Monday December 11, 2017

 

When it comes to news, why is it that we are always expecting it to be bad? The first thing that comes to our minds when someone in authority wishes to speak with us is that something must be wrong. Why is this? If your child’s teacher calls you, the first thing you think is, my child must have done something wrong. Your boss calls you into his office and you say to yourself: I am about to be fired. You may go to see your doctor and a couple of days later you get a message to call his office. Now you’re thinking, it must be bad news. Since we are expecting bad news, now we delay or avoid the conversation entirely.

 

The same is true when it comes to our relationship with God. If God were to show up in the middle of the night or if He sent us a message or a registered letter saying He wanted to speak with us we would probably begin to analyze our behavior. After a brief assessment of our conduct, we might conclude that it must be bad news and might think it’s best to avoid God. After all, He is perfect and we are imperfect. God is just but we are not always as just as we would like people to think we are. God never sinned but we are sinners. Truth be told, it scares us to have to stand before God and that is because we have not fully embraced the Christmas story. In this world full of bad news, if we were to embrace the Christmas story and make it a reality in our hearts and minds it would erase our fears towards Him. The Christmas story is supposed to be good news, news that brings us joy. If we made this a reality, we would spend less time trying to avoid God because we fear our imperfections and sins would anger Him. The Christmas story brings good news and joy to EVERYONE.

 

Luke 2:8-11 NLT

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!

 

The angels appeared bringing us Gods certified letter but not the bad news that was expected. Instead, the message was a good news missive to everyone. The good news was not addressed exclusively to the holy people, the good people, or the righteous people. The message was and still is good news of great joy for everyone. Did you hear the news? God decided to change the rules that the world lives by. The rule that says good things should happen to good people. God decided to not give us what we deserved; instead, He decided that good things were going to happen to all people.

 

“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!

Merry Christmas!