Great Joy
It was late. A fire cast its flickering light into the night, as if feebly swatting at the thick darkness which engulfed the field. There was a faint whiffling sound of sleeping sheep, occasionally punctuated by the louder snores of their keepers.
One man stood watch, listening intently for any sound of approaching danger. He looked up at the massive field of stars above, each twinkling in its place, far too many to even think of counting. The shepherd looked back down at the fire, crackling out its circle of light.
Just then, a light such as the shepherd had never seen before burst out of the starry sky, flooding the field with brightness. As his fellow shepherds awoke, the watchman fell to the ground in terror. There before them in the flood of glory was an angel!
As the terrified shepherds cowered on the ground, the angel began to speak:
“Fear not; for, behold I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11)
* * * *
The account of Christ’s birth in Luke 2 is a favorite passage of mine. I have read it and listened to others read it so many times over the years, I have nearly the whole chapter memorized. But that old saying about God’s Word being inexhaustible is so true. This year, as I read through the chapter, I particularly noticed the angel’s message.
“Fear not”
Have you ever noticed that this is typically the first thing out of an angel’s mouth when bringing a message from the Lord? The sudden appearance of an angel must be an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight!
Before the shepherds could be attentive to the angel’s message, their fear had to be addressed. This heavenly visitor wasn’t there as an ambassador of woe or bearing tidings of impending doom: it came bearing good news. There was nothing for the shepherds to fear. In fact, the angel’s message meant the end of fear for those who choose to accept the gift the Savior had been born to offer.
“for behold I bring you tidings of great joy”
I wonder how much joy those shepherds would have experienced in their lives up to that point. They lived in the midst of a culture that despised shepherds, viewing them as the lowest of the low. Perhaps one or two of them had become cynical, and wondered, What can joy possibly have to do with me?
Perhaps you’ve wondered that. This world we live in is not a place where joy naturally abounds, but that is exactly the reason for the angel’s news. Jesus said,
“These things have I spoken unto you that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (John 15:11)
The birth of the Savior not only made the way for joy here on earth, the sacrifice which Christ was born to make on our behalf purchased the restoration of our relationship with God and made the way for unimaginable, never-ending, untarnished joy in eternity to come.
“which shall be to all people”
The Bible doesn’t tell us much about these shepherds, but perhaps that’s the point: they were just shepherds: ordinary, mundane, working-class people. No prestige, no social standing, no power or wealth. But the great joy of the Savior was for all, from kings and emperors on their thrones right down to the lowly shepherds, the lowest of the low. The joy of Christmas is for all.
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have or have not done. It does not matter what kind of presents sit beneath your tree or even whether or not you have anyone to exchange gifts with: all that matters is that Jesus was born for you.
He left the glory and perfection of heaven and humbled Himself, choosing be born as a helpless baby so that He might live a sinless life and die a horrible death to pay for your sin. Then, He raised Himself from the dead, proving that it was done.
The joy of Christmas is forgiveness, purchased for all mankind and freely offered to each person individually. If you have accepted the gift of forgiveness, this great joy is yours! Though life be hard, though trials multiply on every side, nothing can change the joyful fact that our sins have been forgiven. That joy is always there, if only we will remember to fix our eyes on Jesus.