Good Tidings of Great Joy

Luke 2: 10-11 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 a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

Last night I was chatting online with a friend from Honduras. He lives in an area of the city not far from where I lived during my year in Tegucigalpa, the capital. That side of town is known to be quite dangerous in places. I was asking him about about the safety of that area. He said it was about the same as when he first went there in 2001. When I told him that the reports I hear all tell how bad the city has gotten he had this reply: Man, it is the same as it has always been. The reason that people think it is worse is because the media only reports the bad things. They put gruesome crime scene photos in the papers that would not be put in the papers in the United States. The purpose is to be sensational because it makes a good story. No one, it seems, wants to read about good news. 

This world is indeed full of bad news. There is always another story about a murder, rape, or robbery. But for the Christian there is always good news. Our good news is that Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from our sins. We who believe in him are eternally set free from our sins through the His atoning blood on the Cross. We need never hang our heads in shame, fear, or doubt. No matter what happens in this life there is one thing that never changes. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Riches come and go and fame fades. Governments rise and fall. There will always be wars and rumors of wars. But the Christian has a constant hope. God will always be by my side and that is what gives me my joy. No matter what the papers say, there is good news today. Jesus Christ Lives!

Loving Jesus,

Sullivan Jones