Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born
to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:10-11
Have you ever wondered why Jesus being born is such good news? Or why we celebrate His birth every December 25?
We celebrate the birthdays of people we know and even a few who did great things for our country, but Jesus? He was born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.
Why is His birthday meaningful to us? What is this good news all about?
Let’s find out.
Table of Contents
How Jesus’ Birth is Good News
Jesus came to earth for a specific reason: to save people from their sins. Our sin separates us from God, and we need a Savior. Jesus’ birth is good news because it was the first step in God’s plan to rescue humans from that sin that alienates us from God. Furthermore, the Old Testament Scriptures predicted a Messiah would come, and Jesus fulfilled that prophecy.
The Angels Brought Good News
What the angel told Mary- Lk 1:31b-33
“You shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end.” (His second coming)
What the angel told Joseph – Mt 1:21
“You will call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins.” (His first coming)
Between his mother, Mary, and earthly father, Joseph, the angel covered both His first and second comings.
What the angel told the shepherds- Lk 2:11
“Today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
What Paul told the Corinthians -1 Corinthians 15:3-4
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Paul told the Corinthians the good news of what Jesus accomplished at His first coming. Jesus conquered sin and death on the cross and His resurrection. It began with His birth.
Of Great Joy
Assuming the shepherds were familiar with OT Scripture and what it said about a future Messiah, they would have received this news joyfully.
God chose to reveal this good news of great joy to a few others as well:
- John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb at the sound of Mary’s voice (Lk 1:41).
- The wise men saw His star in the east and came to worship Him (Matt 2:2).
- Simeon was at the temple when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus. He knew who He was and praised God (Lk 2:25-32).
- Anna, a widow and prophetess living at the temple saw the baby Jesus and began talking about Him to everyone waiting for the Messiah (Lk 2:36-38).
Leaping, traveling to see and worship, praising God and prophesying, and telling everyone are all clues that these people received the news with great joy.
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For All People
All means all. The good news is for everyone. No one is excluded. But why is a baby being born good news for everyone?
Although the Jewish people were free to worship in the synagogue and follow their laws, they lived under Roman rule and were oppressed in many ways. They knew a Messiah had been foretold, and many were waiting expectantly.
If Jesus was the Messiah, his being born meant they would soon be rescued from their oppression. However, they didn’t realize that Jesus’ first coming was not about political freedom but about dying for their sins and conquering death.
Furthermore, Jesus’ death would be for everyone, not just the Jewish people.
What It Means for Us Today
Anyone who believes Jesus is the Messiah, that His death and resurrection mean we can be made right with God, will be saved–not politically, but spiritually.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important message you will ever hear. Being made right with God has eternal ramifications; what you decide in this life about Jesus will determine where you spend eternity.
Most of Israel missed the good news of Jesus’ birth because they didn’t believe He was the Messiah. Why didn’t He set up His kingdom if Jesus was who He said He was?
Someday Jesus will return and set up His kingdom; He will rule in righteousness. But His first coming was critical because Jesus had to die for our sins. We all can be forgiven and made right with God. We all can have an eternal future with God.
It all started with His birth. If Jesus was never born, He wouldn’t have died for us. If He didn’t die for us, we could not be made right with God or spend eternity with Him.
So, you see, Jesus’ birth is good news for all of us.
Final Thoughts
When the angel appeared to the shepherds, he brought them the good news that Jesus was born.
This brought great joy because He had come to save people from their sins. Not just the sins of the Jewish people but the sins of everyone.
Being saved from your sins is more important than Jesus setting up His kingdom because our sins separate us from God. He died for everyone, and we all can be made right with God by believing Jesus is who He says He is.
God requires us to acknowledge we are sinners in need of a Savior, and the Savior is His Son, Jesus. God sent Him to earth as a baby.
So, Jesus being born is indeed good news, wouldn’t you agree?