Luke 2:10 – And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Birth announcements today are sent out by mail, phone, or by the computer. But when Jesus was born, angels delivered the message. And it was “good tidings of great joy!” If there is anything we need today it is some good news. Disasters, killings, terrorism, and wars are typical daily headlines. The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news to a world so desperately broken.
The sign of good tidings was that the baby would be “wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Since the Jewish nation began with signs, it was inevitable they have one. The incarnation of God Himself was the sign. He would be both Lord and Saviour. God who made man would be made man! The importance of the sign pointed to His death. For swaddling clothes were strips of cloth identical to those used to wrap a corpse. The sign said, “I was born to die for you!”
The scope of good tidings was to “all people” not just a select group. Jesus came to be the Saviour of all men, not just the Jews. The gospel is for “whosoever believeth in him” (John 3:16). Everyone is not going to heaven, but everyone has been invited.
The stirring of good tidings was apparent. The shepherds were so stirred by the personal meeting of the angel and the powerful manifestation of the heavenly host praising God they couldn’t wait a minute longer. They left their sheep in the fields and “came with haste” (vs. 16) to see Jesus for themselves.
After they saw they began spreading the good tidings (vss. 17-20). They couldn’t keep such a great message of hope and joy to themselves. Some perceived (vs. 18), others pondered (vs. 19), but they kept praising God (vs. 20) and preaching to all who would listen.
