What’s the message we receive at Christmas time? Unfortunately, from the time we’ve been little kids, we’ve been told that if we are not good, we won’t receive any toys from Santa Clause. I can personally attest to the fact that that is not true!
Nevertheless, the messaging is that you must be good in order to receive toys from Santa Clause. He has a good list and a naughty list and you definitely want to be on the good list. We were worried about being judged by Santa Clause since the time we were tiny tots.
That’s the “fake news!” The truly good news is that God has given the entire world a gift…His good will! Furthermore, His good will toward humankind relies neither on the goodness, nor the wickedness of humankind. He sends us a message of His good will in the Christmas story recorded in the Bible. We find this truth written in the book of Luke, the second chapter:
- 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
- 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
What does it mean to say, “God’s good will toward men?”
- It means that He has Good intentions toward us, to love us, and find us unharmed.
- It means that He wants the best for all of humankind.
We find that this good will is written about in another part of the Bible, in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:
- NLT Ephesians 1:5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
So, when this Christmas announcement is made by the Angel and the heavenly hosts of “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ……… Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” …the announcement was that of the inauguration of God’s light entering the world in a living, personal way for the first time since Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden. God is announcing that he is proactively engaging His creation with a plan to make it good again; to bring renewal. The message from on heaven on high is that God is actively taking steps to save His creation…to redeem it!
The announcement, of course, is speaking about Jesus, who John calls the light of the world. Jesus was about to be born—that is, the fullness of God in the form of man—entering the dark, wicked, godless world with a glorious plan to shine brightly once again in the hearts of those who would receive this simple, yet profound message… “God has sought us out…He has come to us…setting aside His righteous wrath for an appointed time …God has come to share with us, instead, how much He loves us…He has come to provide a way out of the eternal mess we got ourselves into!
Sticky Statement: God is WITH us, FOR us, and IN us.
God is WITH us:
- ESV Matthew 1:22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
- ESV Hebrews 13:5 …. he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
- Never is long time (or it is no time at all)!
- NLT Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
- ESV John 14:23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
This is the good news of the gospel! This is what the angels and the heavenly hosts were talking about as they announced the advent of Jesus!
God is FOR us:
- ESV John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
- While Jesus has judged and will judge all the living and dead…ESV 1 Corinthians 10; ESV 2 Timothy 4:1, today is the day of salvation!
- Sin is no longer an obstacle to become reunited to God…He has given us a moratorium…a reprieve against the paying the price of our due penalty for sin…sin no longer has power over us, its guilt no longer controls us…and its consequences no longer apply to us in the next age (those who believe and abide in Him)…
Remember God is for you!
God is in us:
- ESV 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
- NLT Ephesians 3:17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
This is the Good News of which the Angel and Heavenly Hosts were declaring!
Merry Christmas!