Subject Eighty

GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY

Scripture: Luke 2:8-14

1. The birth of the Savior
   Do not just tell the story, or you will lose the power of the Holy Spirit.
   1. The Savior was born in Bethlehem. When He was born, there were shepherds in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. Suddenly an angel came to announce to them the glad tidings that a Savior was born to men. This section covers the scene of His birth.
   2. Those who heard the glad tidings were in the field, and it was at night. The place was out in the field, the time was at night, and the work was shepherding. All these are meaningful as symbols. The field symbolizes the wilderness of human living; the night symbolizes the darkness of human living; the shepherding symbolizes the need of the men in the dark field for shepherding. These three points need to be described emphatically. The announcement of the Savior’s birth to the shepherds by an angel symbolizes the fact that a Savior was born for the people in the dark field.
   3. The birth of the Savior was for all nations. The Savior was born in Bethlehem of Judea, but He was not only for the Jews, but for all the nations as well.
2. The meaning of the Savior’s birth
   1. The angel said that He was born to be the Savior of all nations. So His birth is for the salvation of all nations.
   2. The angel said that His birth was to give peace on earth among men, that is to say that He came as the Savior of men, that men may have peace.
   3. The angel also said, “Glory to God in the highest,” that is to say that the Savior was born not only that men may have peace, but also that God may be glorified.
   4. Peace and glory explain the meaning of the salvation of the Savior. Peace is toward men, and glory is toward God. Peace is to get rid of sins, sufferings, and death. Glory is to manifest God’s life, nature, and work. The Savior comes to save men, so that on one hand men may be delivered from sins, and on the other hand men may have the life of God. To be delivered from sins is a matter of peace for men; to have God’s life is a matter of glory to God.
3. The good tidings of great joy
   1. Man is born in sin, without peace.
   2. Man is waiting for death. Death belongs to Satan. Man waiting for death means that man is waiting for the destiny of Satan. In this there is no glory, because glory belongs to God.
   3. The Savior comes to give peace to men, that men may be delivered from sins. Also, He comes that God may be glorified, by man having God’s life and thus being delivered from the death of Satan. So His birth is good tidings of great joy to us, the sinners.
4. How we should receive the Savior
   1. Confess that we are in sin, waiting for death, without peace, and deserving eternal shame.
   2. Receive this Savior as our Savior who came to save us from sins and to give us God’s life. He delivers us from sins that we may have peace, and He gives us life that God may be glorified.