“In the world, you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Many of you may have already “cleaned up” from the Christmas season but I can’t let the season go just yet! So please bear with me.
One of the wonderful aspects of the Christmas season is the celebration of unique and sometimes quirky family “traditions” that make the season special for each one of us. One of our favorites is “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” I loved the music that undergirded the animated characters; I loved the fact that Charlie Brown finds the lowliest Christmas tree for the pageant, and I loved Linus’s gentle, yet poignant reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. I’m sure we all remember his slow walk to the center of the stage with thumb in mouth and blanket trailing behind him. To this day, his recitation from the second chapter of Luke still makes me smile. A child voicing the Words of God…so powerful!
“Lights, please! … And there was in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not; for behold, I bring unto you good tiding of great joy which shall be to all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace , good will to men.'” (Luke 2:8-14 KJV).
In recalling Linus’s reciting this, I always think about the message of good news the angels proclaimed to the shepherds that starry night. I think about what a contrast that message is to our prevailing “bad news” messages today. From drug abuse, inflation; trafficking of people; unrest in the world; so many suffering the loss of loved ones, severe human rights violations in many countries around; political posturing coming off the rails with the poor feeling the harshest brunt of the craziness. Yes…we live in a world of bad news.
As I juxtapose the bad news of our world with Luke’s message of good news every year, I have to wonder if it’s just wishful thinking. In light of our bad news world, what is good about the good news?
First, the angel proclaims that salvation has come in the One- “born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” This is the long promised Messiah who would bring redemption for His people.
Second, the good news of God’s promised Messiah demonstrates God’s favor towards us by God keeping His promise to His people. “Glory to God in the highest,” the angel host says, “and on earth peace among men with whom God is pleased.” (ESV)
The Greek word for “pleased” literally means “to think well of, to approve, or to take delight in or pleasure.” So often, perhaps influenced by bad news all around us, many of us struggle with an overwhelming sense that God is angry with us, perhaps even smoldering with rage and wrath against us. But the angels declare the exact opposite–and this is indeed, good news! God sends Jesus, the Messiah, out of a sense of delight and pleasure FOR His children. The Messiah coming as one of us, Immanuel, God with us is the greatest good news “…good tiding of a great joy …” that we could ever hope to receive. God Loves us…He has sent His peace…His Son…the Prince of peace to be with us in answer to His promise.
As we stare 2026 in the face, may the riches of His grace enable us to live by the rhythms of His peace. Slow… us… down so that we can hear, experience and live in those rhythms. In the face of the bad news of our world and in our lives, the good news of God should resound in our hearts and minds as we exit this Christmas season: God is with us, God is pleased with us, and God loves us! Jesus inaugurated the reign of good news, His peace, even in the face of bad news. We can embrace the good news of God’s reign even in the midst of crisis. And we can live the good news as we continue to hope in the God who has dwelt among us and is coming again. “In the world, you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Glory to God in the highest! Soli Deo Gloria!
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
