The Angels Brought Joy!

If you can think of the one thing that has caused you the greatest joy on this earth, I bet I can top it. Right away you might be saying, “you don’t know what I have experienced, so how can you tell me that you know of a greater joy than I have”? While it may be true that I don’t know what you have experienced, the Bible tells me of such a joy that some lowly shepherds experienced, in fact it calls it a great joy:

Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. Luke 2:10b (AMP)

If we take this literally, and I do, it says that these men were about to hear such good news that it would bring them great joy, and that it would be for all the people, that means you and me!

Spoiler alert: I know what that good news was and I’m fully persuaded no one can top it!

This is the good news they received:

For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah). Luke 2:11 (AMP)

This was the news the Jews had been waiting for, the Savior had been born – right there in Bethlehem, just as it was foretold. The message said that this Savior was not just for those who were residents of Bethlehem, but He came for “all the people”. So this was not a local announcement of a local baby boy being born. This was an announcement that affected the whole world – for “all people”.

The angels went on to tell the shepherds how they would know him. Upon their departure from the fields to Bethlehem they found the child just as the angels said. The message said this baby would be in a manger, not an ordinary bed for little babies, certainly not for a Messiah.

What could the shepherds do but “go” and “tell” what they had seen:

 And when they had seen this, they made known what had been told them about this Child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were astounded and wondered at what the shepherds told them. Luke 2:17-18(AMP)

It’s still that way today. When the message comes to you that the Messiah has come, and you go to seek to find if these things be true; your next action after finding Him, is to “go” and “tell”. You have to go, you have to tell, for great joy has filled your heart and you cannot contain yourself. And every time you do, the results are the same:

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them. Luke 2:20 (AMP)

Now this is joy! Great joy!

Maria