Third Advent: Good News of great joy!

 

The Christmas angels sang a joyful message!

Luke 2:7-15: “…and Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger...  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.... Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”

 

We are waiting for a King! We contemplate the Advent of Christ the King A King that reigns to our benefit and for our salvation and a King that will return in glory.

His Kingdom is founded on the hope, peace and love made possible by the birth, teaching, life, sacrifice and victory of Christ Jesus.

The King has come; the King is coming! “The Spirit and the bride say: Come!”

 

This, as the angels told the shepherds, is good news of great joy.

Joy is the predominant emotion of the Season. Joy fills our hearts and lives as a result of the hope, peace and love that Christ gives us as the Light of the world. We are so happy, because darkness fled before the Light, even Jesus our Saviour.

We share his light with the world through the joy we express during our festivities, because in the City of David a Saviour was born to us!

We bring light to a cold, despondent, warring and selfish world by sharing the hope, peace and love of our Lord. This we do, as the angels did, with great joy and lots of cheerfulness.

 

So, even when we during Advent stand amazed by the fact that God became a human, born of a woman, to become our conquering King, and even though it asked of him to temporarily lay down his divine glory to become a mere man, for our salvation, and even though we may grieve over the fact that our sins brought this humiliation upon our Lord, the overwhelming experience of deliverance, salvation and redemption by God who was born a Child, is pure joy. The gratefulness, thanksgiving and relief we experience, make us truly happy.

 

‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men and women on whom his favour rests.’ the angels sang.

 

Glory to God in highest, for the peace of God is good news of great joy.

Christ conquered our sin, our death and our judgment and gave us peace.

We receive God’s firm hope and divine love, in Jesus.

Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns!  Let, earth receive her King!