“And the angel said unto 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.” Luke 2:10-11 (Read Luke 2:1-20)

We know the Christmas story. We know that, in fulfillment of ancient prophecies, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem and laid in a manger. But what does this historical event mean for us today? Is it just a quaint story to be repeated each year at Christmas time? Or, does it have meaning for us each and every day of our lives?

To answer these questions, I draw your attention to the announcement of the angel of the Lord to the shepherds in the field outside Bethlehem on that night of Jesus’ birth. What did the angel say? We consider his words, for he bore the very word of the LORD God to the shepherds.

The angel of the Lord first said: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” After quieting the shepherds’ fear — and who wouldn’t be afraid if suddenly, in the middle of the night, an angel appeared and the glory of the LORD God Himself shone around them? — the angel said to the shepherds that he brought them good news of great joy, which shall be to all people.

The message wasn’t only for the shepherds, it is for all people. It is for you and me today! And, as the angel said, it is good news and brings great joy to those who hear and believe the angel’s announcement.

And what is that good news? “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” On that very day, in Bethlehem, the city of David, a Savior was born!

The long-awaited Messiah and Savior from sin and eternal death and damnation had been born. The Seed of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15; the Seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who would be a blessing to all nations; the Son of David who would rule over an eternal kingdom; the Child promised in Isaiah 7 and 9; the Root of Jesse; the Ruler promised in Micah 5; the Redeemer of Israel promised in Psalm 130 – all this was fulfilled in this Child born in Bethlehem.

And who is this Savior? The angel says He is “Christ the Lord.” He is the LORD’s Anointed, the Messiah; He is the LORD God Himself come into this world a true man to fulfill God’s law in our stead and to bear the punishment for the sins of all and rise again in victory.

He is true man, born of Mary, that He might take our place under the law and fulfill it for us and that He might take our place under the judgment of God and bear our punishment. And, He is true God that His holy life and His innocent sufferings and death on the cross would be sufficient ransom for the sins of all the world. Cf. John 1:1-14, 29; Gal. 4:4-5; Col. 1:14-23; Rom. 5:12-21.

What does this mean to you and to me? Why is it good news to us? Why does Christ’s first coming give us reason to rejoice and be filled with joy? Because atonement has been made for our sins. The just punishment demanded by God’s law for the sins of fallen mankind was satisfied in Christ’s blood, shed on the cross!

Therefore, we who were unacceptable and under the condemnation of God because of our wickedness and sin are brought near through faith in the shed blood of Christ. We are, through faith in Christ and His atoning sacrifice, acceptable to God, pardoned and forgiven. We have peace with God the Father and have been made His own dear children through faith in Christ Jesus. Cf. 1 John 1:7 — 2:1-2; Ephesians 1:6-7; 2:11-22; Galatians 3:26-29. Indeed, you and I and all who trust in Christ can be of good cheer, for our sins are forgiven us in Christ Jesus (cf. Matt. 9:2).

Because God provided His own dear Son to be our Savior, we need not fear death. Christ Jesus died for our sins and rose again from death and has won for us eternal life in the mansions of His Father’s house (cf. Heb. 2:14-17; John 14:1-6).

And, as the shepherds were filled with joy to know that God so loved them that He gave His only-begotten Son to be their Savior (cf. John 3:16) and hurried to Bethlehem to see the things which had come to pass, and also returned telling others and “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (Luke 2:20), so we worship and praise our God — joining with the angel choirs of heaven — for sending us a Savior, for providing atonement for our sins and winning for us forgiveness of sins and life everlasting in heaven!

O LORD God, we thank and praise You for the gift of Your Son to be our Savior and to win for us forgiveness for all our sins and life everlasting in Your kingdom, and we thank you for revealing to us through Your Word the message of the angel to the shepherds, the “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,” the good news that unto us a Savior is born, and that this Savior is Christ the Lord — God in the flesh — and that in Him, and for the sake of His blood shed for us upon the cross, we have forgiveness of sins and life everlasting through faith in His name. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21

As the angel Gabriel announced had to Mary (Luke 1:26ff.), she had conceived by the miraculous working of the Holy Ghost and carried in her womb God’s Son and her Savior. Following the announcement to her, Mary, as the Gospel of Luke explains, spent time with her cousin Elizabeth in Judah. When she returned to Nazareth, Joseph, her betrothed husband learned she was with child and knew he wasn’t the father because they had not yet come together. He considered privately divorcing her rather than making her a public example under the law (cf. Deut. 22:20ff.; 24:1ff.).

