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Christmas - Good News of Great Joy

Luke 2:8 In the same region there were [some] shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

This familiar passage of the Christmas Season encapsulates the meaning of Christmas: the birth of Jesus, the incarnation of Christ, the Savior who would lay down His life for the sins of man and bear the judgement of God on their behalf.

As I recently read it to my children we discussed the fear that the shepherds felt as the angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of God shone around them. They were terrified. Why? The awesome power and might of the Creator, evidenced in His glory, provokes fear in the minds of mortals who stand before Him draped in the guilt of sin. God is holy and righteous, He is a God of justice who pours out His wrath on the wicked. Isaiah realized this as angels appeared before him,

“Isa 6:3. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." 4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. 5 Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

As a sinner, a man of unclean lips, he anticipated certain judgement from the One and Holy God and could not stand in His presence without the expectation of death. Similar expectations are seen in the response of Daniel, Ezekiel and John as they experienced the presence of God. In Gen. 32 Jacob wonders, and is thankful, that he had seen God face to face, and yet his life was preserved. These follow the example of Adam, who fellowshipped with God but hid himself from God's presence after sinning.

The fear felt by the shepherd, having tasted the glory of God, was not irrational. It was sane, and if anything, not intense enough. Man is depraved; sin has tainted and corrupted every aspect of His being. God is perfect and infinite, an all powerful and righteous judge who abhors the filth of sin and wickedness. All men have sinned and fallen short of the glory God, and all men deserve God's judgement

With the understanding of their own depravity and the expectation of judgement from God the shepherds were rightly terrified. They deserved God’s judgement and knew it.

However, instead of judgement they received mercy. The angel of the Lord proclaimed the coming of the Savior, who would deliver them from the judgement of God by cleansing them of their sin. They were to be liberated, set free from the slavery of sin and the sentence of death. The Savior had come and with Him good news of great joy.

This is the message of grace we celebrate as we consider that incarnation of Christ. As those who deserved condemnation we received blessing, as those who deserved death we received life. “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. “

Posted by tim at December 21, 2004 11:20 PM

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