The Announcement of a King

I bring you glad tidings of great joy

The phrase “glad tidings” that our Bibles use is a translation of one Greek word- evangelizo- it is the root of the word “evangelize.” For those of you that were with us for our series we just finished “Harvest” you will remember that evangelism is the act of proclaiming the good news of Jesus. In fact, the root of evangelizo is evangelion- the word we translate into “the Gospel”

The phrase that is used can literally be translated- I am here to tell you the news about Jesus. This angel is essentially the first evangelist- he is Billy Graham before Billy was around!

It is important to remember that the message of the angels that day was more than just Jesus was born. There are many more implications at play here than just the birth of a baby. No, the prophecies and promises that were at work here were about much more than that.

Isiah 7:14 tells us exactly what was coming that day “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Immanuel- God with us! This is the good news- God came to you so that you can get to God!

This quote from Tim Keller is spot on: "Christmas is the end of thinking you are better than someone else, because Christmas is telling you that you could never get to heaven on your own. God had to come to you."

The Good News of the Gospel that day was the announcement that God had come to Earth to settle a problem with sin. The echo the angel on that night was not just about that day- it was about the rest of human history. The world was about to flip upside down.

And this news will be the cause of GREAT JOY! There is a reason why the world snaps into holly jolly mode for the weeks surrounding Christmas, and no sooner do we say “happy new year” it snaps back into a dog eat dog society. because joy for people who do not know Jesus is placed in temporal things. So if the joy we feel is connected to trees, lights, and presents- then as soon as the decorations go back into the attic or the presents get put away the joy will fade. That is why this is good news- Jesus is eternal!

I told you last week that we love Christmas- especially Christmas music- at the Prater home. But there are a few Christmas songs that really do not resound with me- and one of them is the famous “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams. Why? Because all of the reasons he lists for Christmas being the best are temporal and transient. Yes, Christmas brings joy- but that joy is connected to the gift of Jesus on Earth. If we are Christians we carry that joy with us every day all year long.

That will be for all people

The next thing the angels said to the shepherds is as wide as the Earth and as long as eternity. This holy announcement was for all people.

I get a kick out of those lawyer commercials that come on the TV at night. Some guy gets on and tell you about some horrible situation or some horrible medical condition. Something like “If you took _______ between the years of 2015 an 2018 and you grew a second head- call us, we can help get you money fast!”

Here’s the thing, that good news- if you can even call it good news- is for such a distinctly defined group- such a small fraction of people- that sometimes I wonder if it is really worth paying for a TV ad.

Think about it, there is almost no such thing as universal good news. 0% financing is only good news if you can afford a new car;

But the announcement of the angels that night was for ALL people. Every. Single. One. Why? Because there is a universal need for a savior because we all have sin…every one of us.

And this news is good for every person across human history. Jess will tell you that I am the king of zip ties and duct tape. We are so busy and have so much going on most days that if something breaks it usually does not get immediate attention- its gets duct tape and zip ties to hold it together until I can fix it properly later- and some projects even get duct tape and zip ties multiple times because it takes me so long to get to them.

But the birth, death, and Resurrection of Jesus was not a temporary solution.

It was not a generational solution

It was not a time sensitive solution.

This was THE solution- which is why we celebrate Jesus’ birth 2000 years later.

Peace on Earth; goodwill to men

Christmas is about a lot of things; in fact if we were to go through the church today and ask each person who write down what word associated with Christmas brings them the most comfort we might get 100 different words.

We might get joy; love; family; all kinds of word- but the most important word in my opinion- and I think from a Biblical perspective- is peace.

Because peace- Biblical peace- is about more than the absence of war or conflict. Peace is about relational wholeness- most importantly relational wholeness with God.

Colossians 1:19-20 lay it out for us in this way: For it pleased the Father that in Jesus should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

The arrival of Jesus on Earth brings peace- not because he was a cute cuddly baby; but because he would become a crucified King.

And let’s not forget this peace is more than just “being nice.” When we declare peace on Earth we are talking about something completely different than niceness.

Peace on Earth is about more than saying merry Christmas to our neighbors, or being happy in the stores; it is about more than dropping change into a red kettle; or anything like that. Peace on Earth is about relational wholeness with God that empowers our relationship with one another.

Bob Mumford once said it this way “"Peace with God brings the peace of God. It is a peace that settles our nerves, fills our mind, floods our spirit and, in the midst of the uproar around us, gives us the assurance that everything is all right."

Why? Because we have a God that has extended goodwill to mankind- we serve a benevolent God.

Think of it, our God operates from the seat of benevolence- in other words our God’s default attitude is kindness. Titus 3:3-6 tells us of our God’s kindness:

Titus 3:3–6 ESV

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

When God saw our sin he responded with benevolence. Benevolence can be defined as working for charity instead of profit. When someone works in benevolence they are laying all things down for the good of the other. It is using the power and resources you possess and using them for the good of someone else.

Our God is the best example of goodwill- he is the picture of benevolence.

Can I tell you, my family has seen benevolence this week. As my sister and her family have been in their greatest hour of need we have seen people pour love and grace, kindness over them. Some of the people they have never met! This week our family has seen what God looks like in the actions of others. Because every dollar, every gift, every resource that has been given to them this week has been given with nothing offered in return- it has truly been good will.

That is the kind of God that we serve, friends. That is who our God is. The challenge at hand is that many people paint a picture of a mean, angry, vengeful God- and nothing, NOTHING could be further from the truth.

Have you heard about Pocket God? It’s one of the top-selling video game applications for Apple’s iPhone. Here’s the game description found on iTunes:

"What kind of god would you be? Benevolent or vengeful? Play Pocket God and discover the answer within yourself. On a remote island, you are the all-powerful god that rules over the primitive islanders. You can bring new life, and then take it away just as quickly."

Seeing that game options include throwing islanders into volcanoes, using islanders as shark bait, bowling for islanders with a large rock, or creating earthquakes to destroy the islanders’ villages, designers seem to think players will only want to play the role of a vengeful god--which must mean they think that’s the only kind of god players can ever imagine being real.

This is the announcement of our King, and it is the announcement we are called to carry still today.