born in Bethlehem to rise again and crush the head of the serpent. He was born in Bethlehem to save His people and glorify His Father.
This is the good news of Christmas. This is the message that we hope you receive and believe this year, that Christ came and died to take away your sin. You will receive salvation and eternal life with Him if you simply repent of your sins and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
May you experience this good news of great joy this Christmas, and may the Lord Jesus Christ fill your heart with hope as you remember His first coming and wait eagerly for His second coming.
From all of us here at FISM News, God bless you and Merry Christmas to you.
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! – Revelation 22:20