PLEASE NOTE: Due to technical issues the opening statements did not get recorded. 12/21/25 Message: Good Tidings of Great Joy
Good Tidings of Great Joy (Luke 2:1-20)
Tidings means news. Jesus didn’t bring good news of great joy, He IS the good news, the best news the human ear has ever heard. When the shepherds saw the star announcing His birth, “They rejoiced with exceeding great joy!” (Mt.2:10) Let us do the same.
The church has many times mixed the good news with bad news, and certainly there is some bad news for those who refuse to repent of their sins and receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. He was bad news for Herod. He will either be your Savior or Judge, but the choice is yours. Jesus is good news for everyone, because He offers Himself to the whole world: “to all people” the Bible says. Remember John 3:16. And, “to as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to be called children of God.” (Jn.1:12-13) The church has good news of great joy to all people! That’s our message. When you come to church you should expect to hear good news. Jesus said, “I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.” (Jn.3:17) The world was already condemned because of sin; He came to save us from our sins: the penalty, power, and presence of our sins.
The prophet said His name is to be called Emmanuel, which means God with us (Mt.1:23). Before Christ came God was above us. He was the God of heaven, creating and ruling by His providence. But when Christ came He was God with us. He came and walked with us. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, taught us the word of God, forgave sinners, and many other good things. He was with us in every sense of the word; He died with us, among two thieves. And after He rose from the dead and went back to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to live in us. So God became God in us! He has not only come near to us; He comes into every Christian. He is our constant guide, comfort, and wisdom. He is God in us! We have this treasure in earthen vessels, the Bible says. Let us take advantage of this unspeakable treasure in us. From inside of us, He couldn’t be closer.
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