Throughout the Old Testament, the promise of the Messiah was so great that the idea of it brought peace and joy to those who heard. His coming would change the dynamics of a world that was under the sway of the wicked one. The message of His coming referred to the One and only Son of God who is the solution to the many problems and results of sin.
Isaiah was given this promise of the One who would come.
Isaiah 9:6–7 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end…
After His birth, an announcement was made to shepherds who were watching their flocks at night. The angels spoke of joy to the world and peace on earth. Only One could bring this kind of change to a world that is full of everything but true joy and peace.
Luke 2:10-14 NKJV Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Once they got over the shock of seeing the multitude of the heavenly host praising God, the shepherds were given the angel’s message. “Jesus the Savior, Who is Christ the Lord has been born.” The One Who can bring real peace and joy to the world has arrived. The world needs real PEACE and JOY today. From the time the curse entered, humanity has always needed peace and joy. We need it in the world, in our homes, and in our hearts. Your soul and mind needs real peace and joy. We needed someone who could bring true peace and joy. The search for lasting peace and joy has always been frustrated by the impact and distresses of sin. We all have too many stressors, heartaches, losses, and unfulfilled dreams. We carry too many burdens, griefs and woes.
The proclamation from the angel addresses this great need.
Have you noticed how much you need peace and joy? A major part of the ministry of Christ is addressed to the things that rob our peace and joy. Christ is the answer for a world that is in crisis.
The angel spoke three phrases of great significance.
- “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”
- “For there is born to you this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
- “On earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
These three phrases are connected.
“Joy, peace and goodwill” are dependent on “Christ the Savior is come.” The answer for the whole world is: “There is born to you this day a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord.”
Listen to these good tidings of great joy.
The angelic message is good news directly from heaven.
This angel was dispatched from the throne room in heaven with this message directly from the Heavenly Father. From God’s point of view, this message will bring great joy to the entire world. God has done something amazing by giving His Son Who has given you great joy. A Savior is born.
It was such a wonderful thing that the angels sang “glory to God in the highest.”
There are many types of good messages. There are different qualities of joy.
Biblically, many things bring joy.
- 1 Chronicles 15, Israel rejoiced when the ark of the covenant was restored.
- Ezra 3, the people rejoiced and celebrated with great joy when the foundation of the House of the Lord was laid.
- Psalms 20:4, they sing for joy over victory.
- Psalms 30:5, weeping lasts for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.
- Psalms 92:4, sing for joy at the works of God’s hands.
- Isaiah 12:3, with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
- Jeremiah 15:16, Your word brought me joy
The angel’s announcement proclaimed the greatest joy and extremely good news to all the earth.
God has given this Child, His Son, to you.
This is the deepest expression of God’s love. God so loved that He gave His only Son. Jesus Christ the Lord is born. This was the greatest message that angels could bring. Their declaration affects the whole earth.
Your Savior is born.
God had searched through heaven and earth for a man who would be able to deliver mankind from sin. There was no hope, no savior and no peace. There was no rest for the weary. There was no joy for our sorrow.
This Child is the fulfillment of God’s promise. When the Redeemer would come, He would heal the brokenhearted. He would proclaim liberty to the captives and open prisons for those who are bound. The One that God would send would comfort all who mourn and give them beauty for ashes. He would anoint them with the oil of joy for their mourning and give them a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. This Child will dramatically change lives and raise them up in righteousness. He will rebuild the old ruins and desolations of many generations. (Isaiah 61)
A new day of hope, peace, and joy had arrived.
Salvation has come. The Redeemer and Healer has arrived on the scene. The Curse Breaker was born. The Joy of the whole world had arisen with victory.
The angels sang, “On earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
When the angels sang this song, there had been no peace on earth. The angels sang about something more enduring than a temporary pause from war. Within 70 years, the spot where the angels sang to shepherds was one of the bloodiest battlefields in history.
What exactly were the angels singing about?
They sang about the Prince of Peace. He would bring a dramatic change in the history of the world.
What kind of peace is this?
The world is still engaged in wars and rumors of wars. Hatred, strife, murder, terrorism run rampant.
What makes this peace so different?
In John 14:27 Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
The Bible mentions peace 429 times.
Peace is one of the most desired things in life. Many people talk about peace.
- Someone said: “Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading.”
- Buddha said: “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
- Mahatma Gandhi: “There is no path to peace. Peace is the path.”
- Aristotle: “It is more difficult to organize a peace than to win a war.”
- Dalai Lama: “We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Nobody can bring you peace but yourself.”
This message from God our Father has provided deep lasting peace.
With the declaration of the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior, the heavenly host sang: “Peace on earth.”
Jesus Christ is OUR PEACE.
The baby born of a virgin is the Son of God. The child born in a Bethlehem stable is our Peace.
- He provides peace for our souls.
- His peace stills all strong attacks against us.
- His peace brings quietness to all raging seas.
- His peace calms all fear.
- His peace is for all who believe in Him.
This PEACE came down from the Father above.
In Christ Jesus, our PEACE is secure. There is no hope for PEACE if it does not include Christ our Lord. His peace abides. His peace brings calm to a troubled home. His peace will calm your troubled mind. He gives peace.
The angels were drawing attention to the Baby in the manger.
They were declaring: “Look, here is peace.” It is inconceivable that a baby could bring peace. The reason for peace is found in who He is and what He does.
“For there is born to you this day a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord.”
Isaiah 7:14 said: “He is IMMANUEL” – God with us.
Isaiah 9:6 said: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
The angels were saying your PEACE and JOY has come. He has come to break the power of your sins. You can come to God through Jesus Christ and find forgiveness and cleansing from your sins. He will lift and bear away your burdens. You don’t have to be loaded down and oppressed with those things. He will heal your sick and dying body. He will conquer every evil foe.
JOY TO THE WORLD THE LORD HAS COME !
You can rejoice about this. Regardless of the circumstances that are surrounding you, there is peace and joy. Jesus Christ is the One answer! Jesus is the One!
