“Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people….”
Luke 2:10
It’s that time of the year again, and the air is filled with excitement; Christmas is around the corner. Many of us are already dreaming of a white Christmas, extended time with family and friends, turkey and ham dinners, eggnog, cookies, Christmas stockings hanging above the fireplace, yule logs burning brightly and Christmas gifts are beginning to collect under the beautiful Christmas tree we put up this year. Aaaaah, such anticipation!
For some though, Christmas is a time of deep sorrow. Perhaps it is the first Christmas without a loved one, or there’s just no money to do the extra things you’d like to do for the family, or even worse, Christmas may be a time of extreme loneliness because of the realization that while all the fun and preparation is happening around you, you are all alone, disconnected from friends and family during this special time of the
year.
When the angel appeared to the shepherds in the fields, he said, “Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people…(Luke 2:10),” and these words gave the shepherds great joy and hope, that the promised Messiah they had been waiting for, for hundreds of years had been born. This was no ordinary child. This was Mary’s promised child, Jesus (Luke 1:31); this was Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23) who had come for all people.
And this is what Christmas means, that the Savior has come so we might no longer be terrified of sin or death. He has come to free us from the fear and anxiety of daily life. He has come to give us healing and strength. He has come to give us an unquenchable joy by showing his great love for us. He has come to reconcile us to God, by paying a debt we could not pay, and because of him, we are not alone. This is the great news of Christmas. Like the shepherds, we can rejoice because Jesus came for us! He chose us, and he is here with us, with you, this Christmas and for all eternity.
Loving God, thank you for coming down from heaven to live among men, so that I might be saved from sin and death. Invade my heart once again this Christmas, and help me shine your light daily, constantly so that others might be saved. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
“Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people….”
Luke 2:10