Joy from Fear “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 good 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.” Luke 2:9–11 The shepherds outside Bethlehem on the night Christ was born were receiving the best news the world had ever heard. Yet their immediate response to the appearance of an angel was not joy, but fear. Yet the angel offered them comfort, and then words of “great joy.” From their trembling they were about to receive a celebratory announcement. Charles Spurgeon said, “Earth’s joy is small, her mirth is trivial, but heaven has sent us joy immeasurable, fit for immortal minds. Inasmuch as no note of time is appended, and no intimation is given that the message will ever be reversed, we may say that it is a lasting joy, a joy which will ring all down the ages, the echoes of which shall be heard until the trumpet brings the resurrection; aye, and onward for ever and for ever. O blessed thought! the Star of Bethlehem shall never set. Jesus, the fairest among ten thousand, the most lovely among the beautiful, is a joy for ever.” Today we look across a span of two thousand years, but the message has not changed. The same joy that greeted the arrival of Jesus is in our hearts today as fruit of the Holy Spirit. The message of salvation and a restored relationship with God is just as true and just as important as it was when the angel first declared it. Our task this Christmas season is to go forth and proclaim the good news that there is joy because Jesus is born.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 12:57:02 +0000
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