Good Tidings of Great Joy

You may recognize the words in this blog title as coming from the New Testament. They are found in Luke 2:10. "Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord'" (Luke 2:10,11).

The birth of Christ was and is the ultimate good news story. The angel's announcement to the shepherd was indeed good tidings of great joy. The world that Jesus came into and the world of today needs some good news.

Years ago, bad news and good news jokes were very popular. One that I remember goes like this. A man came up to another man and said, "I've got some back news for you. You know that brand new Cadilac that you just bought!" "Yeah, what about it! "It just went off of a cliff and it's totally demolished. "Oh, no! It can't be!" "But I have some good news, your mother-in-law was driving it."(Please do not boo me. It's just a joke. Besides, my mother-in-law was a great lady.)

The good news, bad news scenario is as old as the Garden of Eden. The good news of the Garden of Eden was that God created a paradise for Adam and Eve. They lived in innocence. Everything they needed was supplied by God. The bad news of the Garden of Eden is that Satan entered and deceived Adam and Eve. Since that tragic fall, our whole world has been a sad mixture of good and bad news.

Recently, we have heard the words "fake news" all too often. Former President Donald Trump did not invent these words, but he popularized them. In my opinion, "fake news" is a convenient term to use when you don't want to answer question, you don't want to be held responsible and accountable for your actions or non-actions or you want to advance some ideology.

The good news of the birth of Christ that the angel announced to the shepherds is not a mixture of good news and bad news and certainly, it is not "fake news." It is the greatest news that has ever been announced.

The good news of the birth of Christ is greater than all the dark clouds that may appear on the horizon of our lives. The tragedies that liter our existence on this planet may break our hearts and bring anguish to our lives, but they cannot overwhelm the good news of the birth of Christ. The hatred, division, partisanship and rhetoric that sometimes dominate our interactions and relationships cannot silence the good news of the birth of Christ.

Let make sure we celebrate the good news of the birth of Christ as we go through another Christmas season. Sing loudly the words of the song "Victory in Jesus" that says, "I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory..." and tell others the story. Many who have heard the story have not responded in repentance and faith.

Praise God for the good tidings of great joy that announced the good news of the birth of Christ. Celebrate it!