On Dec. 9, 1965, nearly half of the nation’s viewership watched what WORLD Magazine reporter Maryrose Delahunty called “one of the most memorable monologues in television history: an account of Christ’s birth, recited word for word from the Gospel of Luke.”
Since that time, many families have added to their annual holiday celebrations this memorable monologue – spoken by Linus in the now classic show, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Few traditions stir the Christmas spirit in me more than hearing Linus recite these words from Luke 2:9-11:
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
“And the angel said unto them, 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.”
This angelic proclamation was nothing less than the gospel that we proclaim today. This gospel, according to early English Bible translator William Tyndale, is defined as “good, merry, glad and joyful tidings, that maketh a man’s heart glad, and maketh him sing, dance, and leap for joy.” When a man hears this good news about Jesus, Tyndale adds, “he cannot but be glad and laugh from the low bottom of his heart, if he believe that the tidings are true.”
Too often, however, we treat this gospel of “great joy” as if it were prosaic, even humdrum. This should not be so. For this gospel is the good news, the glad tidings, the joyous message that the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, was born to us, that He dwelt with us and that, through His death and resurrection, He has dealt once and for all with the consequences of our sins.
Let me be more specific:
• Because of our sinful disobedience and rebellion against God, we were justly subject to God’s wrath. But Jesus has appeased God’s wrath and won God’s favor for us. This is what it means for Jesus to be our “propitiation” or “atoning sacrifice” (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2) and the “Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).
• In our unrighteousness and depravity, we were filled with guilt and shame, but Jesus justified us on the cross – clearing our guilt and shame, gaining for us forgiveness and God’s pardon for our sin and graciously giving us His own righteousness. This is what it means for Jesus to be our “righteousness” or “justification.” Jesus is the one who “justifies” those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:21-26; Romans 5:1).
• We were enslaved to the power of sin and under the dominion of darkness and of the devil, but Jesus rescued us and made us free citizens of His kingdom of light. This is what it means for Jesus to be our redeemer, the One who freed us from slavery to sin (Colossians 1:13).
• By our sinful rebellion, we broke our relationship with our loving Creator and became His enemies. But Jesus has reconciled us with God by His death, so that we can now become not only God’s servants and friends, but rather – by His amazing grace – we can even become the children of God. This is what it means for Jesus to be our reconciliation and peace (Romans 5:6-11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
These amazing benefits come to all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, asking God to forgive them for their sin and rebellion and, in faith, accepting the gracious gift of salvation granted to them only through Jesus Christ, by His death and resurrection.
And, for those of us who repent and believe these glad tidings, there’s more good news still:
• Since by faith we are one with Christ Jesus, God has poured out upon us His Spirit, who teaches us and enables us to walk in the power of Christ’s resurrection and fills us with love and with hope for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• When our risen Lord and King Jesus returns in His glory, He will usher in a new heaven and new earth. Making all things new, He will wipe away all the hatred, suffering, sorrow, futility, brokenness and death experienced in this present evil age, and He will restore God’s perfect design for His creation. He will also raise us from death, and we will live with Him forever in abundant love, peace and joy.
This is the message of “great joy” that, in short, the angel’s proclaimed to their audience of shepherds more than 2,000 years ago. And, as Linus first told Charlie Brown in 1965, “That’s what Christmas is all about.”