We should probably acknowledge Linus, and his
creator Charles Schulz, for making these words so familiar. My wife quoted this recently as part of a
Ladies Retreat message, and she said several of the ladies said it with her. Perhaps as much as from A Charlie Brown Christmas, we know these words from reading or
hearing them every Christmas of our lives.
Do they still ring out truth to us?
Do we understand what the angels were, in fact, announcing?
·
The recipients of the announcement. Note carefully: these are not just words for
Judean shepherds; they are “to all people.”
To Israel! To the Gentiles!
·
The stage for the announcement. The greatness of these words is indicated by
the angelic messenger and choir. But
even more so, it is made clear by the appearance of the “glory of the
Lord”. We will consider this in more
detail in a couple of days but for now just remember that God’s glory shone at
such times as the giving of the Law on Sinai and the setting of the ark in both
the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple.
This is one of those kind of moments.
·
The nature of the announcement. Literally, “good tidings of great joy” means
the angel preached the gospel. That is
the good news. This is good news, to know that the Savior
has arrived.
·
It is good after 400 years of seeming silence
since the end of Malachi.
·
It is good after 600 years of Gentile oppression
of Israel, of having no King
in the line of David ruling Israel.
·
It is good after more than 1500 years of endless
sacrifices to know that the Savior who can make atonement once for all has
come.
·
It is good after 2000 years of waiting for God’s
hint that He would send His Son (Gen. 22:14).
Abraham believed God for a son through whom all the nations could be
blessed (Gen. 15:6). That “blessing” had
arrived.
·
It is good after waiting for the entire history
of humanity for God’s solution to the tragic events in the Garden of Eden. He has arrived: a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
·
The invitation in the announcement. The angel simply tells the shepherds, and
“all people,” where to find the Savior.
He can be identified as the baby in Bethlehem
(the City of David),
wrapped in strips of cloth normally used for burial, lying in a manger. The shepherds can glorify God by seeking out
the Child, which they will. Will we?
·
The effect of the announcement. Suddenly one angel, mighty as he is, is not
enough. He is joined by those who
provide a perfect summation: give God the glory, tell mankind the blessing. Notice the parallelism …
|
Glory
|
to God
|
in the highest
|
|
Peace
|
to men on whom His
favor rests
|
on earth
|
Christmas commemorates a day of good news! And all people are invited to “come and see,”
to seek out the Savior. Don’t miss out
on the true celebration!
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