Advent Joy

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10–12)

The third week of the Advent season focuses on the joy that Christ’s birth brings to God’s people. Our focus passage records the angels’ victorious proclamation to the shepherds in the Judean countryside.

Just to make sure we are on the same page as far as the timeline goes: Mary had delivered baby Jesus in Bethlehem—the birthplace of Joseph—in the only place available, an animal’s stable. Following her stressful labor (to say the least), Mary laid baby Jesus in the animal’s food trough as she rested for a few moments (Luke 2:1–7).

In the same region as Mary and Joseph, there were a number of unsuspecting shepherds, minding their own business in the countryside, when all of a sudden an angel appeared to them!

“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people…’”

As every angel should do—for the sake of mortal man—he (this is not the place to discuss the genderless nature of angels, so with your permission I will use the masculine pronoun) quickly announced that he did not intend to do them any harm! And more than simply not hurting them, he brought a creation-shaking announcement. This news was great and immense, not only for those shepherds but for all the people of the world.

However, notice Luke’s word choice: “For behold, I bring you a gospel (Greek: euangelion, from which we get ‘evangelize’ and ‘gospel’) of great joy for you.” After the birth of the Savior, this angel was the first to share “the gospel” with mankind.

Also, from the very beginning, the gospel was a global thing. God’s plan has always been to create a people for Himself from all the nations of the world. That plan was announced afresh to these humble shepherds.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

This is quite the introduction and title. This Savior (literally, deliverer) is not only linked to the royal Davidic line, but is the appointed and designated Christ (literally, Anointed One). He is the one of whom many prophets prophesied. He had come! The gospel had been proclaimed by one angel and would soon be repeated again and again by an entire host of heavenly beings. Yet the good news is not only available—it is also made extremely accessible. Look how gracious and kind the angelic message was.

“And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

The angels provided a sign that would both direct the shepherds to the baby and confirm their message. When those shepherds rushed back into town, there would likely have been many swaddled babies, but we can be assured there was only one lying in an animal’s manger. What for Mary was a pragmatic decision—finding somewhere to lay the sleeping Savior—quickly became the sign that confirmed the angelic message.

You and I have that same sign. No, we cannot travel to Bethlehem to find the manger or the swaddling cloths, but in the pages of Scripture that messianic word has been forever established. That same gospel is still proclaimed to those who are lost, weary, and weak.

The Savior has been born! The baby was found by those shepherds, in that manger. They believed, they found, and they worshiped—and the gospel message continued to spread. May our reaction be the same as theirs!

The shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger… And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them (Luke 2:15–16, 20).

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