3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NRSV
Here we are at the end of one more year. To be honest, it is not just one more year, but a year we have been blessed to have. Another year of life.
This past year, the past two years for that matter have not been easy and each one with its challenges that for many seems to have built on the challenges of years past.
It gives me a heavy heart to be preaching and knowing that so many have had loss, health challenges, financial challenges. Not to mention we have had some milestones of with birthdays, and anniversaries of some who remember their loved ones who have passed on.
And in spite of all we face in this life we have Good News, even for those that struggle in this very moment. It’s not that we forget the bad news, the trials both past and present, the pain, the sorrow, but God brings us together to remember and proclaim that the bad news does not have the final say, and that the Good News has the victory.
And to one step further, it was not my idea to decide the News was Good. It was an angel who appeared and said:
I bring you Good News of Great Joy, which will be to all people.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: Luke 2:10 NRSV
The Good News is not just for those who are wealthy, healthy, and experiencing smooth sailing in life right now, it is Good News to All People.
So what is the Good News? And what’s an Angel?
We get the term Good News from the word Gospel which literally means Good News.
We have the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The GOSPEL according to John, The GOSPEL according to Mark. The GOOD NEWS according to Matthew. The GOOD NEWS according to Luke.
By the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, Christmas begins the process of spreading the good news.
Before Jesus, there were only the commandments of the Torah. The “Shall’s and the Shall Not’s” During the Reformation, Martin Luther wrote, “At the root of the law, the commandment demands perfect love. The Law required perfect love, but Luther argued that it was impossible for sinful people to meet this requirement. As it turned out, they couldn’t.
Luther said, The Law exposes sin in all people but does nothing to cure it.
An analogy might be that of an expensive restaurant bill that you couldn’t pay, so they wouldn’t let you wash dishes as a way of paying it. You were aware of what you owed, but there was no way you could pay it all at once.
So the angel comes and says, I bring you Good News of Great Joy. Even though you knew what had to be done, you didn’t have the ability to do it. Until now. However, there is a bright side. You can be saved from your sins by a Savior who has been born. It had to be a valuable item. What could possibly be worth enough to merit such a price?
God exclaimed, “My only son.” Despite our tendency to give God only the scraps of our lives, God gave us what he treasured the most. As well as being God, Jesus Christ was also a man. Because of this, God came to Himself by sending His only son. And no one could have predicted the Cross, which would appear just over 30 years later when he arrived as a baby.
The Good News, or the Gospel, can be summed up by 1 Corinthians 15:3-4:
3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I, in turn, had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures
That’s the Good News. That’s the Gospel. At the time, The apostles probably thought that was Bad news. Mary, Mother of the Baby Jesus probably thought it was bad news. As she held the baby Jesus, she never could have imagined all of this.
Angel is a name for a heavenly Messenger.
The Angel is a messenger of joy. As you’ve already heard, there’s good news out there. Are you ready to take on the role of an angel? What exactly is an angel? A person who conveys information. By being a Good Samaritan who spreads the Gospel.
Every Sunday, we go to church. However, we gather not only for the worship of God but also for hearing the relevant word of God in music and in the message. Aside from simply listening to the Bible being read, we’re here to hear what it means for our lives today.
Water for the thirsty is a message of hope. Recuperation for the exhausted The captive will be set free. Hope for those who have lost all hope. A beacon of hope for those in the dark. Forgiveness and Grace for the unworthy, which is everyone. For us, a Savior has been born.
What do you make of that? Do you know a person who could benefit from the Gospel? Do you know a person who is eager to hear the Gospel?
For the vast majority of people, the answer is no unless they are devout Christian. You can hear it said, “for some reason, I’m unable to share the Gospel with others.” And then this can be followed by many reasons, such as, “my faith is not strong enough”, “I don’t know the Bible well enough” and the list can go on and on.
If you’re unable to do so, can you at least point them in the right direction?
Do you notice how the Angel pointed them in the right direction? Wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger, you will find the babe. Thousands of angels joined the Angel in praising God and proclaiming, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” after he told them where to find the good news.
The angel not only told them about the good news but also where they could find it. Invite people to church, prayer meetings, and bible study. Try to reach out to those who have never attended a church before, those who are eager to hear the good news, and those who have been hurt or disappointed somehow in the church.
If you are finding yourself with a reason for not being able to share the Gospel (Good News) then bring it before God. He will guide you. If your faith is weak let Jesus be the author and perfector of your faith, if you don’t know Jesus well enough, spend some time in His Word and in prayer.
He will provide the necessary grace to share the message and story of Christmas.
The world, and the people you know, desperately need the Good News. They need the gift of Salvation as much as you do.
Despite all the bad news we hear and see every day, we are not powerless to change the world. Satan wants you to believe that Jesus never existed so that you can skip church on Sundays, Bible study and prayer meeting on Wednesdays.
The power of death and hopelessness was broken by the birth of a baby king. If the enemy can get his foot in the door and can trick you into skipping church, his mission is accomplished. It is impossible for you to remain the same now that you have heard the good news. It’s impossible to remain the same after experiencing the Christmas Story.
Bethlehem is the birthplace of Christ the Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus died a horrible death on a cross at Calvary that was intended for you and me.
Where is the Good News? Jesus is standing at the door knocking, waiting for you or that person to answer the door. The place He died to be is in your life and heart through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
No matter what we face in this life and world, never lose focus of Jesus and the Good News He brought to us.
There is power in the name of Jesus. The phrase “pray in the name of Jesus” is often used by Christians, and it refers to the practice of praying to God and asking for His help, guidance, or protection.
Two things about the death of Christ. The first was that since one person died for and in place of everyone else, everyone had died. What is this death at the end? Either the death they deserved because of their sin.
It’s odd how we often acknowledge that we take on too much, and try to accomplish things in our own strength, and need to rely more on Jesus. And yet we continue to do the same thing over and over.
The conscience is a divinely given moral compass that can be swayed by many factors, such as our background, experiences, and thoughts. What is important is the truth that one has to inform their conscience.
Life is rough for most people today. Just when we have hope of a life returning to normal, we are seeing things none of us have ever seen in our lifetime.
To grasp the magnitude of our deliverance, we must first comprehend where we came from. We are not exempt from the repercussions of our actions because we are descendants of Adam.
