Luke 2:10 “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 of Saviour which is Christ the Lord.”
I love the fact that this good news the angels were proclaiming on this holy night was news that applies to “all people.” It was not news reserved only for the mighty or for the wealthy– just look at the men who received the news first!
These men were shepherds, unknown men in the realm of “religion” in Israel; and yet they were the ones God chose to receive the news of the Messiah’s birth. In their proclamation, the angels call Jesus the “Saviour,” then the “Christ,” then the “Lord.” How much is said about Jesus in those three titles!
But even more amazing is the title He is given in verse 12: “And ye shall find the babe. . . .” The Holy One of Israel-the sent One, the Messiah-came to earth to rescue mankind; and He came in the form of a little baby! This is a wonderful picture of the truth that the Lord of Heaven stooped as low as He could so that His salvation could be for “all people.”
Sadly, the prominent men in Israel, even the scholars-the “experts” on the Old Testament scriptures-failed to make the connection between the prophecies that had been foretold and the fulfillment of those prophecies in Jesus. They did not see because they did not have eyes to see. Their hearts were not open to the truth.
On the other hand, these unknown shepherds-hardly experts on the Scriptures-clearly saw and believed that their Messiah had come! How could they see something that the “wise” religious leaders could not see? Simply, their hearts were open and ready to believe. Their eyes saw what unbelieving eyes could not see.
How wonderful that God would send Jesus, the most precious gift, to “all people.” No matter your social rank or status in life, salvation is for those who have eyes to see and hearts to believe.
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Prayer Requests:
– New York City Evangelistic Outreach next month (Jan. 5-9, 2009) |