And, it is while Joseph thought on these things that the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take unto him Mary his wife, for the child conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She would bring forth a son and Joseph was to name him Jesus (Yehoshua – cf. Num. 13:16), meaning Jehovah saves, because He would save His people from their sins.

This, of course, was all done in fulfillment of the ancient prophecy revealed through Isaiah the prophet: “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:22-23; cf. Isaiah 7:14).

The child in Mary’s womb was and is God with us – the LORD God Himself in human flesh – and He came into the world to fulfill all righteousness and to suffer and die in the stead of all mankind for the sins of the world. He is the Word made flesh (John 1:14), true God and true man in one person.

And, as the angel revealed to Joseph, He has saved His people from their sins. He suffered and died for the sins of the world and rose again on the third day. All who place their faith and hope in Him and His shed blood have God’s pardon and forgiveness. They have life everlasting through faith in His name.

O Jehoshua, Son of God, and David’s son through the Virgin Mary, Thank You for taking on human flesh and becoming true man to take our place under the law and to redeem us from sin and death. Grant that we place all our hope and faith in You and Your innocent sufferings and death in our stead that we might receive forgiveness for all our sins and the everlasting joys of heaven. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible]

“And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:67-79

In these prophetic words, Zacharias the priest, being filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke of the salvation God was providing in His Son, and of the ministry of his son, John the Baptist.

Jesus, Son of God and descendant of David through the Virgin Mary, came into the world as promised since the very beginning. In Jesus, God Himself visited and redeemed His people. Jesus bore upon the cross the punishment for the sins of the whole world and made atonement for God’s people and for all of mankind. He suffered, died and rose again that He might set us free from the curse and condemnation of our sins to live for Him and serve Him evermore!

John the Baptist, the son born to Zecharias in his old age, would be the prophet of the Highest, going before the Lord Jesus Christ – Jehovah Himself in human flesh – to prepare His ways. And how was John to prepare the people for the coming of their Lord? He was to give them knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. He was to teach them of God’s mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the innocent sufferings and death of God’s Son, the Dayspring from on high who would visit them. In this way, he would give light to those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death and guide their feet into the way of peace with the Lord their God.

People today are still sitting in spiritual darkness and the shadow of death. They do not know the LORD God and His mercy in Christ Jesus and are headed for an eternity of suffering and punishment apart from Him and His lovingkindness. Thus, the ministry of God’s people today, as they prepare for the second coming of the Lord Jesus from heaven, is to give to people around them in the world knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins. The church is to call people to repentance and faith in the Messiah and Savior; for Jesus, God’s own dear Son, came into this world, redeemed all of mankind by suffering and dying upon the cross for all sin and rose again on the third day.

Followers of Christ proclaim the law of God that people might see their sinfulness and the error of their ways. They make known the good news of God’s mercy and forgiveness in Christ Jesus that people might trust in Him alone for eternal salvation. In this way, followers of Jesus continue to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death and guide their feet into the way of peace.

O gracious and merciful God, bring us all to repent of our sinful and erring ways and grant us mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the Son, Jesus Christ, that Dayspring from on High who has come to visit and redeem us. And, dear Lord Jesus, move us to give to others, sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins through faith in You and Your innocent sufferings and death in their stead. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

St. Paul and all who are called by God through the Church to preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ are ministers and servants of Christ, and they are stewards of the mysteries of God. To them the saving Word of God has been entrusted, and they are to use that Word to extend and build up the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. As servants of Christ and stewards of God’s Word, they are required to be faithful — not to men but to Christ and His Word!

Elsewhere, St. Paul writes: “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts” (1 Thess. 2:4; cf. Gal. 1:1,9ff.).

St. Paul was faithful to his Lord Jesus Christ. He was unwilling to compromise the Gospel for the sake of temporal peace and tranquility; and he traveled throughout the Roman Empire, sometimes enduring great hardship, so that others could hear of Christ Jesus and the salvation He won for all by His innocent sufferings and death upon the cross (cf. Gal. 1:6ff.; 2 Cor. 11:22ff.; 2 Tim. 4:6-8).

