Good News and Great Joy!!!

Merry Christmas to everyone!!! Here is a little Christmas message from us at Therefore Now Ministries!!!!

Luke 2:8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

1. The great company of angels and heavenly host could have appeared to the central leadership in Rome or Jerusalem, but instead appeared to a few obscure shepherds in the scrub outside of the tiny town of Bethlehem. It is likely that they are the kind of people which were ignored or disbelieved when they told their story. Why did God do it this way? I’m not sure. You may feel you are obscure, and that your life is of little consequence, but in the eyes of God you are the kind of person to which He may reveal His great news!

2. This is good news of great joy for all the people! If the message you have been hearing sounds like sour pickle pressure to do better and sacrifice more, that isn’t really good news of great joy is it? Great joy my friends!!!!

3. We often hear that the gospel is not merely a message to be assented to, but a call to commitment and discipleship. All these stupid angels and heavenly hosts didn’t know about that. They just delivered some stupid message and departed. Where was their followup with these shepherds? Don’t they know anything about evangelism?

4. “Today in the town of David a GREAT MORAL TEACHER has been born.” It doesn’t say that! It says a SAVIOR has been born. I don’t need a great moral teacher, I’m screwed up enough even with tepid moral teaching. Great moral teaching just makes me feel worse. The good news of great joy is not more guilt, but salvation! Grace and mercy and eternal love have been proclaimed! We are not a people who have been taught better morals – we are a people who have been SAVED by a great savior! This is good news of a great joy!

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