FRIDAY 25th
Luke 2:8-20
(vv10-11) ‘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 Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.’
Happy Christmas to you all
News of the birth would have soon gotten around the stable and the inn to which the stable belonged, it would have soon trickled out into the rest of the city of Bethlehem, after all how often have you heard of a baby being born in a stable!
But the news was not only for Bethlehem, remember the child was born to be the Saviour of the world, it was good news for everyone, and the news needed to get out. And so the angels have a job to do, they need to herald the good news and they choose to do it by appearing to some shepherds out on the hillside, away from the hustle and bustle, minding their own business while minding their sheep. These verses are some of the most amazing verses of Scripture for the message the angel brings is ‘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 Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.’
Good news of great joy – which is for all the people! 2020 has been the year when we have all needed good news, but in reality every year is the year when the world needs good news, and thus as we celebrate the first advent it is an opportunity for us who have heard and received the good news to sound it out once again, that a Saviour has been born who is Christ the Lord.
The world might say to us ‘leave us alone, we are quietly minding our own business, we don’t need your religion, we don’t need you to spout your nonsense’ but the truth is this, it is far from nonsense, it isn’t religion, it is something they need to hear, for it is good news of great joy for all people, and unless we sound it out, unless we make it known how will they hear! And thank God for the angels appearing to the shepherds and thank God for every opportunity he gives us to herald out the message, a Saviour has come, and his name is Jesus.
The narrative here ends with the Shepherds going and finding out that it was as the angels had reported, it says that they ‘made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child’ may we also make it known, that others may in turn find out and then themselves become heralds of the good news.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled.”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With th’angelic host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ by highest heav’n adored,
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”