But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people…” – Luke 2:10
The angel of the Lord, with the glory of the Lord shining all around him – delivers good news to the shepherds out in the fields (Lk 2:9-10).
The word translated “I bring…good news” is the common word in the NT for preaching the gospel. In Isaiah, the word is used for the deliverance of God’s people by the Messiah (Isa 40:9; 52:7; 61:1). The word “gospel” means “good news.”
So, the gospel is good news, not good advice.
It is not a command or a moral principle or a pep talk. It is absolute, unbreakable, and eternal divine truth, a heavenly message about something that has happened, something historical.
The gospel is therefore not dependent on us in any way. It is not about something we have to do. It is about what God has done through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Both Zacharias, in his prophesy (Lk 1:68-79), and Mary, in her praise (1:46-55), acknowledge this God-centered, historical reality to the gospel. God has done this and that in the past and now in the present. And God will do this and that in the future. Everyone whoever testifies about the gospel talks about what God has done, what His Son has done.
The gospel is good news, not good advice.
And it is good news characterized by great joy. It is about the most joyous reality. It also produces the greatest joy in the hearts of people.
The Sunrise from on high has visited a people in darkness (Lk 1:79). The light of the glory of God in the face of Christ has shone on a world enshrouded by sin and death.
For those who, by God’s grace, respond by faith to the good news, there is an explosion of joy. A joy that passes understanding. What Peter calls a joy “inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Pet 1:8).
The gospel is good news, not good advice.
And that is an occasion for much rejoicing. Because we could never get ourselves out of spiritual darkness. That darkness is actually within each of our hearts, keeping us from responding rightly to Christ! But good news has come. The Light has broken through the world and through our sin-darkened hearts.
So, remember the good news of Christ. Don’t turn it into something primarily about us or something we have to do. Receive the news of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection. And rejoice in Him and all He’s done for you.