Where the preaching of God’s Word was rejected, St. Paul shook off the dust from his feet and moved on; but, where the Gospel was received in faith, Paul continued on there, nurturing and building up the believers with the Word of God (Acts 13:44-51; 18:1-11).

Called pastors today are also servants of Jesus Christ, entrusted with the precious and saving Gospel. As a minister of Christ and a steward of God’s Word, a pastor is to be faithful, not to men, but to God, who called and placed him into this office. Pastors are to shepherd and feed the Church of Jesus Christ with the pure and sincere Word of God, and to administer the Sacraments according to Christ’s institution (cf. 1 Pet. 5:1-4; Acts 20:28; 2 Tim. 3:14-4:5; Jer. 23:28). It is as St. Paul says, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (v. 2). What matters is not how men judge a pastor’s faithfulness but whether or not he is judged faithful by his Lord (cf. v. 3-4).

As believers and members of Christ’s Church, we also share in this stewardship of God’s mysteries. We have been entrusted with the saving Word of God and the task of using that Word to disciple all nations (Matt. 28:18-20). We are to send men to preach the Gospel in all the world (cf. Mark 16:15-16), forgiving the sins of penitent sinners and retaining the sins of the impenitent as long as they do not repent (cf. John 20:23). And, as servants of Jesus Christ, we are accountable unto Him for this stewardship.

Have we been faithful to God’s Word and used the Word entrusted to us to carry out this great work for our Lord and Savior? Or, have we compromised the Word or hid it among us (cf. Luke 19:10-27)? Have we supported the faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word or have we been unfaithful stewards of those things entrusted to us by the Lord?

As we consider our own failures as servants of Christ and stewards of His mysteries, we can be thankful that our Savior was faithful in that task entrusted to Him of His Father, for our Lord Jesus Christ did not fail or come short in accomplishing the redemption of our souls! He fulfilled perfectly in our stead all that God’s holy law demands of us, and He paid in full the just punishment for our sins and the sins of the whole world when He suffered and died on the cross (cf. Heb. 4:15; 7:26-27; 9:11-14,27-28; 10:19ff.).

Through faith in our crucified and risen Savior, we have forgiveness for our sins and the assurance of eternal life with Him in heaven!

Again, the Bible says: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).

And, as forgiven children of God, we use the time He has entrusted to us in this world to be His faithful servants and stewards of His saving Word.

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us for any laziness or unfaithfulness on our part; and move us to be good stewards of Thy Word, sharing its sacred truths with people everywhere that they, too, might know Thee as the only true God and their only Savior from sin and the everlasting punishments of hell. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible]

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-38

How can this be? Upon hearing the announcement of the angel Gabriel, Mary wondered how she, a virgin, could conceive in her womb and bring forth this Son who would be called “the Son of the Highest” and who would reign on the throne of His father David forever – over an eternal kingdom.

The answer of God’s angel is recorded for us in the Word of God: “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). By the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit, Mary would both conceive in her womb and give birth to this promised Son while yet being a virgin, “for with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37; cf. Isa. 7:14).

There is another – possibly even greater – “How can this be?” for us to consider. How can this be that God would send His only begotten Son into the world to save sinners like you and me? How can this be that God the Son would come into this world and take on human flesh and blood, becoming true man – not for just a few years, but forever? But this He did.

The Bible tells us: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same” (Heb. 2:14); “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

How can it be that “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. 4:4,5)?

How can it be that Jesus Christ would even go to the cross to suffer and die for your sins, for my sins and for the sins of the world? And, yet He did. The Scripture says: “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

How can this be that, after He rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God the Father, He sent His Holy Spirit to bring us to faith in Christ through the hearing of the Gospel and then dwell in our hearts that we might continue to trust in Him and partake of His everlasting kingdom? But again the Bible tells us: “God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:6).

How can this be? Jesus Himself tells us: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

In unfathomable love – in love beyond our understanding – God has done all this for you and for me! “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Dear Father in heaven, we thank You for Your great love for us sinners in sending Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world, a true man, born of the Virgin Mary, that He might redeem us from sin and everlasting punishment and grant us a place with Him in His eternal kingdom. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]