{"id":44517,"date":"2022-12-13T09:05:33","date_gmt":"2022-12-13T15:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mbcpathway.com\/?p=44517"},"modified":"2022-12-14T08:35:48","modified_gmt":"2022-12-14T14:35:48","slug":"tidings-of-great-joy-proclaimed-at-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mbcpathway.com\/2022\/12\/13\/tidings-of-great-joy-proclaimed-at-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Tidings of great joy\u2019 proclaimed at Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Dec. 9, 1965, nearly half of the nation\u2019s viewership watched what WORLD Magazine reporter Maryrose Delahunty called \u201cone of the most memorable monologues in television history<\/a>: an account of Christ\u2019s birth, recited word for word from the Gospel of Luke.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Since that time, many families have added to their annual holiday celebrations this memorable monologue \u2013 spoken by Linus in the now classic show, A Charlie Brown Christmas<\/i>. Few traditions stir the Christmas spirit in me more than hearing Linus recite these words from Luke 2:9-11:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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 \u201cgood, merry, glad and joyful tidings, that maketh a man\u2019s heart glad, and maketh him sing, dance, and leap for joy.\u201d When a man hears this good news about Jesus, Tyndale adds, \u201che cannot but be glad and laugh from the low bottom of his heart, if he believe that the tidings are true.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Too often, however, we treat this gospel of \u201cgreat joy\u201d 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let me be more specific:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Because of our sinful disobedience and rebellion against God, we were justly subject to God\u2019s wrath. But Jesus has appeased God\u2019s wrath and won God\u2019s favor for us. This is what it means for Jesus to be our \u201cpropitiation\u201d or \u201catoning sacrifice\u201d (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2) and the \u201cLamb of God that takes away the sins of the world\u201d (John 1:29).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 In our unrighteousness and depravity, we were filled with guilt and shame, but Jesus justified us on the cross \u2013 clearing our guilt and shame, gaining for us forgiveness and God\u2019s pardon for our sin and graciously giving us His own righteousness. This is what it means for Jesus to be our \u201crighteousness\u201d or \u201cjustification.\u201d Jesus is the one who \u201cjustifies\u201d those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:21-26; Romans 5:1).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 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).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 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\u2019s servants and friends, but rather \u2013 by His amazing grace \u2013 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).<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, for those of us who repent and believe these glad tidings, there\u2019s more good news still:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 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\u2019s resurrection and fills us with love and with hope for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the message of \u201cgreat joy\u201d that, in short, the angel\u2019s proclaimed to their audience of shepherds more than 2,000 years ago. And, as Linus first told Charlie Brown in 1965, \u201cThat\u2019s what Christmas is all about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Too often, we treat this gospel of \u201cgreat joy\u201d as if it were 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":43892,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_wpscp_schedule_draft_date":"","_wpscp_schedule_republish_date":"","_wpscppro_advance_schedule":false,"_wpscppro_advance_schedule_date":"","_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_selected_social_profile":[]},"categories":[37,5,8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Tidings of great joy\u2019 proclaimed at Christmas<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Too often, we treat this gospel of \u201cgreat joy\u201d as if it were humdrum. 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