8That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14“Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
(Luke 2:8-14)
This week was our church nativity, brought to us by our childrens’ ministry.
Is the nativity story true? Is it good? If so, what does it mean for me? Is it a positive thing for humanity? Is it good for children? Or is the message of Jesus and His birth dangerous?
The angels came to announce that the birth of Jesus is good news that would bring great joy. As Christians, we have joy that comes from being at peace with God, being in right relationship with Him, through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
In a world divided ethnically at the time, this was good news for everyone regardless of tribe. The Jews and the Gentiles were separate in almost every aspect of life, yet the Gospel message united those of different tribes who came to Jesus in the early church, and it still has the power to do that today. People are unified in Christ from all ethnic backgrounds. Whether it be past wars fought, enslavement of one ethnicity by another, or an invasion and takeover of land (like when the Roman Empire took over much of Israel), those of any ethnicity that come to Jesus are one in Christ, new creations, where differences based upon ethnicity are forgiven and people come to communion together as Christians, not as Jews, Gentiles, black, white or any other colour, but Christians who are going to spend eternity with one another in the presence of God. Everything else pales into significance when an eternal perspective is gained.
The Gospel was and is good news. So why was (and is) there so much resistance to accepting the good news of Jesus?
As humans, we seek hope and positivity, but we are often jaded by our experiences as well as our sinful rebellious nature. When we hear good news, we do want it to be true, but we focus on the doubts instead. We also don’t want our freedom threatened. Many people see Jesus’ Lordship as a set of rules and restrictions that limit life, whereas life with Jesus is the most exciting life that can be lived!
If this is good news and you want to believe that things that are good are true, then why aren’t you believing and leaning in? This is a story that has lasted 2000 years!
If it is good news and if it’s true, then what’s holding you back this Christmas? Ask the questions, get in touch with us and we’re happy to discuss it.
God’s people in the Old Testament are called Israelites, “people who wrestle with God”. We don’t expect anyone to have perfect theology, but instead, we seek our answers from the Bible and wrestle with God ourselves to seek the truth. This Christmas, we urge you to seek the truth and wrestle with God, because we are confident you will find Jesus to be who He says He is in Scripture.
We wish you a Merry Christmas here at Light and Life.