GOOD NEWS AND GREAT JOY TO ALL

Pastor Maselo Mosomane

"That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Don’t be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Luke 2:8-12

When Jesus came into this world His birth was announced. He did not just sneak in and all of a sudden He was here. Throughout the Scriptures we come across incidents where the Holy Spirit moved upon people’s lives and they made the announcements. Isaiah in chapter 7:14 prophesied; "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Gabriel the angel also said this to Mary; "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS" Luke 1:30-31.

In our opening paragraph the angel of the Lord continues with the announcement. I am fascinated by what the angel said to the shepherds that night. He said two things;

"I bring you good new"
"Joy to all people"

Jesus is good news. Everything about Him is good news. Wherever He went, He brought good tiding to people. He taught with authority, He healed the sick; He cast out demons and raised the dead. Those who are carrying His message are carriers of good news. That’s why the prophet said; "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good new" Isaiah 52:7. The angel said I bring you good news.

Good new does not only amuse hearers thereof, they move them into action. These shepherds were also moved into action. "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." They said to one another Luke 2: 15. When you hear the good news about Jesus you are shaken out of your mould and feel like doing something
different.

You don’t hear the good news and remain the same. That’s why many people are opposed to the gospel because they know it will move them into a forward gear. When the truth about Jesus dawns in your heart you speak like the prodigal son and say; "I will arise and go to my father" Luke 15:18. There is something about the good news about Jesus that puts running shoes on your feet. Those who hear the good news wants to do something about their lives. Something seems to be saying to them; rise up and walk!

Haven’t you seen it with someone who has met with Jesus in salvation? You can’t keep him quiet. He shares the good news with anything that moves. You cannot have the good news in your heart and keep it there. Something bubbles within and it overflows. That’s the good new about Jesus. In fact He is the good new Himself. When you talk about the good news you are in actual fact talking about Him. Jesus is the good news and He makes people feel good.

The angel also said "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people" Great joy! Jesus brings great joy to people’s lives. Life without Jesus is miserable even money cannot ignite it. All other things may give you happiness – all other things may give you pleasure. The Holy Spirit in the book of Hebrews 11:24-25 says; "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." All that the Egyptian royal house could give could not bring lasting joy. He chose to suffer than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season. He would rather suffer affliction – suffer lack of pleasure with the people of God than to enjoy pleasure with sinners. Satan promised Jesus the kingdoms of the world only if He could do as the first Adam did; worship him. But Jesus chose to suffer the cross and do God’s will than to gain the whole world and lose His mission.

True joy comes only through the good news – only through Jesus. One Sesotho hymn says He is the headlines. What does this mean? It means He is supposed to be on the front page of every news paper and magazine in every language of all the nations of the world because He brings joy to peoples’ lives. Another South African gospel singer says; "I’ve got joy, deep in my heart, up in my mind, down in my feet!" You see when you’ve got Jesus in your life nothing matters any more. Listen to what I’m saying and understand it in its proper context. I am not saying when you’ve Jesus in your life pain is no longer painful; no! Pain will not change because you are saved. Pain remains the same; but you change. In the midst of a painful pain, you change. You come to a stage where your joy does not come from your feelings or how circumstance shape up around you. In the midst of all unpleasant circumstance you remain joyful. Oh yes! You remain at peace. When everybody jumps because circumstance warrants everyone to jump; you remain calm. You begin to understand that circumstances don’t change because you jumped very high; so you stay calm.

Friend we are not talking about will power or psychology. We are talking about trusting in Jesus who is the good news. We are talking about Jesus transforming those who trust Him from inside out. This is what happens with those who accepted Jesus as their personal Saviour. When you look at them they look the same with everyone else. But their reaction to what they are going through sets them apart.

Paul said; "but I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope" 1 Thessalonians 4:13. Lest you sorrow as others who have no hope! When fuel price go up, you are not supposed to complain like those who have no hope. When you lose your job you don’t cry like those who have no hope. When all sorts of problems pounce on you, don’t react like those who have no hope. In the midst of all these, you have the good news. Jesus is the good news. You have hope.

True; all of us will face what the world is facing. When the economy goes down, it goes down for believers and unbelievers. When ungodly laws are made in parliament, they are made for all irrespective of our faith affiliation. But the angel of the Lord said the announcement is about good news. "Don’t be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. When all other things announce bad news that causes people to be afraid; there is another who announces GOOD NEWS THAT BRINGS GREAT JOY.