Good Tidings of Great Joy

Luke 2:1-20 On this holy night, as we remember and give thanks to God for our Savior’s birth as the Babe of Bethlehem, we see God’s wisdom guiding the course of history so that his Son would perfectly fulfill all the prophecies that were made about him and we are comforted that God still rules this world for the sake of our eternal salvation. 

We hear the angel’s good news of a Savior who is born and we rejoice that things are right between us and God and that we have peace with God him and a place in his family because our sins are forgiven. 

And like the Shepherds, we feel the Spirit’s call to share that Good News with the world, giving our life meaning and purpose.  Comfort, peace, and joy:  these are the gifts of the ChristChild.  Luke writes that:

…there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 

            You can read about Caesar Augustus and Cyrenius and Herod in history books.  You can visit Bethlehem and Nazareth and Galilee. 

When Luke wrote the biography of our Lord’s life in his Gospel- and the history of the early Christian church in the Book of Acts- he took great pains to show that the story of our salvation happened in real places and times and people. 

What God the Holy Spirit wants us to know is that the story of our Lord’s birth is not a myth or fable—but fact and history.  Paul says that: 

when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Every moment of history.  All of the technological innovations.  The rise and fall of nations-- and the plans of great men—God carefully worked together so that his promise of salvation and plan to make us his children was fulfilled with the birth of his Son in Bethlehem.  Luke writes that while Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem:

…she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

            The Savior of the world that God had promised took on the human flesh of a particular person in a particular place in a particular moment in time: a baby named Jesus, born in Bethlehem, while Caesar Augustus ruled the Roman Empire.

Jesus’ birth was the pivotal moment—and he the pivotal person-- in all of human history.  Everything and everyone ultimately find their meaning and values and purpose in him. 

What the world had been hoping for—praying for—searching for --was accomplished one dark night two thousand years ago as the Savior of the world was born –in- a –shelter- for- animals. 

You would think that such a momentous event and person would be marked by opulence and luxury—but it was not—it was cloaked in the deepest humility.

The humble nature of our Lord’s birth (his peasant mother—a rough manger for a crib—surrounded by barnyard animals) puts flesh and bone on the words of our Lord—that he came not to be served—but to serve—and to give his life as a ransom for men.

His birth in our flesh—his death in our place—and his glorious resurrection has reconciled us to God.  Those are the good tidings of great joy for all people that the angels proclaimed to the shepherds that holy night.  Luke wrote that:

…the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good 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.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 

            Already in these first moments of Jesus’ earthly life the reconciling, redeeming work that Jesus came to accomplish for the world was on full display. 

The angels of heaven tell the Good News of a Savior—to lowly men—and all of heaven rejoiced to see that great chasm of sin and death that separated us from God was bridged by the perfect, holy life of Jesus.

            There is a reason that the Good News of our Lord’s birth was first proclaimed to lowly shepherds.  In that day and time they were the least among men-- and in their humble, lowliness--they are representative of us all. 

We may have all kinds of pretenses—we may regard ourselves as a cut above everyone else—we may look down upon others—but who we truly are-- is who we are in God’s sight.  And God says that, by nature, we are his enemies—by nature we are unworthy of the least of his many gifts—by nature we are the dust of the earth and to the dust we will one day return.

And yet, on this night, God condescends to bestow upon the lowliest- the greatest gift of all—the gift of his Son Jesus—and in the angel’s announcement of this world-changing event, we are promised that this gift of God’s Son is for us too.

No longer do we have to stand before God guilt-ridden and ashamed—no longer does his great glory reveal only our lowliness—but the sign of a baby lying in a manger reveals the peace now exists between us and God.  Luke writes that:

…there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The Father’s saving plan was accomplished-- and just as the multitude of the heavenly host rejoiced that Christmas morning, knowing that the restoration of the world had begun—so do the heavenly hosts still rejoice with singing each time a sinner is restored to their heavenly Father through faith in his Son.  They sang:

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will towards men and these were not just the words to the heavenly anthem sung by the angels at our Lord’s birth-- but they revealed God’s gracious attitude towards man on account of his Son.

God’s true glory is not the shaking of mountains and the roaring of the sea and the fire and lightening of Sinai.  God’s true glory is the newborn baby of Bethlehem and the humble man of Galilee and the dying man of Calvary and because of him we really do have peace with God that passes all understanding. 

Every bit of the precious gift of salvation that is given to us in Jesus, God intends be shared with others.  St. Luke writes that the shepherds:

…came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

God has never promised that an ongoing heavenly choir will proclaim the greatness of his love to every time and place.  That night’s recital was a singular event seen by only a few lowly shepherds. 

And yet the message of that heavenly choir is a message meant by God to continue to ring out throughout the world.  It is a message that he has entrusted to our vices to share with others.

Each Lord’s Day we are invited to do just as the shepherds did—to come and see.  We come into the presence of the Lord and we hear his voice as his Word is preached.  In Holy Absolution we receive the gift of forgiveness that he came to bring.  In Holy Communion we kneel in his presence as he comes to us in bread and wine just as surely as the shepherds kneeled at Jesus’ manger.  We worship him as they did. 

But we do not remain here in the glow of candles while so many around us remain in darkness.  Instead, we go out into the world just like the shepherds did, bearing the Good News that there is grace and peace for all people on account of Jesus.

The Lord has made this Good News known to us and he has entrusted us with the mission to make it known to the world.  Luke writes that Mary:

…pondered [all these things] in her heart.  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen…

            As it was for Mary and the shepherds, so it is for us tonight.  The gift that God has given in his Son Jesus Christ is for each and every one of us.  It is intensely personal.  We know our own sins that need forgiving.  We know our own worries that need comforting.  We know our own burdens that need lifting.  Just like Mary, we ponder in our hearts what Good News it is for us that Christ is born and glorify and praise God for his mercy.

But our individual faith in God’s Son always draws us into a worshiping, witnessing community of believers just like the shepherds—glorifying and praising God for Jesus and sharing that Good News with the world. 

May God grant that this Christmas season will be an opportunity for us to be renewed in our own faith—but also re-committed to the church and her mission in the world.  Amen.