Do you like to get presents? Most people do. One little boy wanted a watch for Christmas. He kept on talking about it, until his dad finally told him he didn’t want to hear anymore about it. It was their custom for each member of their family to take turns, each night at the supper quoting a Bible verse they had memorized that day, and then one of them would lead in prayer. This little guy quoted Luke 1:37 from the KJV: “And what I say unto you, I say unto all, ‘Watch’.”
In our text, an angel came and made an announcement to some shepherds about the greatest present ever given. It was God’s gift to the world, the first Christmas present. It was the long-awaited Savior.
For thousands of years, God had been showing man-kind that he needed a Savior. The provided animal skins in the Garden of Eden was a lesson concerning that very truth. It is reasonable to believe that Adam and Eve, who had never seen death, witnessed the death of little animals in order to have their covering of skins provided. They saw the innocent suffer for the guilty. The sacrificial system of the Old Testament Law was to teach sinful man that he had to have a substitute, in order to escape the judgement of God. Time after time, believers witnessed the innocent suffering for the guilty, as they brought their animal sacrifices. John the Baptist, upon seeing Jesus, said in John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John was saying that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament sacrifices, that He was the ultimate Innocent One, who would suffer for the guilty. Now, the angel was announcing to the shepherds that He had arrived.
He did not arrive in luxurious regalia, with an entourage of dignitaries surrounding Him, as the natural mind might think. He certainly didn’t arrive as the Jewish religious culture had imagined. He arrived as a new-born infant, completely dependant on his mother, but with the sure protection of the unseen hand of His Father.
The Christmas story has many facets of wonderful truth, all rich with lessons for Christian living, but I want to point your attention to just four of the great benefits of the first and greatest Christmas gift.
First, He is The Savior, who is Christ the Lord, says verse 11.
Lord means boss. When the Apostle Paul was knocked down and blinded on the Damascus Road, as recorded in Acts 9, he asked a question: He asked, “Who are You, Lord?” Paul, who was then called, Saul, didn’t know exactly who had laid him flat of his back and blinded him, but he knew whoever it was, was boss!
The word, “Christ,” is not Jesus’ last name. We say it that way oftentimes, but it’s not a name. It’s not a title, either, because Jesus is the only one. It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word, Messiah, and both words mean, “The Anointed One.” The Jewish understanding of that, was the One whom God had promised to send, who would deliver His people. They just didn’t understand the meaning of that deliverance.
That He is The Savior means that He has come to save. He came to save from the death that eternally separates people from the presence, provision, and protection of God. It is a separation that to a degree begins here and now, but has its ultimate fulfillment in the torments of a devil’s burning hell for all eternity. But, Jesus came to deliver the whosoever wills of this world, out of that terrible plight, into the glory of being a child of God, an heir of God, and a joint-heir of Jesus. He came to take us out of condemnation, into no condemnation, out of being blinded and bound by the devil, into walking in the light and being free indeed.
Secondly, I would point out that this angel said what angels always say, and what Jesus, Himself, said so many times in the gospels: “Do not be afraid,” verse 10.
So, one of the great benefits of this wonderful gift, is that we do not have to be afraid. 1 John 4:16-18 says, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” That passage says, “God is love,” and Jesus said, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father,” John 14:9. Now, when you add that all up, you can rightly say that if you’ve got Jesus, you have no need to fear. As a matter of fact, there is no fear in love! Fear will torment you, but when Jesus is working in your life, fear is cast out! To whatever degree fear has control over your life, that is the degree that you are not operating in faith, and without faith, it is impossible to please God, according to Hebrews 11:6.
The thing that is really at the root of tormenting fear, is the fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 says, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Now, think about those verses against whatever you are afraid of. Some people are afraid of heights. They are afraid they might fall and die, so they have a fear of death. Some people are afraid of close places. They are afraid they might smother and die, so they are afraid of death. Some people are afraid of storms. They are afraid they will get blown away and die, so they are afraid of death! That fear of death is the power of the devil, according the Bible. Jesus came to deliver you from that. In Psalm 56:3, the Psalmist said, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.” You need to say to whatever has you in bondage, “You have no rights over me; Jesus came to deliver me from fear, and in Jesus’ name, I am free!”
The third benefit that I would call to your attention is great Joy, verse 10.
Joy is much greater than happiness. The person who realizes his joy will usually become happy! Joy is a condition of the spirit that comes from knowing that everything is alright, because you are more than a conqueror, through Him that loves you. You know that God didn’t spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for you, and that with Him, He will freely give you all things! Joy is knowing that God is with you here, and that you are destined to be with Him, there. The angel said, “This good news is news of great joy to all people.”
Now, how are we to interpret that phrase “to all people?” After all, when we look around, we see most people to whom the good news has not resulted in any evident joy. Most people go about their lives, as if this blessed event never took place. There is an increasing number of people who are going out and getting holiday trees to celebrate winter break, and the only thing they are looking for of a supernatural nature is a jolly old man, coming down their chimney in a red suit. So, how do we interpret this, “all people?” It is all people who turn to Him in faith. Or, to define it even more, it is people from all people groups. The Bible uses the terminology, “every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue.” It is the whosoever wills of the world. Today, you are either a whosoever will, or you are a whosoever will not!
Let me give you one more benefit, that we see here. It is perfect peace, verse 14.
I heard about an artist who drew a picture depicting the peace that God gives. He drew storm clouds that were very violent, and in the drawing, you could see the lightening and the wind, but rising above it was a mountain peak, and on the peak was an eagle’s nest, filled with baby eaglets sitting peacefully in the sunshine, safely above the storm. We live in a world that is filled with trouble, the good news of this wonderful gift of God is that He will lift you up and set your feet on the rock. He has come to redeem you from the curse, to take you out of the realm of fear, to fill your heart with joy, and give you perfect peace.
