Good News of Great Joy

Introduction:

What’s the best news you’ve ever gotten? Maybe you have gotten the all-clear with a health issue you were struggling with. Some of you may have aced a test you were studying for or gotten a job or promotion you worked hard for.

Some of the greatest news this country got occurred on Nov. 11, 1918 when newspaper headlines all over the world rang out that “War is Now Over.” This day would go down in history as Armistice Day, now called Veteran’s Day, to commemorate the end of one of the deadliest wars in world history, World War I. It was called the Great War because it was supposed to be the “war to end all wars.” People were drafted and sent overseas to fight in muddy trenches and face all of the cruelties of war.

There are some incredible stories that came out of the war surrounding Christmas, like the truce that was declared on Christmas where the Allies and the Germans went and played soccer and sang Christmas Carols and traded gifts in “no-man’s land” in between the trenches one Christmas. But the greatest news of all was when the declaration was made that the war was over.

We’ve since had several other major world wars and will continue to have them until Jesus returns, but there was another type of announcement that was made around what we would call the first Christmas, a little over 2,000 years ago. This morning, we are going to look at that announcement of “good news and great joy” that was proclaimed by some very special messengers. Let’s take a look.

Luke 2:8–20 ESV

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 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. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Pray

1. The Situation: Separated from God (v.8)

Shepherds were out in the field watching their flocks by night near Bethlehem

There were caves in the region that were often used to house the animals at night

There is conflicting information about the status of the shepherds, but a lot of scholars believe that they were considered ceremonially unclean and would not have been allowed to be in the temple

There is a message in the fact that the angels came to the outcast and lowly. The gospel is not just for the elite in palaces or high up in society. The gospel is for everyone.

The word gospel means “good news.” To have good news that means that often you have to first have bad news, and that is certainly the case for us here.

Just like the shepherds, we are separated from God’s holiness and presence by our sin

We were essentially at war with God and fighting a losing battle

The next thing that happened is that God sent some messenger to declare that there had been victory in this war with sin

2. The Message: A Savior Has Been Born (vv.9-13)

The angels appear with the glory of God (a reflection of his holiness) around them and this causes the shepherds to fear and tremble

Friends, there will be great fear and trembling on that terrible last day when there will not be the glory of angels that makes us fall down, but the glory and holiness of God himself. Those not in Jesus will not be able to stand before Him

The angel declares that this is not a message of judgment, but of peace. Contrast the appearing of this angel with the appearing of the Angel of the Lord in David’s time who held the flaming sword in his hand and was about to slay the city of Jerusalem

The message was a message of good news and great joy

A Savior has been born - Jesus - the One who will take away the sins of man and save us from our war with God. He is the only One who can make an armistice with God possible

This message of hope was not just for the Jews, but for all people, just like these shepherds who were so insignificant that no one in society would take notice of them

The sign that they had indeed found the right baby would be that he would be wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger

3. The Results: Glory to God (vv. 13-20)

Heaven declared the praises of God - a multitude of the heavenly host appeared (host is also another word for armies)

The shepherds themselves praise God when they find things were just as they were told

Mary praises God and treasures these things in her heart

The shepherds go and share the message with others

Conclusion:

At the end of the Great War, the media’s job was to go and share the good news with everyone they could that the war was over. There was no longer a need to live in hostility. I’m sure that people were overjoyed. I’m sure that these newspapers wanted to print as many as they could and let as many people know as possible that there was great news for the country and the world. It wouldn’t have been hard to share that news with anyone because it was truly incredible news!

So why then is it so hard for us to share the news about Jesus? The news about Him is better than the end to any war. It is the end to the spiritual war that has eternal consequences for all of us. It is the declaration of peace with God and man who will trust in Jesus.