Tidings of Great Joy

It's hard for us to imagine being a shepherd in the context of our culture. It's so far away from what we think and know, but imagine a simpler culture where a few men might be tending their sheep by the light of the stars--no flashlights or cell phones--just moonlight and stars. Suddenly, a brilliant light strikes through the darkness from the sky above. It isn't like a light that has ever been seen before. It must've been terrifying. Then, an angel appears and the men are terrified. The angel tells them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Then, the angel goes on to tell them how to find the child and how to identify him, and then a choir of angels sing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." It must've been both terrifying and awesome.

I know we've all heard the story, but have we really? Have we thought about what it really meant to those men in the field that night? As I try to imagine it, I keep thinking about the response the men had. They didn't stop and ponder it for the evening. They didn't wait until morning light. They made "haste" and went immediately to find the child and when they arrived, the told everyone they could tell the words that the angel told them. They glorified and praised God. They didn't question who it came from or if it was real. They didn't ask if it was the truth. They didn't accuse each other of hallucinating. They went quickly to find the child.

The beauty of the message from the angels is equally amazing to me. Great joy. I think about the kind of joy that brings tears to your eyes, seeing your newborn baby for the first time or watching your child graduate. The promise of a saviour, the promise of redemption, the hope for the world, all of it was offered in the words of the angel. When the shepherds arrived with their story, the bible says that Mary pondered these things in her heart. Later, a man named Simeon, filled with the Holy Spirit, would give Mary a glimpse of the future. He would call the child "A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." He would also tell her that a sword would also pierce her own soul.

In the book of John, I have always been amazed at the description of Jesus in that book. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. I have often pondered the meaning of it. I think about the nature of God and how mysterious He is to us. What if God took his message, his pure intent, his spiritual message and formed it into a physical man, what kind of man would he then be? Before it all happened, would you and I think that it would be someone like Jesus? The son of a simple carpenter? Would he be born in a barn? Worshipped by shepherds and kings? Die a horrible death on a cross?

It's an unlikely story, a strange story even. Only God could craft a story like that. That's why it's so compelling. In fact, these days, the story itself brings tears to my eyes at the thought of it. When I hear the words, "For unto us is born this day in the city of David, a saviour, which is Christ the Lord" I feel the joy of that moment in the shepherd's field and the sweetness of the graciousness of God and I am thankful for it. The Christmas season offers to me more than just a good story, though. The Christmas season brings with it promises that we are not abandoned. It brings with it the hope of a future, a future here and now, and a future beyond this life. What greater tiding of great joy could there be than that message?